Korean BBQ Night at Home: Menu, Tips & Recipes
Korean BBQ is not just a meal, it's an experience. Everyone sits together at the table, the meat is on the grill in the middle, and the evening lasts for hours. Korea has a rich BBQ tradition that is becoming increasingly popular in the Netherlands, and rightly so.
In this article, you will read how to organize an authentic Korean BBQ night at home: the ambiance, the menu, the banchan (side dishes), the dipping sauces, and how to use The Rub Kitchen's Korean rub for the perfect result.
What exactly is Korean BBQ?
In Korea, BBQ is called "Gogi-gui," literally meaning grilled meat. The characteristic feature is that the grill is placed in the middle of the table, either built-in or as a tabletop grill, and everyone grills together while eating. There is no fixed order: meat, rice, and banchan (small side dishes) are served simultaneously and eaten interchangeably.
The three most commonly eaten Korean BBQ dishes are Bulgogi (marinated beef), Galbi (spare ribs), and Dak Galbi (spicy chicken). At home, it's easiest to make with a contact grill, a cast-iron pan over high heat, or a regular outdoor BBQ.
In Korea, you never eat Korean BBQ alone. It's a social meal where talking, drinking, and grilling intertwine. The evening lasts at least 2 to 3 hours. Don't plan anything in a hurry afterward.
Setting the ambiance
Korean BBQ is as much about ambiance as it is about food. With a few small adjustments, you can set the tone for the evening.
Low lighting
Candles or dimmed lamps. No bright overhead lighting.
K-pop or jazz
Korean playlist on Spotify or quiet jazz in the background.
Chopsticks
Korean metal chopsticks if you have them, otherwise just wood.
Soju or beer
Korean rice wine or a glass of soju. Or a ginger lemonade for a non-alcoholic alternative.
Small dishes
Banchan are served in many small dishes on the table. The more dishes, the more authentic.
Lettuce leaves
Koreans wrap the meat in lettuce leaves with rice and sauce. Place a bowl of fresh lettuce on the table.
The menu
A Korean BBQ evening consists of three parts: grilled meat, rice, and banchan. Here is a complete menu for 4 people.
Dak Galbi chicken
1.5 kg chicken wings or chicken thighs with The Rub Kitchen Korean rub. Sesame oil as a binder, minimum 4 hours resting time. This is the main course.
Steamed white rice
The neutral base of Korean BBQ. Rice absorbs the flavor of sauces and meat. Use japonica or sushi rice for the right sticky texture.
Fresh lettuce leaves
Butter lettuce or Lollo Rosso. Wrap meat, rice, and sauce in it for the traditional way of eating. Fresh and provides breathing room between the heat.
Grilled spring onions
Whole on the grill, 3 minutes per side. Eat them whole or chop finely over the meat. Nutty and slightly sweet after grilling.
Banchan: the small side dishes
Banchan are the small side dishes that are served with every Korean meal. You serve at least three, but the more the better. They are shared by everyone at the table.
Kimchi
Ready-madeFermented cabbage with gochugaru and garlic. Buy at an Asian supermarket. The most indispensable banchan. Cut into small pieces for the table.
Cucumber salad
5 minutesThin slices of cucumber with sesame oil, rice vinegar, a pinch of sugar, and sesame seeds. Fresh and cool, perfect counterpoint to the spicy meat.
Spinach with sesame
10 minutesBlanch spinach for 1 minute, squeeze dry. Mix with sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic, and sesame seeds. One of the most commonly eaten banchan in Korea.
Seasoned beans
5 minutesBriefly blanch green beans, rinse with cold water. Mix with sesame oil, soy sauce, and a pinch of chili powder. Simple and delicious.
Pickled radish
Day beforeThin slices of radish with rice vinegar, sugar, and salt. Let stand for 30 minutes or overnight in the refrigerator. Provides freshness and crunch.
Fried tofu
15 minutesFry tofu cubes in sesame oil until golden brown. Serve with soy sauce and green onion. Good for those who don't eat meat.
You can find kimchi at Asian supermarkets, Tokos, and large supermarkets like Albert Heijn in the refrigerator section with Asian products. Always choose refrigerated kimchi, not the room temperature variant. It ferments better.
