This galbi jjim recipe yields the most mouthwateringly tender, fall-off-the-bone Korean braised short ribs cooked alongside a combination of vegetables in a slightly sweet and savory sauce served with steamed rice for a delicious and comforting meal. Now, you can create restaurant-quality Korean beef short ribs at home with this recipe!
Galbi jjim (or galbijjim, kalbijjim) is a traditional Korean short rib stew. This dish features braised bone-in beef short ribs, potatoes, carrots, Korean radish, shiitake mushrooms, and green onions. Galbi jjim is typically served during holidays such as Chuseok or special occasions.
The Korean beef short ribs are soaked in water and then parboiled to remove excess impurities. Then they are slow-cooked with an aromatic, sweet, and savory braising sauce made up of onion, garlic, ginger, Asian pear, soy sauce, sugar, mirin, and sesame oil. This dish is typically served with steamed white rice and a variety of Korean side dishes like kimchi, oi muchim (Korean cucumber salad), or eomuk bokkeum (Korean fish cake stir fry).
Ingredients
You can find these galbi jjim ingredients at your local Korean grocery market.
Beef Short Ribs: use high-quality prime-grade short ribs for the best marbling which yields the most tender option. Beef short ribs that are cut and prepared in chunks can be found at your local Korean grocery market.
Garlic, Yellow onion, Ginger: garlic, yellow onion, and ginger are the trifecta of aromatics that will provide a rich flavor to the beef.
Asian pear: Asian pear adds a natural sweetness and aids in tenderizing the braised beef.
Soy Sauce: regular soy sauce will add a rich umami flavor and a deep color to the short ribs.
Brown Sugar:brown sugar adds a touch of sweetness to balance out the salty flavors.
Mirin:mirin or sweet rice wine adds a sweet and tangy flavor to the beef.
Beef Broth from cooking the beef: remember to save the beef broth from parboiling the short ribs to add a richer beef flavor.
Vegetables
Peel and cut the vegetables into large chunks to prevent them from becoming overcooked and mushy when braised.
Yukon Potatoes
Carrots
Korean Radish
Shiitake Mushrooms
Green Onion
Substitutions and Additions
Substitutions
Dried shiitake mushrooms: instead of fresh shiitake mushrooms, you can rehydrate dried shiitake mushrooms.
Broth: instead of saving the beef braising liquid, you can beef broth or chicken broth.
Honey: instead of sugar, you can alternatively use honey
Additions
Spice: to make a spicy galbi jjim recipe, simply add a few tablespoons of gochugaru, gochujang, or chopped fresh chili pepper to taste.
Rice cake: rice cakes are a good alternative to steamed rice.
Vegetables: you can use different vegetables such as kabocha squash or bell peppers.
Jujubes, ginkgo nuts, peeled chestnuts: traditional Korean braised short ribs have all three of these.
How to Make Galbi Jjim
This easy galbi jjim recipe is a throw-it-together and leave-it recipe. For the best clean-tasting galbi jjim, soak and parboil the short ribs to remove any impurities from the beef before braising.
Prepare Beef Short Ribs
Soak the short ribs. Place the beef short ribs in a large bowl and fill with water. Soak for 30 minutes and change the water 1-2 times.
Parboil the short ribs. In a large pot of water cover with water until the meat is just covered. Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat and boil for 4-5 minutes. Skim the scum off the top of the water. Strain and reserve about 3 cups of the beef broth.
Rinse the ribs. Rinse the beef ribs under cold water to remove any remaining scum.
Braise
Make the braising sauce. Add garlic, yellow onion, Asian pear, and ginger to a blender and blend until pulverized. Then add add soy sauce, brown sugar, mirin, sesame oil, and black pepper and blend until combined.
Braise. Place the short ribs in a large pot. Add the braising sauce and mix until combined. Then add the reserved beef broth until about 90% of the beef is covered. Cover the pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once it reaches a boil, lower to medium heat and simmer over a gentle boil for 45 minutes.
