Healthy Whole30 Bulgogi is a Friday night game-changer! There are zero reasons to reach for the take-out menu when you can make this sweet and sour Korean classic at home in under 30 minutes. With tender shreds of beef, caramelized vegetables, and a marinade/stir fry sauce that will blow your mind, this easy and authentic dish is instantly addictive.
I have a few questions for you today:
- Do you love Korean food, but feel like it’s kind of intimidating to make at home?
- Do you want nutritious meals that are incredibly flavorful and ready in under 30 minutes?
- Do you need a foolproof Whole30 dinner recipe that will easily help you crush the second half of your round?
Did you answer “YES!” (or even “sure” or “yep”) to any one of these questions? Awesome. I did too, so this recipe for healthy Whole30 Bulgogi is for you and for me, and we’re going to be insanely happy eaters together.
Bulgogi is sweet and sour Korean beef BBQ, and it’s one of the most popular traditional Korean recipes (for really freakin’ good reason). Paper thin slices of beef get tossed in a tangy, pear-sweetened marinade, then stir-fried with carrots and onions until crispy. It’s juicy and tender and instantly addictive.
Cameron and I had it over cauliflower rice for “fake-out Friday” while the kids noshed on pizza and honestly? I didn’t miss pizza night one bit.
Are you excited yet? You should be.
Of course I totes did not develop this recipe – authentic Asian cuisine is most definitely not in my wheelhouse. This bulgogi recipe is fresh from the pages of the new cookbook Korean Paleo by the uber-talented Jean Choi of What Great Grandma Ate. I’ve been following Jean for a long time, and have spent many hours drooling over her creations.
Jean’s blog isn’t limited to Korean cuisine (there’s literally something for everyone), but I was thrilled when she launched Korean Paleo. Cameron and I are big fans of most Asian cuisine, so finding a trusted resource for authentic Korean recipes that are also gluten free, grain free, and soy free was a game changer for our weekly meal planning.
Korean Paleo contains over 80 recipes covering everything from bap (rice, or cauliflower rice) dishes, to savory pancakes, Korean BBQ, soup and stews, fusion recipes, and so much more. She details how to stock up your Korean kitchen, and where you can make reasonable substitutions if you have trouble sourcing ingredients.
AND, she does all of that while keeping each recipe gluten, grain, soy, and refined sugar free, and within several specific dietary niches, including:
- 53 egg-free recipes
- 27 nightshade-free recipes
- 70 nut-free recipes
- 27 Whole30 recipes
- 17 AIP-optional recipes
- 21 keto recipes
I add just a few cookbooks to my collection each year, and they typically fall into one of two classes: (1) “instructional” cookbooks that help me hone my overall culinary skills; or (2) specialty cuisines that I could never figure out how to prepare on my own. Korean Paleo fills a void in my collection, and I can’t wait to dive into more of Jean’s recipes. …
