This is my take on Korean BBQ Ribs. These Korean Grilled Flanken Short Ribs are delicious! These flanken beef short ribs are marinated to perfection. It is the absolute highlight of my summer barbecues.
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These grilled Korean short ribs are easy to make and can be served as a snack, appetizer at your next BBQ, or an easy weeknight meal. Grilled short ribs are the ultimate make-ahead dish where we take thinly sliced beef short ribs and marinate them overnight, fire up the grill when you’re ready to eat! That’s it!
If you like umami flavor recipes like this then you will absolutely go crazy for my Maui Style Boneless Short Ribs, or you can use the same marinade and use it for chicken and make Bulgogi Chicken (great for meal prep!). Pair this with my Asian Coleslaw Salad.
Jump to:
- Here’s what you need to make grilled short ribs
- How to make grilled flanken short ribs
- Substitutions
- Equipment
- 9 Kitchen Essentials
- How to store and reheat
- Top tips for success
- Grilled Flanken Short Ribs - FAQ
- Related
- How to serve grilled short ribs
- Don't miss out!
- Korean Grilled Flanken Short Ribs
- Food safety
Here’s what you need to make grilled short ribs
- Beef flanken short ribs
- Korean pear
- Green onion
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Soy sauce
- Brown sugar
- Mirin
- Sesame oil
- Avocado oil
See recipe card for quantities.
How to make grilled flanken short ribs
These Korean Grilled Flanken Short Ribs are perfect for a delicious and flavorful meal. Whether grilled, air-fried, or baked, the rich marinade ensures tender and tasty ribs every time.
Prepare the Marinade:
- In a blender, combine all the marinade ingredients. Blend until smooth and well combined.
Marinate the Ribs:
- Place the flanken short ribs in a large resealable plastic bag or any container with a lid.
- Pour the marinade over the ribs, ensuring they are evenly coated.
- Refrigerate the ribs and let them marinate for at least 2 hours. For best results, marinate overnight to allow the flavors to fully penetrate the meat.
Grill the Ribs:
- Preheat your grill to medium-high heat.
- Remove the ribs from the marinade and let any excess drip off. Discard the marinade.
- Place the ribs on the grill and cook for about 3-4 minutes per side, or until they are nicely charred and cooked to your desired level of doneness.
Alternative Cooking Methods:
Air Fryer:
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F (200°C).
- Place the ribs in a single layer in the air fryer basket.
- Cook for 8-10 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the ribs are golden brown and cooked through.
Oven:
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a wire rack on top.
- Arrange the ribs in a single layer on the wire rack.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the ribs are browned and cooked to your preference.
Substitutions
Beef flanken cut short ribs - I got mine from Costco, but they are pretty popular nowadays and can get them in any grocery store.
Use beef chuck short ribs, beef ribs, beef back ribs, or my favorite boneless short ribs.
You can even use chicken thighs like this Bulgogi Chicken Recipe.
Also, pork spare ribs or back ribs would be great with this marinade.
Grilled Beef Short Ribs Marinade:
Korean pear - Asian pear or Bosc pear will work. If you cannot find any, apples or kiwi is awesome.
Green onions - regular onion or shallots
Garlic - garlic powder or garlic paste will work but it won’t be as good.
Ginger - ginger powder or ginger paste.
Soy sauce - tamari or coconut aminos are great gluten-free alternatives,
Brown sugar - any sweetener will work like white sugar, honey, maple syrup.
Mirin - dry sherry or a mixture of sake with a little bit of sugar.
Sesame oil - toasted sesame oil if you want it to be nuttier. Toast 2 tablespoon sesame seeds and place them in the marinade.
Avocado oil - any neutral oil like grapeseed oil or canola oil will work.
Other ingredients that would be good in it:
- black pepper
- rice vinegar
- red pepper flakes for some heat
Equipment
- Ziploc bag (large) or any large airtight container
- Knife
- Cutting board
- Large bowl with lid
Grilling equipment:
- Gas grill
- Charcoal grill
check out my list...
