Galbi-jjim
갈비찜
Beef short ribs slow-braised in a sweet-savory soy sauce — a Korean centerpiece dish for special occasions.
May 7, 2026
Galbi-jjim is a quintessential Korean celebration dish. You braise bone-in beef short ribs in a sweet-savory soy-based sauce until the meat is fall-off-the-bone tender. It’s a must-have for birthdays, Lunar New Year, and other special occasions. There’s some prep involved, but once it’s simmering the pot does most of the work, so it’s more approachable than it looks.
Instructions
Prepping the ribs
- 1
If you can't find bone-in short ribs, boneless short ribs (galbi) work as a substitute. Cut them into bite-sized pieces.
- 2
Soak the beef in plenty of cold water for at least 30 minutes to draw out the blood.
- 3
For bone-in cuts, parboil the ribs in boiling water for about 7 minutes.
- 4
Discard the parboil water and rinse the ribs thoroughly under running water to remove scum and excess fat.
Prepping the vegetables
- 5
Finely chop half a green onion to yield about 1/2 cup for the sauce.
- 6
Cut the radish into 2cm-thick slices, then quarter them.
- 7
Cut the carrot into 2cm-wide pieces.
- 8
Cut the onion into large wedges.
- 9
Cut the remaining green onions into finger-length pieces.
- 10
Cut the shiitake mushrooms into thick pieces.
- 11
Cut the king oyster mushrooms into thick pieces.
- 12
Halve the shishito peppers.
- 13
Cut the green and red chili peppers to your preference.
Making the sauce
- 14
In a large bowl, add the 1/2 cup of finely chopped green onion you prepared earlier.
- 15
Add 1 cup of soy sauce.
- 16
Add 1/2 cup of brown sugar.
- 17
Add 1/2 cup of mirin.
- 18
Add 1 tbsp of corn syrup.
- 19
Add 4 tbsp of sesame oil.
- 20
Add 2 tbsp of grated garlic.
- 21
Add 1/2 tbsp of grated ginger.
- 22
Mix everything well so all ingredients are evenly combined.
Braising
- 23
Place the prepared ribs in a pot.
- 24
Pour in the prepared sauce.
- 25
Add 1 liter of water and simmer over medium heat for about 40 minutes.
- 26
As you simmer, gradually add the remaining 800ml of water as the liquid reduces.
- 27
If oil rises to the surface, skim it off with a ladle.
Adding vegetables and continuing to simmer
- 28
After 40 minutes, add the radish and onion.
- 29
Continue simmering for another 15 minutes until the radish turns translucent and absorbs the color and flavor.
- 30
Add the shiitake, king oyster mushrooms, and carrot.
- 31
Simmer for another 20 minutes so the mushrooms release their umami into the broth.
- 32
Add the green onions, shishito peppers, and the green and red chili peppers.
- 33
Simmer briefly for about 2 minutes, then turn off the heat.
- 34
Stir well for about 2-3 minutes after turning off the heat to let residual heat finish cooking the vegetables.
Plating
- 35
Plate it up and serve while piping hot.