Add vegetables. Lower the heat to medium-low, then add the potatoes, carrots, radish, and mushrooms and mix. Cover and cook for another 30 minutes. If too much liquid has reduced add more of the reserved beef broth.
Simmer uncovered. Lastly, uncover the pot and simmer another 10 minutes until the sauce is thicker, and the meat is tender.
Serve. Garnish the galbi jjim with green onions and serve with steamed rice. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
Soak the short ribs in water: soaking the ribs in water will draw out the excess blood to remove excess gamey flavor.
Parboil the short ribs and skim the scum: parboiling the Korean beef short ribs removes excess fat and impurities from the beef producing a better and cleaner-tasting galbi jjim. Also, make sure to skim off the excess scum from the parboiling water to save the broth to use later.
Save the parboiling beef broth: saving the beef broth will enrich the braising liquid for a more comforting beef flavor.
Cut the vegetables intolarge 1-2 inch pieces. Cutting the vegetables into larger pieces will prevent them from falling apart too easily when braised withshort ribs.
Storage Instructions
Galbi jjim can be stored in an airtight container after it has cooled to room temperature in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
Reheat: the Korean braised short ribs can be reheated in a small pot on the stove over medium-low heat until warm or covered with a damp paper towel in the microwave until warm.
Frequently Asked Q’s and A’s
Can I use boneless beef short ribs?
Yes, traditionally this dish uses bone-in short ribs, but you can use boneless short ribs as well. The cook times may be less depending on the size and thickness of the boneless short ribs.
How long does it take to cook galbi jjim?
For this galbi jjim recipe, it will take about 2 hours to ensure that the Korean beef ribs are tender and fully cooked.
Can I make spicy galbi jjim?
Yes, although traditional Korean braised short ribs are not spicy, you can add gochugaru or gochujang for a spicy kick.
2medium yukon potatoespeeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
2carrotspeeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
½(8 oz) Korean radishpeeled and cut into 2 inch pieces
6(4 oz) shiitake mushrooms stems removed and sliced
Garnish
2stalksgreen onionthinly sliced
Instructions
Prepare Short Ribs
Soak the short ribs. Place the beef short ribs in a large bowl and fill with water. Soak for 30 minutes and change the water 1-2 times.
Parboil the short ribs. In a large pot of water and cover with water until the meat is just covered. Bring the water to a boil over medium high heat and boil for 4-5 minutes. Skim the scum off the top of the water. Strain and reserve about 3 cups of the beef broth.
Rinse the ribs. Rinse the ribs under cold water to remove any remaining scum.
Braise
Make the braising sauce. Blend the garlic, yellow onion, Asian pear and ginger until pulverized. Then add add soy sauce, brown sugar, mirin, sesame oil, and black pepper and blend until combined.
Braise. Place the short ribs in a large pot. Add the braising sauce and mix until combined. Then add the reserved beef broth until about 90% of the beef is covered. Cover the pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once it reaches a boil, lower to medium heat and simmer over a gentle boil for 45 minutes.
Add the vegetables. Lower the heat to medium-low, then add the potatoes, carrots, radish, mushrooms, and mix. Cover and cook for another 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Simmer uncovered. Lastly, uncover the pot and simmer another 10 minutes or until the sauce is thicker, the meat is tender.
Serve. Garnish the galbi jjim with green onions and serve with steamed rice. Enjoy!
Notes
Soak the short ribs in water: soaking the ribs in water will draw out the excess blood to remove excess gamey flavor.
Parboil the short ribs and skim the scum: parboiling the Korean beef short ribs removes excess fat and impurities from the beef producing a better-tasting galbi jjim. Also, make sure to skim off the excess scum from the parboiling water to save the broth to use later.
Save the parboiling beef broth: saving the beef broth will enrich the braising liquid for a more comforting beef flavor.
Cut the vegetables into large 1-2 inch pieces. Cutting the vegetables into larger pieces will prevent them from falling apart too easily when braised with short ribs.
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