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Korean BBQ 고기구이

21 Korean BBQ cuts and dishes explained — what's in each one, how spicy it is, and how to order it.

New to Korean BBQ?

Read how to eat Korean BBQ — the cuts in English, who grills, how to wrap ssam, 2026 prices and phrases.

At a Korean BBQ restaurant you grill the meat at your table — over charcoal or on a gas grill — and eat it wrapped in lettuce (ssam, 쌈) with garlic, chili and ssamjang. Pork such as samgyeopsal and moksal is the everyday choice; beef cuts like galbi and sirloin cost more, and hanu (Korean beef) is the premium tier.

Good to know

Meat is ordered by the portion (1인분, il-inbun), and many places ask for at least two portions to start. Side dishes and lettuce are usually refilled for free. Cold noodles (naengmyeon), soybean paste stew or fried rice are popular ways to finish. At many beef and premium restaurants the staff grill for you; elsewhere you grill it yourself.

Quick picks

From our dish notes. Recipes vary, so ask if an ingredient matters to you.

Not spicy

No pork

Questions about Korean BBQ dishes

What do you wrap Korean BBQ in?

Lettuce or perilla leaves (ssam). Put a piece of meat on the leaf with a dab of ssamjang, a slice of garlic or chili and some kimchi, fold it and eat it in one bite.

Is Korean BBQ spicy?

Most cuts are plain or in a sweet soy marinade, so they are not spicy — the heat comes from the chili and kimchi you add. The spicy exceptions here are dakgalbi (stir-fried chicken in chili sauce) and some charcoal chicken.

Which Korean BBQ dishes are not spicy?

Not spicy: Samgyeopsal, Pork Belly with Skin, Grilled Pork Shoulder, Grilled Pork Jowl, Pork Cap Muscle, Marinated Pork Ribs, Beef Short Ribs, Tteokgalbi, LA-style Beef Short Ribs, Bulgogi, Thin-sliced Beef Brisket, Thin-sliced Beef Belly, Beef Sirloin, Beef Skirt Steak, Beef Rib Finger Meat, Grilled Small Intestines, Grilled Large Intestine, Grilled Beef Large Intestine, Grilled Duck.

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