These easy Korean Marinated Flanken Short Ribs have mouthwatering flavor with succulently tender meat... and the best part? This Kalbi recipe has no grating required and whether you're marinating them for only 2 hour or overnight, you'll be indulging in game-changing Korean short ribs!
There's nothing quite like sinking your teeth into super tender and juicy Kalbi ribs. And I don't know about you, but hardest part of making Korean Short Ribs is the wait time... The anticipation of knowing delicious Korean BBQ Short Ribs is on the way always has me counting down until I have them on my plate & in my mouth *drool*.
Luckily, this easy kalbi marinade recipe does all the heavy lifting and all you have to do is toss the ingredients in a blender! The flanken short ribs soaks up all that mouthwatering flavor. And, whether you marinate them for only 2 hours or overnight, you'll have incredibly tender and insanely flavorful ribs with this easy Kalbi marinade!
This Korean Short Ribs recipe is a perfect Entree recipe for BBQs, family gatherings for Easy Entertaining, or quiet lazy nights at home when you want something easy to make. If you're craving chicken, don't sleep on this Lemongrass Chicken Thigh recipe that makes the meat SO juicy & flavorful! Serve it with hot bubbly Corn Cheese, veggie-packed Vegetarian Japchae, sticky Honey Braised Potatoes, or fluffy Korean Steamed Eggs and you'll be in heaven!
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❤️ Recipe Highlights
- Simple Ingredients - Mouthwatering Flavor: The ingredients for this recipe are easy to find at local & Asian groceries and create an epic marinade that does the heavy lifting. Hello flavorful melt-on-your-mouth Korean short ribs!
- No Grating or Mincing Needed: Toss the marinade ingredients in the blender - BOOM marinade done.
- Flexible Marinating Time: It's no secret overnight marinades create insane flavor & incredibly tender meat. And you can still have that even if you only 2 hours of marinating time with Korean short ribs that cooks in minutes!
🥘Ingredients
- Soy Sauce: This is what is going to add the saltiness to the marinade, so use regular soy sauce - not low-sodium/light soy sauce.
- Dark Brown Sugar: This balances the saltiness from the soy sauce with its sweet caramel flavor.
- Mirin: Mirin is a Japanese rice wine that's used in sauces and marinades to enhance its flavors. You can easily find this at local Asian or Japanese markets, or online.
- Kiwi: Kiwis are a great ingredient add to marinades because of the Actinidin enzyme that helps break down connective tissues for a tenderizing effect. A little goes a long way! Traditionally, Asian/Korean pears help tenderize meat, however, since it's not always accessible, I've opted for kiwis. I've tested using green and golden kiwis and both are absolutely delicious in the marinade!
- Sesame Oil: Sesame oil adds a deep nutty flavor and is another ingredient where a little goes a long way. You can easily find it at local Asian markets but it's grown pretty popular, sometimes it's even at local grocery stores too!
- Garnishes: These are totally optional, but if you're feeling fancy, you can finish off your Korean Ribs with a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds and thinly slice green onions before serving.
See recipe card for quantities.
Flanken Short Ribs
Flanken cut short ribs are cut length-wise across the bone, leaving thin round slices of bone at the top of the cuts, unlike English cut short ribs, which are cut between the bones. You can find them at local and Asian grocery stores under names like:
- Cross cut
- Flanken cut
- Kalbi cut
- Korean-style ribs
- LA galbi short ribs
Ideally, you'll want slices with nice marbling because the fat will melt while cooking for an even more tender piece of meat! If you're using a thin cut, make sure to review the "Key Tips" section below for important marinating notes.
📖 Variations & Substitutions
- Pineapple: If you can't get a hold of kiwis, pineapples (yes, even canned!) is another easily accessible fruit that also has the actinidin enzyme that tenderizes meat. 2 tablespoons of pineapple chunks should do the trick. Don't overdo it because it's very acidic and you don't want to turn your Korean short ribs mushy!
🔪 Instructions
This Korean Short Ribs recipe is surprisingly easy with the ULTIMATE time-saving tips! Here's how to get robust flavor with minimal effort - let's get cooking.
Step 1: To a blender, add soy sauce, dark brown sugar, mirin, peeled garlic, peeled onion, sesame oil, cracked black pepper, and kiwi. Blend for a few seconds, or until smooth.
Step 2: Transfer marinade to a Ziplock bag or airtight container and add the flanken short ribs. Make sure they're well coated and fully submerged in the marinade. Allow to marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours, up to overnight (8 hours).
Hint: To easily remove the kiwi flesh from the peel, cut the kiwi in half, then use a spoon to scoop out the flesh and into the blender. If your kiwi is super ripe, you'll be able to do it in one big scoop!
