Vegan Bulgogi

This Vegan Bulgogi recipe features tender and juicy vegan bulgogi style tofu. Ready in around 30 minutes, you can serve it over brown rice or cauliflower rice or even on sandwiches!

A plate holds rice topped with vegan bulgogi. There are chopped green onions on top and a bowl of rice in the background.

I love switching up our recipes to include more international flavors. From this vegan shakshuka to this vegan katsu curry, we are always serving interesting dishes in our regular meal planning. This vegan bulgogi is no exception. It’s easy to make and adds plant-based protein and flavor to your regular meals.

Why is This the Best Recipe?

  • Tofu is pressed until firm to create the best texture
  • Creating a savory sauce infused with seasonings is the best way to cook tofu, infusing it with flavor
  • Adding a pear to the sauce creates hints of all-natural sweetness and flavor.
Ingredients are on a white counter. The labels next to them reads, "green onions, white wine, Tamari, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, bell pepper, tofu, pear, and olive oil."

What You Need

You can find the full printable recipe, including ingredient quantities, below. But first, here are some explanations of ingredients and steps to help you make this recipe perfect every time.

Here are the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe, including substitution ideas:

  • Tofu — I recommend firm or extra firm tofu.
  • Sesame oil — You can use toasted sesame oil for even more flavor or substitute olive oil.
  • Garlic — You’ll need 3 cloves of garlic.
  • Onions — I use mild and colorful green onions in this recipe. I like the flavor and color added from using both the white base and the green stalk.
  • Ginger — You’ll need a small section of fresh ginger or you can substitute 1 to 2 teaspoons of ground ginger.
  • Tamari — This is a gluten-free soy sauce. If you don’t have issues with gluten substitute soy sauce.
  • Agave Nectar — I like this subtle sweetener, but you can substitute maple syrup.
  • Black pepper — I’m a big fan of freshly ground black pepper or you can substitute ground pepper.
  • Crushed red pepper flakes — You can leave this out, but the bit of kick it offers adds a lot to this recipe.
  • Mirin — This is a sweet rice wine that is common in Japanese cooking. I find it in the international aisle of many grocery stores. Or substitute white wine.
  • Rice vinegar — You can also find rice vinegar in the international aisle of most grocery stores. Or substitute white wine vinegar.
  • Fresh pear — You’ll need a fresh green pear. I prefer green pears because they’re available year-round and inexpensive.
A block of extra firm tofu sits on a white plate.

What Tofu is Best for Bulgogi?

Firm or extra-firm tofu is best for vegan bulgogi because it has a compact texture that produces the perfect mouthfeel. Tofu has a neutral flavor, allowing it to soak up the seasonings it’s cooked with. However, tofu comes packed in water, so pressing the packing water out of the tofu is the best way to make way for the flavors you’re about to cook it with. To press tofu, wrap it in a kitchen towel and place something heavy on it, like a pan or use a tofu press.

How to Make Vegan Bulgogi

  1. Cook pressed, sliced tofu in a skillet with oil and use a spatula to break it down into smaller pieces.
  2. Make the bulgogi sauce by pulsing ingredients in a food processor, leaving some texture.
  3. Pour the sauce into the skillet with the tofu and cook until the sauce thickens.
  4. Use a spatula or potato masher to mash the tofu.
  5. Serve bulgogi tofu warm over cooked rice or noodles and with plenty of steamed veggies.

Here are more detailed step-by-step instructions:

Step One: Press the Tofu

When you remove the extra firm tofu from its package, you will notice that it’s packed in water. This helps the tofu maintain its form and fresh flavor. So, the first thing to do is to drain that water. Then press the tofu to remove some of the liquid it’s been stored in.

  • Manual Press: Wrap the tofu in a kitchen towel, then place it on a plate, with something heavy over the top, like a kitchen pan. Set it aside for 15 to 20 minutes.
  • Press Tool: Or, you can use a tofu press (paid link). I love my tofu press and use it several times a week for various recipes such as marinated tofu.
A hand holds a knife and is cutting tofu. It's sitting next to a tofu presser gadget.

Once the tofu is pressed, cut it into several slices.

Step Two: Cook the Tofu

Place a skillet over medium heat, add the oil, and heat it up for a minute or so. Then add the tofu slices. If the pressing didn’t remove all the liquid from the tofu, you will notice the tofu slices begin to release more juices. This is great.

As you cook the tofu, use a rubber spatula to break the tofu into small bits. Cook for several minutes, until the edges of the tofu bits are lightly golden.

A skillet is full of tofu broken down into bits.

Step Three: Create the Bulgogi Sauce

Next, combine all the sauce ingredients in a food processor or blender. You can roughly chop the onions and garlic and let the food processor do most of the chopping.

Ingredients, like green onions, red bell peppers, and fresh ginger, are in the bottom of a food processor bowl.

Pulse in short bursts until it’s blended together and the larger veggies are broken down. I like a little texture in the sauce, so that’s why the short bursts work best.

Pour the sauce into the skillet with the tofu bits. At first, the sauce might be a little thin, but it will thicken as it cooks.

