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Bulgogi Onigirazu

With savory Korean grilled beef and steamed rice wrapped in nori seaweed, this ultimate Bulgogi Onigirazu makes for a perfect summer lunch or picnic! For a more substantial wrap, add optional fried egg and vegetables like seasoned bean sprouts, spinach, carrots, and shiitake mushrooms.

Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Total Time
1 hr
Servings: 4 onigirazu
Calories: 729 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Japanese

Ingredients

For the Bulgogi Marinade
  • 2 Tbsp Korean soy sauce
  • 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
  • 2 Tbsp brown sugar
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • ¼ Asian pear (grated; you‘ll need 2 Tbsp)
  • 4 cloves garlic (minced; 2 tsp)
For the Bulgogi
  • ½ onion
  • ½ carrot
  • 3 green onions/scallions
  • 1 lb beef (tenderloin, ribeye, or top sirloin)
  • 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil (for cooking the meat)
  • 1 Tbsp toasted white sesame seeds (for topping)
For the Bean Sprouts (optional)
  • 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
  • 1 clove garlic (½ tsp minced)
  • ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt (for the dressing)
  • 1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt (for blanching)
  • 6 oz bean sprouts (½ package)
  • 1 green onion/scallion
For the Spinach (optional)
  • 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
  • 1 clove garlic (½ tsp minced)
  • ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
  • ½ bunch spinach
For the Carrot (optional)
  • ½ large carrot
  • 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
  • ⅛ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
For the Shiitake Mushrooms (optional)
  • 6 Shiitake mushrooms
  • 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
  • ⅛ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
For the Eggs (optional)
  • 1 Tbsp neutral oil
  • 4 large eggs (50 g each w/o shell)
For Making the Onigirazu
  • 4 servings cooked Japanese short-grain rice (4 cups, 600 g)
  • 4 sheets nori (dried laver seaweed)
  • Diamond Crystal kosher salt (for sprinkling on the rice)
For the Gochujang Sauce (optional)
  • 2 Tbsp gochujang (Korean chili paste)
  • 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
  • 1 Tbsp sugar
  • 1 Tbsp toasted white sesame seeds
  • 1–2 Tbsp water (to dilute to your desired consistency)