Step 3: Grill (or see below for alternative cooking methods): Heat grill on medium-high until hot. Remove marinated short ribs from marinade then add to the grill. Cook for about 4 minutes on each side, or until charred but still moist. Flip only once. Remove from grill then enjoy!
Step 4 (Optional): Garnish with toasted sesame seeds & thinly sliced green onions.
The Best Way to Cook Korean Short Ribs
- Best: Grilled - Using a gas or charcoal grill is the most authentic way to cook flanken short ribs and creates a delicious smokey char to the meat. Cook at medium-high heat for 6-8 minutes, or until charred but still juicy, flipping once halfway through. When you're done cooking, use a grill brush (this one is my FAVE!) to clean the grill grates super easily while it's still hot.
- Great: Cast Iron - Heat a cast iron on medium, then once hot, add a little oil. Add the flanken short ribs with some of the marinade and cook in batches - do no overcrowd. Cook for 6 - 8 minutes, flipping once halfway through. The sugars from the marinade easily burn, so adding a little of the marinade gives you a little extra buffer but is optional. Keep an eye on the Kalbi & adjust the heat level if needed.
- Good: Oven - Place wire racks onto a baking tray, then place the flanken short ribs on top. This will allow the excess fat to drain while cooking. Cook the ribs on the top rack (about 4 inches away from the heat source), checking on them often as they cook. Every oven / broiler works differently, so keep a close eye as they cook. Flip them only once to give them enough time to caramelize.
- Fine: Non-Stick Pan - Heat a non-stick pan on medium, then add a little oil. Once hot, add the flanken short ribs with some of the marinade. Cook in batches & do no overcrowd. Cook for 6 - 8 minutes, flipping once halfway through. The sugars from the marinade easily burn, so adding a little of the marinade gives you a little extra buffer but is optional. Keep an eye on the Kalbi & adjust the heat level if needed.
👩🏽🍳 Key Tips
- Multiplying Marinade: The marinade serving size is easily adjustable, but keep in mind that the kiwi is very acidic and you don't want to add too much, otherwise, you risk making your meat mushy. ½ a kiwi should do the trick for up to 5 pounds of meat.
- Marinating Time: 2 hours is the minimum marinating time to infuse flavor & create tender meat. If you have the extra time, overnight (8 hours) marinating creates even more flavorful and tender short ribs! Either way, just try to make sure the meat is well coated. Keep in mind that the kiwi is very good at tenderizing the meat, but you don't want the meat to turn mushy, so I don't recommend marinating longer than 8 hours, especially if using thin cut flanken short ribs.
- Grill Flares: Don’t be surprised if the grill fires up, especially if your flanken short ribs have good marbling. The fat will cause flares, which is expected and let’s be honest, the best part of Korean Short Ribs are the caramelized & burnt bits!
- Create Irresistible Char: The key is to cook the meat quickly on medium-high heat to caramelize the sugars from the marinade. They should be charred but still moist. Also, make sure to flip them only once to allow enough time to char properly.
- Cook to Preferred Doneness: I prefer medium rare ribs (light pink in the middle), however, you can cook it a little longer if you prefer them more well done.
💭 Recipe FAQs
If you happen to have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
You can reheat them on the grill for a couple of minutes or in the microwave, covered with a paper towel.
Korean Kalbi cooked on the grill has a smoky char and the marinade gives a sweet and savory flavor. Its also known for its incredibly tender texture.
Short ribs, or flanken cut, are used for kalbi.
Unlike American short ribs that have thick bone-in cuts of beef, the Korean-style of short ribs are cut length-wise, which has a meaty slice of beef with oval slices of bone across the top.
They are actually the same.
No, even though they are both Korean dishes with similar marinades, the cuts of meat are completely different. Kalbi uses flanken short ribs and bulgogi uses thinly beef, such as ribeye, sirloin, tenderloin, or brisket.
Korean short ribs are called Kalbi or Galbi. Galbi means "ribs" in Korean and made with Korean short ribs.
Korean Marinated Flanken Short Ribs - Kalbi
Ingredients
INGREDIENTS:
- 3 pounds flanken short ribs*
MARINADE:
- ½ cup soy sauce*
- ¼ cup dark brown sugar packed
- ¼ cup mirin
- 5 garlic cloves peeled
- ½ ripe kiwi* skin removed
- ½ medium onion peeled
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- ⅛ black pepper
GARNISHES (OPTIONAL):
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
- 1 green onion thinly sliced
Instructions
- Add the marinade ingredients to a blender. Pro-tip: To quickly remove the kiwi flesh from the skin, half the kiwi then use a spoon to scoop the flesh out. If you have a very ripe kiwi, you should be able to get everything out in one scoop! Blend ingredients until smooth.