Step Four: Mash the Tofu

A sauce is being poured over tofu bits in a skillet.

As the tofu simmers in the sauce, use either a potato masher or the flat side of a firm spatula and press the tofu into the pan. This will break the tofu down into smaller mashed bits, resembling shredded tofu.

Let the tofu simmer in the sauce for 5 to 10 minutes, then remove it from heat. Now you’re ready for my favorite next step, eating it!

Serving Suggestions

Serve vegan bulgogi with the following:

Three jackfruit tacos are on a plate with a jalapeño beside them. There is a bowl of salsa, a lime, and some fresh cilantro leaves in the background.

Make Vegan Bulgogi Sandwiches

To serve bulgogi as sandwiches, cut the tofu into strips, marinade them in the bulgogi sauce, and then cook the strips in a skillet. Serve strips on toasted buns with caramelized onions (such as this onion confit), cooked bell pepper slivers, vegan mayo, and more.

More Bulgogi Recipes

If you love this vegan bulgogi, here are even more plant-based bulgogi recipes and international recipes to tempt your taste buds:

Looking down on a plate of tofu bulgogi over white rice.

Vegan Bulgogi

This vegan bulgogi is made with tofu and combines savory and sweet Korean flavors to make the ultimate vegan meal. Serve it over rice, noodles, or even make sandwiches with it.
4.25 from 4 votes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Korean
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Resting Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 4 sandwiches
Calories: 262kcal

Ingredients

For the Tofu

  • 15 ounce extra firm tofu
  • 2 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

For the Bulgogi Sauce

  • 3 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 3 green onions, stems removed and roughly chopped
  • ½ cup chopped red bell pepper
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
  • ¼ cup tamari (low sodium or regular)
  • 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
  • 2 tablespoons agave nectar
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 4 tablespoons white wine (or mirin)
  • ½ cup fresh pear, with skin on, washed and chopped

Instructions

For the Tofu

  • Remove the tofu from the tub and drain the fluid. (See notes for tips on pressing tofu) Once, it's pressed, cut the tofu into several slices.
  • Place a skillet over medium heat. Add the oil and tofu slices. Cook for several minutes, to allow the tofu to release its juices, about 5 minutes. (Depending on how pressed the tofu is, there may be more or less juice in this stage). Use a spatula to break tofu down into smaller pieces. Continue cooking the tofu for another 5 minutes.

For the Bulgogi Sauce

  • As the tofu cooks, add the sauce ingredients to the bowl of a food processor or blender and pulse several times in short bursts. The goal is to create a sauce with some texture, not to make it completely smooth.
  • Add the sauce to a skillet with the tofu. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes, until the liquid reduces and the sauce thickens.
  • Use a spatula or potato masher to mash the tofu as it cooks. Simmer for 10 minutes or so until it's thickened and heated through.
  • Serve tofu bulgogi over cooked rice or noodles with steamed veggies.

Recommended Equipment

(The products above contain sponsored links to products we use and recommend)

Notes

Pressing Tofu: To press the tofu, wrap in a kitchen towel, and place on a plate with something heavy on top of it, like a pot or a plate with something heavy on top. Allow it to sit for 15 to 20 minutes to remove excess liquid. Alternatively, use a tofu press.
Making Sandwiches: To serve bulgogi as sandwiches, cut the tofu into strips, marinade them in the bulgogi sauce, and then cook the strips in a skillet. Serve strips on toasted buns with caramelized onions (such as this onion confit), cooked bell pepper slivers, vegan mayo, and more.
Calories: 262kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 885mg | Potassium: 316mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 753IU | Vitamin C: 27mg | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 2mg

The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

This post was originally published in 2011 and was updated to include new photos, new text, and an updated recipe in 2021.

20 Responses to Vegan Bulgogi

  1. Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyDana Reply

    Amazing!!! We had these for dinner last night!! The buns were perfect! I’ll be making those on a regular basis. I also caramelized mushrooms with the onions and peppers for some “mo bettah.” We used the Daiya jalapeno jack ’cause that’s what we had. Ideal! And I mixed the garlic chili sauce with my tofu mayo and spread that on the other side of the bun! WOW! Thanks soooooooooo much! 🙂

    • Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyMarly

      I must confess, this is one of my favorite recipes too. Thanks so much to Allyson Kramer of Manifest Vegan for contributing this as part of our Great Vegan Sandwich Series! I’m so glad you liked it too…and your adaptations sound great too!

  2. Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyWoody Reply

    Wow, makes me feel like I’m in Philadelphia!

  3. Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyMedifast Coupons Reply

    Now this is a sandwich, for all of us. Thanks so much, I so can make this.

  4. Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyTatiana Reply

    That does look very impressive, I’d buy tofu for this sandwich for sure. And we even have a great organic bakery that makes the perfect rolls for these.

  5. Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyCathy Reply

    That sandwich looks like absolute deliciousness! Cant’ wait to taste it!!!

  6. Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyPeaSoup Reply

    I am loving these sandwiches!! Yum!

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