Sweet soy-marinated beef short ribs grilled until caramelized, a Korean barbecue classic.
Galbi are Korean-style short ribs, cut thin across the bone (LA-style) so a sweet soy-pear-garlic marinade penetrates quickly and the meat cooks fast over high heat, caramelizing at the edges while staying tender within. It's one of the most recognized dishes of Korean barbecue, whether cooked at home on a grill pan or at a tabletop restaurant grill. The pear in the marinade plays the same tenderizing role it does in bulgogi, and scoring the meat lightly before marinating helps the flavors penetrate more evenly through the thicker sections near the bone.
Serves 4
Soak short ribs in cold water for 30 minutes to draw out excess blood, then drain and pat dry.
Combine grated pear, onion, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and water.
Add the ribs to the marinade, coating thoroughly. Marinate at least 2 hours, ideally overnight.
Massage the marinade into the meat around the bone, where the pear-based tenderizing matters most.
Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium-high heat.
Grill ribs 3-4 minutes per side until caramelized and cooked to your preferred doneness.
Watch closely — the sugar in the marinade can burn if the heat is too high or the ribs are left too long.
Let rest 3 minutes, then garnish with scallions and sesame seeds. Serve with rice and lettuce for wrapping.
Soak the ribs in cold water before marinating to remove excess blood, which keeps the finished dish cleaner-tasting.
Marinate overnight for the deepest flavor, though a minimum of 2 hours still gives good results.
Grill over medium-high rather than the highest heat, since the sugary marinade burns easily.
Use boneless short rib or flanken cut if LA-style bone-in isn't available.
Add a splash of Coca-Cola or Sprite to the marinade, a common home-cook trick for extra tenderness and sweetness.
Serve wrapped in lettuce with ssamjang for a full ssam-style meal.
Refrigerate marinated raw ribs for up to 2 days before cooking, or refrigerate cooked ribs for up to 3 days, reheating gently to avoid drying them out.
Galbi has long been a centerpiece of Korean celebratory and restaurant meals, with the thin-cut LA-style version developing in Korean-American communities as a way to cook the traditionally thick-cut ribs more quickly over a grill.
It refers to short ribs cut thinly across the bone rather than between the bones, so each piece has several small cross-sections of bone, allowing for much faster marinating and grilling.
Yes, broil in the oven for a few minutes per side, watching closely since the sugary marinade can burn quickly under high broiler heat.
It likely wasn't marinated long enough, or the cut wasn't sliced thin enough across the bone; aim for at least 2 hours of marinating and confirm your cut is the thin LA-style.
Per serving (300g / 10.6 oz) · 4 servings total
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