- Pour marinade in a large Ziploc bag or airtight container and add the short ribs. Toss to evenly distribute the marinade, then seal and push out as much air as possible. Marinate for at least 2 hours or up to 8 hours in the refrigerator. I like to massage the ribs every so often just to make sure all of the ribs are coated in the marinade.
Cooking:
- Remove ribs from the marinade.
- Grill-Best: Cook at medium-high heat for 6-8 minutes, or until charred but still juicy, flipping once halfway through. When you're done cooking, use a grill brush (this one is my FAVE!) to clean the grill grates super easily while it's still hot.
- Cast Iron-Great: Heat a cast iron on medium, then once hot, add a little oil. Add the flanken short ribs with some of the marinade and cook in batches - do no overcrowd. Cook for 6 - 8 minutes, flipping once halfway through. The sugars from the marinade easily burn, so adding a little of the marinade gives you a little extra buffer but is optional. Keep an eye on the Kalbi & adjust the heat level if needed.
- Oven-Good: Set oven to broil or 500 degrees F (260 degrees C), then place wire racks onto a baking tray, then place the kalbi on top. This will allow the excess fat to drain while cooking. Cook the ribs on the top rack (about 4 inches away from the heat source), checking on them often since every oven / broiler works differently.
- Non-Stick Pan -Fine: Heat a non-stick pan on medium, then add a little oil. Once hot, add the flanken short ribs with some of the marinade. Cook in batches & do no overcrowd. Cook for 6 - 8 minutes, flipping once halfway through. The sugars from the marinade easily burn, so adding a little of the marinade gives you a little extra buffer but is optional. Keep an eye on the Kalbi & adjust the heat level if needed.
- Remove from heat, then top with sesame seeds and green onions. Enjoy!
Notes
- Flanken Short Ribs: Ideally, you'll want slices with nice marbling because the fat will melt while cooking for an even more tender piece of meat! If you're using a thin cut, make sure to review the "Key Tips" section below for important marinating notes. You can find them at local and Asian grocery stores under names like: Cross cut, Flanken cut, Kalbi cut, Korean-style ribs, or LA galbi short ribs.
- Soy Sauce: You’ll need regular soy sauce for its saltiness - not low-sodium/light soy sauce.
- Mirin: This is a Japanese rice wine often used in marinades and sauces to enhance its flavors. You can find it easily in Asian and Japanese markets or online.
- Kiwi: Use ripe kiwis for best flavor. I prefer to use golden kiwis which are sweeter and known to taste like a combination of strawberry and mango. Green kiwis are tangier. Both create a super delicious marinade that makes the ribs incredibly tender!
- Sesame Oil: A little goes a long way for a rich deep nutty flavor.
- Alternatives: If you can’t find kiwis, you can swap the 2 kiwis for ½ cup pineapple chunks (yes, even from the can)! If you adjust the serving size for the recipe, remember to adjust the amount of pineapples accordingly.
- Key Tips:
- Multiplying Marinade: The marinade serving size is easily adjustable, but keep in mind that the kiwi is very acidic and you don't want to add too much, otherwise, you risk making your meat mushy. ½ a kiwi should do the trick for up to 5 pounds of meat.
- Marinating Time: 2 hours is the minimum marinating time to infuse flavor & create tender meat. If you have the extra time, overnight marinating creates even more flavorful and tender short ribs! Either way, just try to make sure the meat is well coated. Keep in mind that the kiwi is very good at tenderizing the meat, but you don't want the meat to turn mushy, so I don't recommend marinating longer than 8 hours, especially if using thin cut flanken short ribs.
- Grill Flares: Don’t be surprised if the grill fires up, especially if your flanken short ribs have good marbling. The fat will cause flares, which is expected and let’s be honest, the best part of kalbi are the caramelized & burnt bits!
- Cook to Preferred Doneness: I prefer medium rare ribs (light pink in the middle), however, you can cook it a little longer if you prefer them more well done.
Nutrition
Exact calculations may vary. For the most accurate nutritional information, use your preferred nutrition calculator, actual ingredients, and quantities used for the recipe. Please consult with your physician or registered dietitian if more precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
HEY, I'M MIKHA!
...A fellow food lover who believes anyone can whip up a delicious meal - no matter your skill level! These quick & easy Asian recipes will help you transform simple ingredients into a drool-worthy meal for you & the people you love most - without spending all day in the kitchen.
Now come on - Grab a seat & let's eat!
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