Korean · Lunch & handhelds

Bulgogi lettuce wraps

Name: Bulgogi lettuce wraps
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 2 h 2 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Korean
Ingredients: 1 1/4 pounds boneless ribeye or top sirloin; 1/2 ripe Korean pear, peeled and finely grated; 1/4 cup soy sauce; 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar; 4 garlic cloves, finely grated, divided; 3 scallions, thinly sliced; 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; 1/4 cup doenjang; 1 tablespoon gochujang; 2 teaspoons honey; 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds; 1 tablespoon water; 16 red-leaf or butter-lettuce leaves, washed and completely dried; 16 perilla leaves, washed and completely dried

Pear-tenderized Korean beef seared in small batches and wrapped one bite at a time with lettuce, perilla, garlic, and homemade ssamjang.

About 2 hr 5 minTotal

About 45 minActive

$$$Cost

ModerateDifficulty

Makes 4 servings

Equipment

Preheat a 9-inch metal cake pan; the crust will be lighter but still valid.
Best starting skillet
Lodge 10.25-Inch Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet · L8SK3
View at Amazon
Another workable path: Preheat a 9-inch metal cake pan; the crust will be lighter but still valid.
Paid links. As an Amazon Associate, Kwilt earns from qualifying purchases.
How we chose
Research-backed · reviewed Aug 2026
We matched the recipe’s diameter and preheating method, then checked material, heat retention, cooktop fit, weight, care, stable model identity, and exact destination. Kwilt has not cooked with this skillet.
Lodge 10.25-Inch Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet · L8SK3: The 10.25-inch seasoned surface matches the recipe footprint and retains enough heat to create the crisp cornbread edge promised by a preheated skillet method. Trade-off: It weighs more than five pounds, the handles become hot, and avoiding rust requires prompt hand washing, drying, and light oiling.
Another workable path: Preheat a 9-inch metal cake pan with the recipe’s fat; the crust will be lighter but the crumb and flavor remain valid.
Sources
Lodge cast-iron material and care
Amazon exact product listing

Ingredients

1× recipe · Makes 4 servings

1 1/4 pounds boneless ribeye or top sirloin
1/2 ripe Korean pear, peeled and finely grated
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
4 garlic cloves, finely grated, divided
3 scallions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup doenjang
1 tablespoon gochujang
2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
1 tablespoon water
16 red-leaf or butter-lettuce leaves, washed and completely dried
16 perilla leaves, washed and completely dried

Instructions

Freeze beef 20 minutes until firm, then slice across the grain as thinly as possible. Mix pear, soy sauce, brown sugar, half the garlic, scallions, sesame oil, and pepper; marinate beef 1 hour.
Mix doenjang, gochujang, honey, sesame seeds, remaining garlic, and the measured water into a thick ssamjang.
Heat a over high until smoking. Lift beef from excess marinade and sear in three uncrowded batches, turning once, until browned at the edges and just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per batch.
Arrange hot beef, ssamjang, lettuce, and perilla separately so each person builds fresh wraps.
For each bite, overlap one lettuce and one perilla leaf, add a small fold of beef and no more than 1 teaspoon ssamjang, close into a compact parcel, and eat in one bite.