Beef Bulgogi Kimbap

Kimbap (gimbap) are Korean sushi rolls. This beef bulgogi kimbap (gimbap) was a next-day leftover recipe from making my beef bulgogi spring rolls. If you tried this recipe first, you can head over to my bulgogi spring rolls recipe to use up any leftovers the next day, and vice versa. And because this is a leftover recipe, there is no usual bulgogi kimbap fillings such as spinach, yellow pickle or egg. But that’s ok for me as this bulgogi kimbap is still delicious! Apart from the cooked beef bulgogi, the rest of the fillings are uncooked, making preparation quick and easy.

Related Recipe:
See Also:

Beef Bulgogi Gimbap Recipe

INGREDIENTS

Beef Bulgogi Kimbap Ingredients

My beef bulgogi kimbap is made with:

  1. Korean red rice (purple rice) which gives a pretty colour to my kimbap. You can replace it with the usual white short grain rice. Season the cooked rice with sesame oil and tiny pinch of salt.
  2. Leftover ingredients from my beef bulgogi spring rolls recipe – namely cooked supermarket beef bulgogi, tri-colour bell peppers, shredded carrots and a ssamjang-based dipping sauce. I added on home-grown pea shoots (due for harvesting) and flying fish roe (tobikko) to my kimbap.
  3. Korean roasted seaweed (laver) which is compatible with Japanese nori sheets. I used them interchangeably. Use the sheet uncut.
  4. My leftover ssamjang-based sauce (optional) for my bulgogi spring rolls were used without adjustments in my kimbap for a full-flavour taste.
  5. Others – pure sesame oil salt and toasted sesame seeds. 

STEP-BY-STEPS

Note: Please excuse my imperfect skills due to my lack of experience. 

Beef Bulgogi Kimbap Steps

  • (1): Arrange seaweed sheet rough side up on a bamboo rolling mat. Spread rice evenly across the seaweed, leaving a gap from the top of the seaweed sheet.  You can leave a smaller gap than mine and use more rice & fillings as you wish. Spread the sauce (as much or as little as you prefer) across the rice. Then arrange the ingredients such that they are roughly positioned in the middle of the rice.
  • (2) & (3): Roll the kimbap away from you and bring the bring the bottom of the seaweed to meet the top of the rice. Shape the kimbap roll all around with the help of a bamboo mat to tighten the fillings.
  • (4): Spread sesame oil with a pastry brush on the top side of the completed roll, and also both sides of your knife.

And finally, this is my favourite, most gratifying last step of the recipe (the cutting ceremony):

Beef Bulgogi Kimbap Recipe
Last step: Cut the kimbap to even bite-sized pieces and sprinkle sesame seeds over the cut roll. Enjoy!

Beef Bulgogi Kimbap

Estimate by eye the amount of each ingredient you need for each kimbap (seaweed roll). Do not stuff the seaweed with too much ingredients, otherwise the seaweed may burst while rolling. Remember to keep the fillings tight as you wrap and roll the kimbap.

If you have leftover recipe from making this recipe, check out and beef bulgogi spring rolls recipe vice versa.

Check out the ingredients and step-by-step photos on the previous page.

Ingredients:

Purple Rice

  • 3/4 cup (150g) short-grain white rice
  • 1/2 level tsp glutinous short-grain black rice
  • 1 1/2 cup water
  • 1 1/2 tsp sesame oil
  • a small sprinkle of salt

Per kimbap roll (x3 to use up all the rice)

  • 1 roasted kimbap seaweed sheet
  • 120g cooked rice (purple or normal)
  • 50g cooked beef bulgogi cooked in the pan from supermarket marinated bulgogi
  • a few bell pepper sticks
  • a small handful pea sprouts
  • a small handful shredded carrot
  • 20g flying fish roe (tobikko)

Sauce (optional):

This is for putting on the rice before wrapping the kimbap. You can also serve the sauce on the side as a dip instead.

  • 4 tsp instant ssamjang sauce
  • 1 tsp sriracha chilli sauce for extra heat; to taste
  • 2 tsp ponzu sauce
  • 1 1/2 tbsp goma (sesame) salad dressing

Directions:

  1. Make Korean purple rice. Wash the white + black rice in 2 changes of water. Drain the rice and add it to the rice cooker. Measure 1 1/2 cup of water and set to ‘Cook’ in the rice cooker. Fluff up the cooked rice with a rice paddle. Season the rice with sesame oil & salt, mix well. Divide the cooked rice into 3 portions to make 3 kimbap.
  2. Assemble the kimbap. Place seaweed sheet rough side up on the bamboo mat. Spread the rice evenly on the seaweed, leaving a 5-cm (2-inch) gap at the top. Spread 2 tsp sauce in a horizontal streak in the middle of the rice. Arrange cooked beef bulgogi, bell pepper, pea sprouts, carrot and fish roe horizontally on the middle of the rice.
  3. Roll the kimbap away from you such that the base of the seaweed sheet meets the top edge of the rice. Press tightly throughout the roll to tighten the fillings. Finish rolling the kimbap and secure the edges with rice grains. Click here for the step-by-step photos.
  4. To serve, brush sesame oil on the top of each kimbap roll and also the sides of the knife. Cut the kimbap to even bite-sized pieces and sprinkle sesame seeds to garnish.