We’ll be making everything from scratch so you can get a better idea of how it’s done but you can substitute many of these ingredients with pre-made sides or leftovers in the future once you learn how its done!
What is bibimbap?
Bibimbap is a Korean rice dish that combines a simple mix of warm white rice with various toppings of seasoned vegetables, sauteed meat, and spicy condiments like gochujang sauce. In Korean, “bibim” means “mixing,” and bap translates to cooked rice. Many bibimbap dishes are served in hot stone bowls called dolsot, which gives the rice sizzling and extra crispy at the bottom of the dish. It’s the perfect bite of crunchiness. While the exact origin of bibimbap is unknown, it has been eaten in Korean culture for centuries and has many variations. In general, it’s any dish that involves mixing cooked rice with leftover side dishes. For example, I’ve even seen Korean TikTokers make their version of bibimbap with leftover spicy, marinated squid, steamed rice, and Kewpie mayo.
Bibimbap vegetables
These days, you’ll find Korean restaurants typically serve bibimbap with seasoned vegetable side dishes:
julienned carrots julienned zucchini sliced cucumber blanched bean sprouts blanched spinach sauteed bellflower root sauteed bracken fern stems
To make this recipe easier, I used vegetables you can easily find at any local grocery store. You can skip all the hard work and buy pre-made banchan at H-Mart or a Korean grocery store. Since I had no leftover veggies, I made them at home, which took a little more time and effort.
Protein options
There are no set rules so protein options can vary wildly. I’ve eaten bibimbap at Korean restaurants that served beef bulgogi (which I’ll make for this recipe) or even just ground beef. If you have dietary restrictions, you can also use fried tofu or seafood like spicy marinated crab.
Bulgogi marinade in this recipe
I make my bulgogi marinade from scratch with frozen, sliced beef (labeled for bulgogi from H-Mart), Asian pears, onions, garlic, ginger, and seasonings. However, you can also buy pre-marinated bulgogi (or other types of meat) from Korean grocery stores. They will be slightly pricier, but it saves time in the kitchen if you’re making a ton of other side dishes. Here’s my recipe for spicy pork bulgogi.
Bibimbap sauce
Bibimbap can be topped with other seasonings in addition to vegetables and protein. A simple condiment is roasted sesame oil or gochujang (a Korean pepper paste). You can also make a fancier bibimbap sauce comprising roasted sesame oil, gochujang, honey, rice vinegar, soy sauce, garlic powder, and ginger powder. Here’s my recipe for gochujang sauce, which you can use for bibimbap and adjust the spice level, sweetness, tanginess, and saltiness based on your preferences. Note that this sauce is spicy.
Choosing a proper bibimbap bowl
Bibimbap is typically served in bowls, but the options vary. You can use a regular bowl, a hot stone bowl, or a ceramic bowl. You can buy these bowls at your local Korean grocery store, like H-Mart. I prefer using hot stone bowls, which are made of a stone similar to soapstone because they crisp up the rice. I recommend using a shallow and wide bowl to have more room for toppings and to make mixing easier.
