Tteokgalbi are festive Korean beef patties made from minced short rib meat, broiled in the oven, and brushed with a soy-honey glaze. This easy recipe makes them perfect for special occasions, offering a delicious and impressive dish for someone special.
If you want to taste one of the most impressive Korean beef dishes, tteokgalbi is a must. This traditional Korean dish is made from minced short rib meat, shaped into patties, and grilled or broiled to perfection.
Originally, it was a dish for royalty and the upper class. The name “tteokgalbi” means grilled short rib patties, with “tteok” meaning rice cake and “galbi” meaning ribs. It was created to provide the flavors of galbi in a more convenient, easy to eat form.
Minced rib meat is marinated in a flavorful mix of soy sauce, garlic, and honey, then brushed with a glossy honey glaze for extra taste. And I highly recommend not skipping the glaze.
With its tender texture and rich flavor, Koreans often enjoy tteokgalbi during holidays like Chuseok or Lunar New Year and other special occasions, making it a festive addition to any meal.
Key Ingredients
- Beef: either rib meat or sirloin (or combination of both). Do not use ground beef!
- Rice flour: adds stickiness to the meat
- Honey: sweetener
- I am willow: season and flavor
- Sweet rice wine: tenderize the meat
- Sesame oil: aroma and flavor
- Pine nuts or walnuts: garnish (optional)
How to Make Tteokgalbi (Korean Beef Patties)
Prep the Rib Meat
Do not use ground beef
Ground beef won’t provide the ideal texture that authentic tteokgalbi offers. To truly enjoy the authentic taste and texture, chop the meat yourself at home. Fortunately, it’s not too difficult to do. If beef short ribs aren’t available, you can use sirloin as a substitute.
Use food processor for easy mincing
Traditionally, you had to pound the meat with a knife to chop and tenderize it. However, a food processor makes this task much easier and faster. Just be careful not to over-process the meat—you’ll want to see small pieces of beef throughout for the best texture.
Season the beef mixture
Add sweet rice flour, sauteed onion, garlic, nuts and all the flavors in to the meat. Then, beat the mixture in a mixer such as this kitchenaid. By beating the meat, it creates more stickiness to the texture which can hold patties together.
Knead the meat
The beef mixture needs to be kneaded to achieve a firm, chewy texture. An electric mixer is helpful for this task, but if you don’t have one, you can knead it by hand. It will require some effort, but you’ll get a good arm workout in the process.
Broil Beef Patties in Oven
Form the mixture into patties and lay on a greased baking sheet. You will want to broil these patties in the oven about 6-inch below the heat source for 4-5 minutes.
Flip to the other side and broil again for another 4 minutes. Every oven heat setting is different, therefore watch carefully so you don’t burn them.
Make Soy Honey Glaze
While the patties are cooking, prepare the soy honey glaze. All you need are soy sauce, honey, and sesame oil.
Once you finish broiling the beef patties, be sure to brush the glaze over both sides. This step not only perfectly seasons the meat but also adds a beautiful shine to the surface. The result is simply gorgeous!
Garnish and enjoy!
Finely chopped pine nuts (or walnuts) will make classic presentation on these beautiful tteokgalbi.
You’ll love the texture—chewy yet soft and full of flavor! Ground beef won’t give you the same taste or the texture that hand processed short rib meats would offer.
Serve with rice and a variety of Korean side dishesknown as banchan, for a complete meal. Enjoy the moist, juicy, and chewy texture of the rib meat patties with their rich, savory flavor.
These beef patties are a delicious way to bring a taste of Korean tradition to your table, alongside dishes like I don’t like it and galbi jjim. They’re sure to impress anyone!
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Easy Tteokgalbi (Korean Beef Patties)
Tteokgalbi are Korean beef patties made from minced short rib meat, broiled in the oven, and brushed with a soy-honey glaze. This easy recipe is perfect for special occasions and makes an impressive dish for someone special.
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Saute the onion with a little amount of oil until soft. Set aside to cool.
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Preheat the oven to broil setting and place a rack about 6-inch below the heat source.
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Put rib meat into the food processor and pulse a few time until they become somewhat finely chopped.
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Transfer the meat into the mixer with a paddle attachment. Add the sauteed onion, garlic, ginger, nuts, sweet rice flour, honey, soy sauce, salt, sweet rice wine, and sesame oil; mix with a spoon then beat them well on medium speed, about 3-4 minutes.
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From into patties and place on a greased baking sheet. Broil the patties about 4-5 minutes on each side. Watch carefully to not to burn them.
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Meanwhile, make the glaze by mixing soy sauce, honey, and the sesame oil.
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When the patties are ready, brush the glaze over the patties when they are hot. Transfer the patties onto a serving platter and sprinkle with finely chopped nuts on the top. Serve warm with rice.
Calories: 276kcal, Carbohydrates: 29g, Protein: 8g, Fat: 15g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 12mg, Sodium: 1344mg, Potassium: 229mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 20g, Vitamin A: 4IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 15mg, Iron: 2mg
