Bulgogi Sliders With Scallion Salsa

Recipe from Hooni Kim

Adapted by Sam Sifton

Updated April 15, 2026

  • Rachel Vanni for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Spencer Richards.
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Total Time
30 minutes, plus overnight refrigeration
Rating
5(780)
Comments
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Here is a sandwich version of the Korean barbecue standard known as bulgogi — “fire meat,” is the literal translation — and a taste of the sort of home cooking that can lead to more home cooking. It serves as a fragrant hamburger crusher, an elegant vanquisher of pizza. It is an enemy of takeout. I learned the recipe from Hooni Kim, the chef and owner of Danji, on the edge of the theater district in Manhattan, where bulgogi “sliders” are a hallmark of the menu and by far the restaurant’s most popular dish. It’s been adapted for use in the home. —Sam Sifton

Featured in: The Bulgogi Slider Is a Delicious Curveball

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Ingredients

Yield:6 servings

FOR THE BULGOGI

  • 1 cup soy sauce

  • 2 tablespoons sugar

  • 1 tablespoon peeled and grated garlic

  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil

  • 3 tablespoons sake

  • 2 tablespoons mirin

  • 1 Asian pear, peeled, cored and puréed in a food processor

  • 1 small carrot peeled and sliced into julienne

  • 1 medium white onion peeled and sliced into julienne

  • 1 cup apple juice

  • 2 pounds beef brisket, chilled slightly and sliced thin

FOR THE SPICY MAYONNAISE

  • 1 cup mayonnaise

  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce

  • 3 tablespoons hot chili sauce, ideally Sriracha

FOR THE SCALLION SALSA

  • ½ cup soy sauce

  • 2 tablespoons water

  • ¼ cup sugar

  • 2 tablespoons gochugaru (Korean red-pepper flakes)

  • 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil

  • 2 tablespoons sesame oil

  • 3 tablespoons rice vinegar

  • 2 tablespoons mirin

  • 1 tablespoon sesame seeds

  • 2 bunches scallions, cleaned, dried and sliced on the bias

  • Unsalted butter

  • 6 soft hamburger buns

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

55 grams carbs; 172 milligrams cholesterol; 1137 calories; 28 grams monosaturated fat; 27 grams polyunsaturated fat; 23 grams saturated fat; 83 grams fat; 4 grams fiber; 4381 milligrams sodium; 38 grams protein; 25 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a large, nonreactive bowl, combine the soy sauce, sugar, garlic, sesame oil, sake, mirin, pear, carrot, onion and apple juice. Add the sliced brisket, stir to combine, cover tightly and place in the refrigerator overnight or for at least six hours.

  2. Step 2

    Meanwhile, in a small, nonreactive bowl, combine the mayonnaise, soy sauce and hot chili sauce and stir to combine. Taste and adjust flavors, then cover and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

  3. Step 3

    When you are ready to make the sandwiches, set one very large sauté pan (or two large ones) over high heat. Using tongs, lift meat from marinade in batches, allow to drain well, then cook, turning occasionally until the excess liquid has evaporated and the edges of the beef have started to crisp.

  4. Step 4

    Meanwhile, combine all the ingredients for the salsa except for the scallions, then stir to combine.

  5. Step 5

    Toast and butter the hamburger buns. Spread spicy mayonnaise on the buns, and using tongs, cover one side of each set of buns with bulgogi. Add a large pinch of scallions on top of each burger and drizzle with the dressing.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
780 user ratings
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Comments

Jacki

Delicious! I would suggest maybe letting the meat drain in a colander as there was no way the meat was ever going to crisp in all that liquid. The cucumbers are a must here- the tartness balances the overall sweetness of the marinade and sauce.

For those who harp on the calorie count: look at the ingredients, figure out how to make it work for you, tell us the tweaks. All the mayo will not get used. Skip some oil. It is so tiresome to constantly read comments about calorie heavy recipes.

Chilewheel

With good food, as with so many worthwhile objectives in life, the same maxim applies: if you're not willing to do what it takes, then no one can help you, and you can't complain when nothing happens. I live in a small town, away from a major city, and every ingredient in this recipe is available at both of our local markets. Of course, I've been known to drive 50 miles for a good sandwich..

Sue

I would recommend using a quarter cup of sprite or 7up in the marinade to tenderize the meat. That's a Korean secret that my grandmother and mom always used - also be sure to let the meat marinade for as long as possible - at least 6 hours if not overnight.

CJ

Incredible flavors, and even lends itself to a slow cooker variation. Brisket was insanely expensive at my grocery store so I swapped it out for 2.5 lbs short ribs. I threw them in a slow cooker with most of the marinade ingredients (except for the carrot) for 8 hrs and they fell off the bone. I used the carrot in the slaw with some thinly sliced cucumbers. Topped it off with mayo and gochujang and it was delicious!

Roxy

Here’s a dumb question. I read and reread the steps and it reads as if the marinade is not used, which is expected after exposure to raw meat. However, when I look at the photo, it looks like it may be on the sandwich since the salsa only has scallions and I’m seeing carrot and julienne onions on the sandwich. Am I missing a step or misreading?

Veganizer

@Jacki Cucumbers?

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Credits

Adapted from Hooni Kim, Danji restaurant, New York

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