Bulgogi-Style Tofu

By Sam Sifton

Updated Nov. 7, 2023

Bulgogi-Style Tofu
Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Rating
4(3,676)
Comments
Read comments

This is a no-recipe recipe, a recipe without an ingredient list or steps. It invites you to improvise in the kitchen.

Here's the prompt: bulgogi-style tofu. It’s simple. Press some firm tofu to extract as much liquid as you can. Make a marinade of soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, minced garlic, grated ginger, a spoonful of gochujang, a splash of neutral oil, some sliced scallions and toasted sesame seeds. Slice the tofu into bite-size cubes, and slide them into the marinade. Let that sit — a half-hour works; a few hours works better. Then roast them in a hot oven on an oiled foil-lined pan until they’re crisp. Serve with bibb lettuce cups to wrap them in, with rice, kimchi and a dipping sauce of ssamjang and a little bit more gochujang thinned out with neutral oil and sherry vinegar. (If not, go with sesame oil and ground white pepper.) That’s a fine dinner.

For more recipe recommendations from Sam Sifton, Melissa Clark and New York Times Cooking, sign up to receive the Cooking newsletter. You can find more no-recipe recipes here.

  • or to save this recipe.

  • Subscriber benefit: Give recipes to anyone

    As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.

    Subscribe

  • Share this recipe

  • Print this recipe

    or to print this recipe.

Advertisement

Private Notes

Leave a Private Comment on this recipe and see it here.

Ratings

4 out of 5
3,676 user ratings
Your rating

or to rate this recipe.

Have you cooked this?

or to mark this recipe as cooked.

Comments

DG

Here’s the proportions that I used, which fits my preferred flavor palate- 1/4 cup soy sauce 2 tbsp gochujang 2 tbsp brown sugar 1 tbsp canola oil 1/2 tsp sesame oil 1 clove of garlic 1 inch ginger Sesame seeds sprinkled in

AH

To get the tofu extra crispy, after marinading, toss in 2-3tbsp cornstarch and either roast or airfry at 400 for 15-17 min.

Laura S.

For those wanting recipe amounts, in the third sentence of the introduction the word bulgogi is underlined. This is a link to a marinade recipe. Here Sam uses tofu instead of the beef and leaves out the Asian pear and onion. This recipe is what I used for amounts. Enjoy!

kprcps

Yield: 4 servings 1pound well-marbled, boneless sirloin, tenderloin or skirt steak 4large garlic cloves 1cup peeled, chopped ripe Asian or Bosc pear ¾cup finely chopped onion 1teaspoon finely chopped ginger 1scallion, chopped 2tablespoons soy sauce 1tablespoon roasted sesame oil 1tablespoon light brown sugar or honey ½teaspoon black pepper ½teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted

Ann ONeill

I don’t measure anything when I cook. Reading a prompt like this taught me something about myself. When it’s a new cuisine or dish, I like seeing the references in recipe format. I typically research recipes from several sources (videos made in the country of origin, ATK, YouTube and of course NYT) before I create a version that sounds best to my experienced ear. Apparently it’s my EYE that’s doing the heavy lifting. Made this as “written” with crumbled extra firm tofu instead of cubed and it was delicious over rice.

Suz

Followed DG's measurements. Doubled everything. Pan seared the tofu first in ghee then tossed in the sauce that I had heated in a small pot. Delicious.

Private comments are only visible to you.

Recipe Tags

or to save this recipe.