Is Bulgogi Vegetarian? (It’s Beef: Here’s the Veg Swap)

“Bulgogi” means “fire meat,” and the name tells you the answer before you ask. The marinade is plant-based, but the meat is the dish. Here is how to order the plant-based version.

Key Takeaways

• Bulgogi is not vegetarian: it is Korean marinated beef.
• The marinade (soy, garlic, ginger, pear, sesame) is usually vegan.
• Mushroom or tofu bulgogi uses the same marinade without the beef.
• Check the marinade for fish sauce or honey to keep the plant version vegan.

TL;DR: Bulgogi is not vegetarian: it’s Korean marinated beef. The marinade (soy, garlic, ginger, pear, sesame) is usually vegan; the beef is the problem. A mushroom or tofu “bulgogi” is the plant-based swap.

What bulgogi is

Bulgogi means “fire meat”: thin slices of beef marinated in a sweet-savory mix of soy sauce, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, sugar and often grated pear. It’s grilled or pan-fried.

The marinade is typically vegan (soy + aromatics + fruit), so the entire non-veg part is the beef itself.

The vegetarian version

Restaurants and home cooks often make:

• Mushroom bulgogi: king oyster or shiitake in the same marinade.
• Tofu bulgogi: tofu steaks in the marinade.

These are vegetarian/vegan as long as no fish sauce or honey is added (a few marinades include one of those, so it’s worth a quick ask).

The bottom line

• Vegetarian? No for the classic: order mushroom or tofu bulgogi.
• Vegan? Same, and confirm no fish sauce or honey in the marinade.

See our Bulgogi dish guide for the full breakdown.

Check before you eat. The Verify Veg app scans a barcode or reads an ingredient list from a photo and flags ingredients against your diet (vegan, vegetarian, halal, kosher, Jain and more). Download on the App Store - Android is coming soon.

Written by Samir Narain, founder of Verify Veg. Verify Veg helps people check packaged food against their diet by scanning barcodes and reading ingredient lists from photos.

Note: Verify Veg provides ingredient-based compatibility checks, not certification. Recipes and preparations vary by restaurant, region and cook, so always confirm with the restaurant, brand or vendor.