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All-purpose Korean Marinade
4.5 from 75 votes

All-purpose Korean Marinade

This all-purpose Korean marinade blends soy sauce, sugar, water, and a combination of aromatic ingredients such as onion, apple, garlic, ginger, dried shiitake mushrooms, peppercorns, kelp, rice wine, and lemon slices. It is simmered to infuse flavors and strained, producing a versatile base suitable for marinating meats like galbi, bulgogi, and spicy pork by adjusting quantities and adding sesame oil and fresh aromatics.

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
40 mins
Servings: 40
Course: Others

Ingredients

Yields about 10 cups
  • 6 cups of water
  • 4 cups soy sauce
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 cup corn syrup or use 2/3 cup honey or 1 more cup sugar, or Korean Oligodang
  • 1 onion large, roughly cut into small pieces
  • 1 apple large, roughly cut into small pieces
  • 2 scallions cut into shorter pieces
  • 12 to 14 garlic plump cloves, roughly cracked open (use a side of the knife
  • 2 inch long ginger about 1 inch diameter, thinly sliced
  • 3 or 4 dried shiitake mushrooms
  • 1 teaspoon peppercorns
  • 5 inch dried kelp also known as dashima 다시마, square shape
  • 1 cup rice wine Dry white wine is also good, or mirin
  • 1 lemon thinly sliced

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Add all the ingredients (except the dashima, rice wine, and lemon) to a large pot with 6 cups of water. Bring it to a boil over high heat, uncovered, and then reduce the heat to achieve a medium boil (between medium high and medium on my stove). Boil for 30 minutes.
  2. Add the dashima and continue to boil for 10 more minutes.
  3. Remove all the solids with a strainer.
  4. Add the rice wine and lemon slices, and let it cool. Store in a jar(s) in the fridge.
How to use the marinade
Galbi (beef short ribs) or bulgogi
  1. For 2 pounds of beef short ribs or bulgogi meat, use 1 cup of the marinade and add 1 tablespoon of sesame oil. You can also add 1 tablespoon of minced garlic, grated 1/4 Korean pear and a handful of scallion and onion slices if you like. For galbi, you need to marinate for at least 6 to 8 hours or overnight for best results. Marinate bulgogi for 30 minutes to an hour, up to overnight. 
Spicy pork
  1. For 2 pounds of pork, use 1/2 cup of the marinade, 1 tablespoon of sesame oil, 2 tablespoons of gochugaru (red chili pepper flakes), and 3 tablespoons of gochujang (red chili pepper paste). If using more gochujang, use less marinade. You can add 1 or 2 teaspoons of grated ginger, 1 tablespoon minced garlic, and a handful of scallion and onion slices.

Notes

  • Adjust sweetness or saltiness by adding more sugar or soy sauce based on the intended dish.
  • Include sesame oil when using the marinade on meats for extra flavor and aroma.
  • Alternative sweeteners such as grated pear, honey, or Korean plum extract can be used instead of corn syrup.
  • To mitigate the strong smell of boiling soy sauce, keep a candle burning nearby while cooking.