Beef in Korean food
Beef (쇠고기)
Beef hides in broth more often than in meat dishes. Vegetable and seafood dishes can also contain beef stock or beef seasoning.
Where it hides in Korean food
Beef dasida, the most common seasoning in Korea, is a broth seasoning made with beef. A broth can taste of beef even when no beef is visible.
The broth of cold noodle soup (mul naengmyeon) is often beef stock, topped with slices of boiled beef. Spicy mixed cold noodles are often served with that broth on the side.
Seaweed soup, eaten on birthdays, is made with beef or fish stock, and the rice cake soup of the Lunar New Year is often made with a beef broth. Milky seolleongtang is made by simmering beef bones for a long time.
Jeonju bibimbap rice can be cooked in beef shank broth. Even when the bowl looks like vegetables, the rice itself can contain beef.
How it is written in Korean
- 쇠고기soegogibeef
- 소고기sogogibeef, another spelling
- 한우hanuKorean native beef
- 사골sagolbeef leg bone, boiled for broth
- 우지ujibeef tallow
These are common words, not a complete list. A word missing here does not mean the ingredient is missing from the food.
Korean law requires packaged food that contains this ingredient to name it in a separate allergy box near the ingredient list. The legal name is 쇠고기.
Dishes that contain it
Usually in it
- BulgogiThe standard cut is thinly sliced sirloin or ribeye. When a menu just says bulgogi, beef is what it usually means.
- Galbi (grilled short ribs)Galbi originally meant beef ribs, but pork ribs are now often called just galbi or charcoal galbi as well. Ask which meat it is.
- Naengmyeon (cold noodles)The cold broth is commonly beef stock, and store-bought naengmyeon broth is also usually flavored with beef. The spicy mixed version often comes with that broth on the side or has it mixed into the sauce.
Sometimes in it
- BibimbapSliced or minced meat is a common topping and is usually beef, but chicken, seafood or tofu can take its place. Some places serve yak-gochujang, gochujang stir-fried with minced beef, as the sauce, so beef can be in the sauce even without the topping.
- Budae-jjigae (army base stew)Ground beef is listed among the extra ingredients, and the broth is often a meat or bone stock rather than plain water.
- Ganjang-gejang (soy sauce marinated raw crab)An older way of making it pours minced beef over the crabs together with the sauce; most modern recipes do not include it.
- GimbapSeasoned beef or bulgogi is a common filling, especially in rolls sold as beef gimbap.
- Haemul-pajeon (seafood scallion pancake)Dongnae pajeon from Busan adds beef along with the seafood, so a seafood pancake can carry meat as well.
- Jajangmyeon (black bean noodles)Pork is the usual meat in the black sauce, but some shops use beef instead.
- JapchaeThin strips of beef are the usual meat, stir-fried and tossed in with the noodles, though pork is used in some kitchens.
- Jjamppong (spicy seafood noodle soup)Chadol jjamppong adds thin slices of beef brisket to the spicy soup, and some packaged jjamppong broths also list beef.
- Mandu (Korean dumplings)Some meat fillings use a mix of ground beef and pork rather than pork alone.
- Sundubu-jjigae (soft tofu stew)Beef appears both as a meat option and as an alternative broth, so a seafood-free pot can still carry it. Some recipes also add beef dasida stock powder to flavor the broth.
- TteokbokkiSome named versions, such as brisket or mala tteokbokki, cook thin beef slices in with the rice cakes, and some recipes add beef dasida stock powder to the sauce.
Based on the 20 dishes this site has researched. Dishes not listed here can contain it too.
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Sources we checked
This page is based on the references listed here. They were found with AI and actually opened and checked, and nothing on the page is generated while you use it. Source titles stay in their original language, each one comes with a line on what we checked there, and each link opens the other site in a new tab.
How we research and check these sourcesShow the 9 sources behind this page
- 다시다 | CJ제일제당 (opens in a new tab)
Dasida is a seasoning built on bases such as beef and anchovy, and it became the leading brand in the Korean seasoning market.
- Naengmyeon - Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)
Mul naengmyeon broth can be made from beef, slices of cold boiled beef can go on top, and bibim naengmyeon often comes with broth on the side.
- 미역국 - 위키백과, 우리 모두의 백과사전 (opens in a new tab)
Seaweed soup is made with beef or fish stock.
- Tteokguk - Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)
Rice cake soup is often made with a beef broth.
- Seolleongtang - Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)
Seolleongtang is made by simmering beef bones for a long time.
- Bibimbap - Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)
Jeonju bibimbap rice can be cooked in beef shank broth.
- 쇠기름 - 위키백과, 우리 모두의 백과사전 (opens in a new tab)
Uji is another word for beef tallow.
- 반찬가게 창업ㆍ운영 > 준수사항 > 영업자의 준수사항 > 식품 등의 표시 기준 (본문) | 찾기쉬운 생활법령정보 (opens in a new tab)
Packaged food must name its allergens in a separate box near the ingredient list.
- 식품 등의 표시ㆍ광고에 관한 법률 시행규칙 - 국가법령정보센터 (opens in a new tab)
The annex to these labeling rules lists the allergens that packaged food must declare.