This Korean Elk Bulgogi is a wild game twist on this classic Korean dish. It’s made with a delicious elk tri-tip sirloin roast and simplified ingredients, making it the perfect elevated wild game recipe to add to your weekly menu.
This recipe was developed in partnership with The Honest Bison. All opinions are my own.
What is Korean Bulgogi?
Korean Bulgogi is a dish made with thinly sliced beef, typically a ribeye, sirloin, or brisket cut, that’s marinated in a salty & sweet marinade, then grilled or seared in a skillet.
We swapped in elk tri-tip for an elevated wild game recipe; you’ll still find all the delicious flavors of traditional bulgogi with this dish.
Ingredients needed
- 1-1.5 pound The Honest Bison Elk Tri-Tip Roast
- ½ cup soy sauce
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp. sesame oil
- 2 Tbsp. chili garlic sauce (see substitutions below)
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- 2 Tbsp. minced garlic
- 1 Tbsp. ground ginger
- Sesame seeds for garnish
- Chopped green onions for garnish
How to make Korean Elk Bulgogi
- In a bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, chili garlic sauce, rice vinegar, minced garlic, and ground ginger.
- Cutaway any silver skin or large fat deposits on the elk tri-tip. Then, thinly slice the entire tri-tip.
- Place the sliced tri-tip into the bowl with the marinade and place it into the refrigerator to marinate for at least 3 hours.
- When ready to cook, remove the marinated meat from the refrigerator. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Working in small batches as to not overcrowd the skillet, add the tri-tip to the skillet and sear both sides, just enough to brown both sides, and then set aside. Continue until all of the meat has been seared.
- Serve immediately over rice or noodles and top with chopped green onions and sesame seeds.
Recipe FAQs and Variations
What does bulgogi taste like?
The marinade is a mix of both salty and sweet. Depending on which chili sauce you use, there could be a slight kick of heat.
What is the best cut of meat for bulgogi?
Ideally, you’ll want to use a tender cut of meat for bulgogi. That’s why we chose the tri-tip. When cut thin and cooked quickly, the tri-tip will produce a tender but of meat for your dish.
What does elk taste like?
Elk meat is very mild and very similar to beef. We see very little difference in flavor when cooking with elk meat, especially when the meat is seasoned and cooked correctly.
Recipe Variations
- You should be able to find chili garlic sauce at most any grocery store. If not, sriracha sauce or sweet chili sauce would work.
- A tip for easily slicing the tri-tip into thin strips – place the tri-tip in the freezer for 10-15 minutes before slicing. This will harden the meat just enough to slice easily.
- You can marinate overnight for a deeper flavor.
Recommended kitchen resources for this recipe
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Enjoy these other elk meat recipes!
- Elk BBQ Brisket Sliders –
slow cooked elk brisket for a melt-in-your-mouth BBQ sandwich - Coffee-Rubbed Elk Tri-Trip – order two elk tri-tip roasts from The Honest Bison and
enjoy this coffee-rubbed recipe! - Elk Swedish Meatballs – another wild game twist on a classic recipe
- Elk Carne Asada – enjoy elk steak tacos with this elk carne asada recipe
Korean Elk Bulgogi Recipe
Korean Elk Bulgogi
This Korean Elk Bulgogi is a wild game twist on this classic Korean dish. It's made with a delicious elk tri-tip sirloin roast and simplified ingredients, making it the perfect elevated wild game recipe to add to your weekly menu.
Ingredients
- 1-1.5 pound The Honest Bison Elk Tri-Tip Roast
- ½ cup soy sauce
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp. sesame oil
- 2 Tbsp. chili garlic sauce (see substitutions below)
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- 2 Tbsp. minced garlic
- 1 Tbsp. ground ginger
- Sesame seeds for garnish
- Chopped green onions for garnish
Instructions
- In a bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, chili garlic sauce, rice vinegar, minced garlic, and ground ginger.
- Cutaway any silver skin or large fat deposits on the elk tri-tip. Then, thinly slice the entire tri-tip.
- Place the sliced tri-tip into the bowl with the marinade and place it into the refrigerator to marinate for at least 3 hours.
- When ready to cook, remove the marinated meat from the refrigerator. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Working in small batches as to not overcrowd the skillet, add the tri-tip to the skillet and sear both sides, just enough to brown both sides, and then set aside. Continue until all of the meat has been seared.
- Serve immediately over rice or noodles and top with chopped green onions and sesame seeds.
Notes
- You should be able to find chili garlic sauce at most any grocery store. If not, sriracha sauce or sweet chili sauce would work.
- A tip for easily slicing the tri-tip into thin strips - place the tri-tip in the freezer for 10-15 minutes before slicing. This will harden the meat just enough to slice easily.
- You can marinate overnight for a deeper flavor.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 944Total Fat: 53gSaturated Fat: 19gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 25gCholesterol: 268mgSodium: 2131mgCarbohydrates: 30gFiber: 2gSugar: 23gProtein: 84g
The recipes included on this website are written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist or medical professional, and the nutritional data on this site have not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist, registered dietician, or other medical professionals.
Primal Pioneer is a food blog and public land hunting resource by Mike and Jennifer Shreckengost. We’re a husband and wife team who combined their two passions – a love of the outdoors and food – into a joint effort with Primal Pioneer! You’ll find resources on planning and executing your own DIY over-the-counter public land big game hunt, along with wild game recipes featuring mostly venison and elk.
Made this tonight and the whole family loved it!