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Before You Start: Gather all the ingredients. For the steamed rice, please note that 1½ cups (300 g, 2 rice cooker cups) of uncooked Japanese short-grain rice yield 4⅓ cups (660 g) of cooked white rice. See how to cook short-grain rice with a rice cooker, pot over the stove, Instant Pot, or donabe.
To Make the Bulgogi Marinade
    Cup of Yum
  1. In a large bowl, combine the ingredients for the bulgogi marinade: 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil, 2 Tbsp Korean soy sauce, 2 Tbsp brown sugar, and freshly ground black pepper. Grate ¼ Asian pear, measure 2 Tbsp grated pear, and add to the bowl. Crush (or mince) 4 cloves garlic, measure 2 tsp minced garlic, and add to the bowl. Mix it all together.
  2. Cut ½ onion into thin slices. Cut ½ carrot to 2-inch (5-cm) pieces, then cut into julienned pieces.
  3. Cut 3 green onions/scallions into 2-inch (5-cm) pieces. Cut 1 lb beef into thin 2-inch (5-cm) strips. Tip: I put the meat in the freezer for 2 hours (depending on the size and thickness) prior to cutting the meat into thin slices. See my tutorial on how I slice my meat.
  4. Add the vegetables and meat to the bowl and toss to coat with the marinade. Set aside for at least 20 minutes.
To Prepare the Bean Sprouts and Spinach (optional)
  1. Prepare 2 medium bowls. In each bowl, combine 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil, ½ tsp minced garlic (from 1 clove garlic), and ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt and mix well.
  2. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and add 1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt. Add 6 oz bean sprouts and cook for about 1 minute. We will need to reserve the boiling water for spinach, so scoop up the bean sprouts with a sieve or spider strainer. Run under cold tap water to stop the cooking further with remaining heat and drain well. Set aside.
  3. Prepare iced water in a large bowl. In the same boiling water, blanch ½ bunch spinach for 30 seconds. Transfer the spinach to the iced water to stop the cooking.
  4. Squeeze out the water from spinach as much as you can and add to one of the bowls with the seasonings. Toss well with the sauce.
  5. Thinly cut 1 green onion/scallion. Add the bean sprouts and green onion to the other bowl and toss well with the sauce.
For the Carrot and Shiitake Mushrooms (optional)
  1. Cut ½ large carrot in half widthwise, about 2 inches (5 cm) long. Cut each piece into thin slices, and julienne the carrots. Cut 6 shiitake mushrooms into thin slices.
  2. Heat 1 tsp toasted sesame oil in a large frying pan and add the carrot. Season with ⅛ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt and sauté until tender. If your pan is big enough to add the shiitake mushrooms, move the carrot to one side when it’s cooked halfway. Add 1 tsp toasted sesame oil in the open space and add the shiitake mushrooms. Season with ⅛ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt and sauté until tender. If your frying pan is small, cook one ingredient at a time; transfer the carrot to a plate and cook the shiitake mushrooms after. When the carrot and shiitake mushrooms are both tender (but not overcooked), transfer to a plate and set aside.
To Cook the Eggs (optional)
  1. Heat 1 Tbsp neutral oil in the large frying pan and make fried eggs with 4 large eggs (50 g each w/o shell). I cook the eggs “over hard” so the egg yolk won’t be runny and messy when the onigirazu is cut in half.
To Grill the Meat
  1. In a large skillet (I use a griddle pan so I can grill the meat in a single layer), heat 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil over medium-high heat and sauté the marinated beef until cooked, about 5 minutes. Transfer the meat to the plate and sprinkle with 1 Tbsp toasted white sesame seeds.
To Make the Gochujang Sauce (optional)
  1. In a small bowl, combine all of the sauce ingredients: 2 Tbsp gochujang (Korean chili paste), 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil, 1 Tbsp sugar, and 1 Tbsp toasted white sesame seeds. Mix them all together. Add 1–2 Tbsp water until you achieve the consistency you like.
To Assemble the Onigirazu
  1. Place a piece of plastic wrap on a working surface and put a sheet of nori seaweed on top (shiny side down), with a corner pointing up. Evenly spread ½ serving of the steamed rice in a thin layer and form into a square shape in the center of the nori sheet. If you make the onigirazu with different ingredients that have a milder taste, sprinkling Diamond Crystal kosher salt at this step is very important, especially if you plan on eating it at room temperature.
  2. Place one serving of bulgogi on top of the rice in a thin layer. Then, put one serving of spinach, bean sprouts, carrot, and shiitake in a thin layer on top of the meat.
  3. Add the fried egg. Then, add another ½ serving of steamed rice on top. Try to keep the square shape as you spread the rice evenly in a thin layer.
  4. Bring the left and right corners of nori sheet towards the center. Fold gently but tightly to wrap around the layers at the center.
  5. Then, bring the bottom and top corners towards the center. Continue to fold gently but tightly around the layers. Make sure the rice is tucked in nicely. If you‘d like the onigirazu to showcase the ingredients after cutting it in half, mark it with a piece of carrot perpendicular to the ingredients (see video). Flip over and shape the onigirazu gently. Wrap tightly with the plastic wrap and set aside for 5 minutes. Repeat assembling the remaining onigirazu.
  6. Cut the onigirazu with a sharp knife (following your “carrot” mark). Run your knife in cold water before cutting so that the cross section will be clean. The Bulgogi Onigirazu is now ready to enjoy.
To Store
  1. If you plan to make it ahead of time, wrap the onigirazu with a kitchen towel and keep in the refrigerator overnight. The towel will prevent the rice from getting harder from cold air.

Nutrition Information

Calories 729kcal (36%) Carbohydrates 47g (16%) Protein 33g (66%) Fat 46g (71%) Saturated Fat 13g (65%) Polyunsaturated Fat 9g Monounsaturated Fat 19g Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 267mg (89%) Sodium 759mg (32%) Potassium 951mg (27%) Fiber 4g (16%) Sugar 10g (20%) Vitamin A 7330IU (147%) Vitamin C 26mg (29%) Calcium 170mg (17%) Iron 7mg (39%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4onigirazu

Amount Per Serving

Calories 729

% Daily Value*

Calories 729kcal 36%
Carbohydrates 47g 16%
Protein 33g 66%
Fat 46g 71%
Saturated Fat 13g 65%
Polyunsaturated Fat 9g 53%
Monounsaturated Fat 19g 95%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 267mg 89%
Sodium 759mg 32%
Potassium 951mg 20%
Fiber 4g 16%
Sugar 10g 20%
Vitamin A 7330IU 147%
Vitamin C 26mg 29%
Calcium 170mg 17%
Iron 7mg 39%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.