If there’s one recipe I keep coming back to for backyard get-togethers, it’s Kalbi. Korean BBQ short ribs are one of those things that sounds fancy, looks incredible on a plate, and is actually dead simple to pull off — as long as you nail the marinade. Which, honestly, is the whole recipe.
I’ve made these probably a dozen times at this point, and every single time someone at the table asks for the recipe before they’ve even finished their plate. That’s not me bragging — that’s just what Kalbi does to people.
What is Kalbi?
Kalbi (also spelled Galbi) is a classic Korean BBQ dish made with flanken-cut beef short ribs — those thin, cross-cut strips where you can see three or four little bone cross-sections in each piece. If you’ve never cooked with this cut before, your butcher should have them, or ask at any Asian grocery store where they’ll almost certainly be in the case.
The flanken cut is key here. Because the ribs are sliced thin across the bone rather than between the bones, you get a ton of surface area for the marinade to work its magic, and they cook fast — we’re talking 3-4 minutes a side over high heat. No babysitting, no low-and-slow. Just hot grill, quick sear, done.
The Marinade — And Why the Asian Pear Matters
The marinade is where all the flavor lives, and it’s mostly pantry stuff: soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, mirin, garlic, onion, black pepper. Nothing surprising there.
But the secret weapon is the Asian pear.
Grating a ripe Asian pear into the marinade does two things. First, it adds a subtle sweetness that plays really well against the soy and sesame. But more importantly, Asian pears contain natural enzymes that actually break down the muscle fibers in the beef, tenderizing it as it marinates. It’s the same reason you see papaya or pineapple in some marinades — it’s not just flavor, it’s chemistry.
If you can’t find an Asian pear, a regular Bosc pear or a sweet apple like Fuji will get you close. It’s not exactly the same, but it works.
Cooking Kalbi on the Blackstone Griddle
The Blackstone is actually a fantastic way to cook Kalbi, and in some ways easier than the grill. The wide flat surface gives you room to cook a full batch at once without any flare-ups, and the even heat across the entire griddle means consistent results every time.
The one thing to watch is the marinade. Because of the brown sugar content, the marinade will burn quickly on the griddle surface. Before the ribs go down, let as much of the marinade drip off as possible — give each piece a good shake over the bowl. Keep a squirt bottle of water handy to manage any burning on the steel, and scrape the griddle between batches if needed.
Get the Blackstone up to medium-high heat, let it fully preheat, and cook the same way as the grill — about 3-4 minutes per side. The lack of open flame means you won’t get quite the same char marks, but the caramelization you get on a flat top is genuinely excellent and some people prefer it.
Tips Before You Start
Give it the full 24 hours. I know it’s tempting to pull these out after a few hours, but the overnight marinade really does make a difference — both in flavor penetration and tenderness. Plan ahead. Start the marinade the night before and you’re golden.
Don’t skip the high heat. Kalbi needs a hot grill to get that slightly charred, caramelized exterior. The sugar in the marinade will help with the char, but you need the heat. Get your grill ripping hot — 15 to 20 minutes of preheat minimum — before the ribs ever touch the grates.
Watch them closely. Because these are thin cuts and the marinade has sugar in it, they can go from perfectly charred to overdone fast. Stay at the grill. Flip once, pull when cooked through, and let them rest for a few minutes before cutting.
Save some marinade for basting — but only fresh. Don’t brush cooked ribs with marinade that had raw meat sitting in it for 24 hours. If you want to baste, set aside a small portion of the marinade before you add the ribs.
Korean Kalbi Beef Short Ribs
Equipment
- Grill Charcoal, Gas, Pellet or even your Blackstone Griddle
- Box Grater
- Ziplock Bag Gallon size
Ingredients
Marinade
- 1 cup Brown Sugar
- 1 cup Soy Sauce
- ½ cup Water
- ¼ cup Mirin
- 2 tbsp Dark Sesame Oil
- 4 tbsp Minced Garlic
- 1 Asian Pear Finely Grated (Can be Substituted with a Sweet Apple or Pear)
- 1 Small Onion Finely Grated
- ¼ tsp Black Pepper
- 3-5 lbs Flanken Cut Short Ribs
Garnish
- Green Onions
- Sesame Seeds
Instructions
Marinade
- Make the marinade. Add all marinade ingredients to a large mixing bowl and whisk or stir until the sugar is mostly dissolved. Grate the pear and onion directly into the bowl — a box grater works great here, and yes, your hands will smell like onion for a while. Worth it.
- Coat the ribs. Add the short ribs to the marinade and turn them to make sure every piece is well coated. Transfer everything to a gallon zip-lock bag, press out the air, seal it up, and refrigerate for 24 hours. Flip the bag once or twice if you think of it, but it's not critical.
Grilling
- Get the grill hot. When you're ready to cook, pull the ribs out of the fridge about 20-30 minutes before grilling to take the chill off. Fire up your grill on high and let it preheat for at least 15-20 minutes. You want it as hot as it'll go.
- Grill or griddle the ribs. Remove the ribs from the marinade and let any excess drip off — you don't want too much liquid hitting the grates or griddle or you'll get flare-ups on the grill or burning on the griddle. Grill over high heat or medium heat on a griddle for approximately 3-4 minutes per side, until cooked through with good char marks and some caramelization on the edges.
- Garnish and serve. Pull the ribs off the grill and let them rest for a couple of minutes. Top with sliced green onions and a sprinkle of sesame seeds. Serve over steamed white rice.
Video
Notes
What to Serve with Kalbi
Kalbi is traditionally served as part of a Korean BBQ spread, but it works just as well as a standalone weeknight dinner or party main. Here’s what I like alongside it:- Steamed white rice — non-negotiable, in my opinion. You need something to soak up all that sauce.
- Kimchi — the fermented tang cuts through the richness of the beef perfectly.
- Quick cucumber salad — thinly sliced cucumbers with rice vinegar, a little sesame oil, and a pinch of sugar. Takes 5 minutes and pairs beautifully.
- Lettuce wraps — grab a piece of rib, a scoop of rice, and wrap it in a butter lettuce leaf. That’s a meal right there.
These are the kind of ribs that make people think you spent way more time and effort than you actually did. The marinade does all the heavy lifting — you just have to remember to start it the night before. Give them a shot at your next cookout and let me know what you think in the comments.