The dipping sauces
Dipping sauces are essential for Korean BBQ. You dip the meat in them before wrapping it in a lettuce leaf with rice. Here are the four most authentic options.
Ssamjang
- ✓ 2 tbsp doenjang (fermented soybean paste)
- ✓ 1 tbsp gochujang
- ✓ 1 tsp sesame oil
- ✓ 1 tsp honey
- ✓ 1 clove garlic, grated
The classic Korean BBQ dip. Buy doenjang and gochujang at an Asian supermarket.
Soy sauce-sesame dip
- ✓ 3 tbsp soy sauce (low sodium)
- ✓ 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- ✓ 1 tsp sesame oil
- ✓ 1 tsp honey
- ✓ 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
Easier to make and also the official dipping sauce for The Rub Kitchen's Korean rub.
Sriracha mayo
- ✓ 3 tbsp mayonnaise
- ✓ 1 tbsp sriracha
- ✓ 1 tsp lime juice
- ✓ Pinch of salt
Not traditionally Korean but extremely popular with Korean BBQ worldwide. Creamy and spicy.
Yogurt-garlic dip
- ✓ 200g Greek yogurt
- ✓ 1 clove garlic, grated
- ✓ 1 tsp lemon
- ✓ Salt and pepper
Cool and creamy, perfect for cooling down next to the 5,450 SHU Korean rub.
Preparing the chicken: step by step
With The Rub Kitchen's Korean rub, you can make Dak Galbi, the spicy grilled chicken that is the heart of your Korean BBQ evening.
Evening before: apply rub
Pat 1.5 kg chicken wings or chicken thighs dry. Spread a thin layer of sesame oil over the meat. Rub 60g of Korean rub firmly into the meat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. Ginger and garlic need this time.
30 minutes before grilling
Take the meat out of the refrigerator. Prepare the banchan, set out the dipping sauces, and set the table. Start cooking the rice.
BBQ or grill to temperature
Heat to 175 to 185°C. Two zones: indirect for cooking, direct for the bark at the end. Never above 195°C due to the brown sugar in the rub.
Indirect grilling
Wings 20 minutes, chicken thighs 25 to 30 minutes. Lid closed. Gochugaru gives a beautiful deep orange-red color to the meat. Flip halfway through.
Direct finishing and serving
Last 4 minutes over direct heat. Core temperature 74°C. Spring onions directly on the grill, 2 to 3 minutes. Rest for 5 minutes then everything on the table at once.
The Korean rub has a heat of 5,450 SHU. This is distinctly spicy but entirely edible. Always put the yogurt-garlic dip on the table as a cooling option for those who prefer less heat. Not suitable for young children.
Drinks for Korean BBQ
In Korea, you always drink something with BBQ: soju, beer, or a combination of both. In the Netherlands, there are easily accessible alternatives.
Hite or Cass beer
Korean lager beer, available at Asian supermarkets. Light and refreshing, perfect with spicy meat.
Soju
Korean rice distillate, 20 to 25% alcohol. Light and neutral in taste. Drink it cold and neat. Available at Tokos and some supermarkets.
Iced tea
Korean barista-style iced tea is cold-brewed green tea with ice cubes. Fresh, slightly bitter, and perfect with grilled meat.
Ginger lemonade
Fresh and slightly spicy, the best non-alcoholic alternative. Ginger complements the ginger component in the Korean rub.
In Korea, "somaek" is popular: a mix of soju and beer in one glass. Ratio 3 parts beer to 1 part soju. Fresh, light, and dangerously delicious. To toast, you say "Geonbae" in Korean.
The complete shopping list
Everything you need for a Korean BBQ evening for 4 people.
Meat and grill
1.5 kg chicken wings or chicken thighs, 60g Korean rub, sesame oil, spring onions, fresh ginger.
Banchan
Kimchi (bought), cucumber, spinach, green beans, radish, sesame seeds, soy sauce, rice vinegar.
Dipping sauces
Doenjang, gochujang, sesame oil, honey, garlic, sriracha, mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, lime.
Other
Japonica rice, butter lettuce, soju or Korean beer, ginger lemonade, chopsticks, small dishes.
Ready for the Korean BBQ night?
Want to get started right away? Order the Korean rub here and make your next evening a success.
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