9 Kitchen Essentials
life-changing tools that will make your time easier in the kitchen!
How to store and reheat
Storing:
Refrigerate cooled ribs in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days, or freeze for up to 2-3 months.
Reheating:
Oven: 350°F, covered with foil, for 15-20 minutes.
Microwave: Covered, medium power, 1-2 minutes, then 30-second intervals.
Grill: Medium-low, wrapped in foil, 10-15 minutes.
Stovetop: Medium heat, covered, 5-7 minutes.
Top tips for success
- To make your life easy, blend all the marinade ingredients. If you do not have a blender, you can chop all the ingredients and combine them.
- Marinate for 2 hours is necessary, letting the ribs marinate overnight in the refrigerator will yield the best results. This extended marinating time allows the meat to absorb the flavors more deeply, resulting in tender and flavorful beef short ribs.
- Proper Grilling Technique is necessary. Preheat your grill to medium-high and oil the grill grate to prevent sticking. Grill the ribs in a single layer without overcrowding. For even cooking and beautiful grill marks, resist the urge to move the ribs around too much. Flip them only once during grilling to ensure even charring on both sides.
Grilled Flanken Short Ribs - FAQ
Flanken ribs and short ribs are similar but not the same. Flanken ribs are cut across the bone into thin strips, often used in Korean BBQ. Short ribs are cut parallel to the bone into larger, meatier pieces.
Korean short ribs (flanken-cut) are thinly sliced across the bone, ideal for grilling. Traditional short ribs (English-cut) are thicker, with bones in parallel, suitable for braising or slow cooking.
Marinate Korean short ribs for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight, to tenderize and infuse flavor. Additionally, consider scoring the meat to enhance marinade absorption, and grill over medium heat to prevent toughness.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
How to serve grilled short ribs
As a busy mom, I tend to keep things simple for dinner and stick to a protein, side, salad, or roasted vegetables. Here are some ideas for (name of recipe):
- Serve with rice and a side of Garlic Braised Kale.
- Pair with Garlic Fried Rice.
- Also, serve this with Asian Coleslaw as a refreshing side salad.
Don't miss out!
Korean Grilled Flanken Short Ribs
This is my take on Korean BBQ Ribs. This Beef Bulgogi Grilled Flanken Short Ribs is delicious! These flanken beef short ribs are marinated to perfection. It is the absolute highlight of my summer barbecues.
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: serves 4 people 1x
Ingredients
For the Beef Ribs:
3 lbs beef flanken short ribs
For the Marinade:
½ Korean pear
1 stalk of green onion
2 garlic cloves
1-inch piece of ginger
¼ cup soy sauce
3 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoon mirin
2 tbsp sesame oil
1 tablespoon avocado oil
Instructions
Prepare the Marinade:
- In a blender, combine all the marinade ingredients. Blend until smooth and well combined.
Marinate the Ribs:
- Place the flanken short ribs in a large resealable plastic bag or any container with a lid.
- Pour the marinade over the ribs, ensuring they are evenly coated.
- Refrigerate the ribs and let them marinate for at least 2 hours. For best results, marinate overnight to allow the flavors to fully penetrate the meat.
Grill the Ribs:
- Preheat your grill to medium-high heat.
- Remove the ribs from the marinade and let any excess drip off. Discard the marinade.
- Place the ribs on the grill and cook for about 3-4 minutes per side, or until they are nicely charred and cooked to your desired level of doneness.
Alternative Cooking Methods:
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F (200°C).
- Place the ribs in a single layer in the air fryer basket.
- Cook for 8-10 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the ribs are golden brown and cooked through.
Oven:
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a wire rack on top.
- Arrange the ribs in a single layer on the wire rack.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the ribs are browned and cooked to your preference.
Notes
- To make your life easy, blend all the marinade ingredients. If you do not have a blender, you can chop all the ingredients and combine them.
- Marinate for 2 hours is necessary, letting the ribs marinate overnight in the refrigerator will yield the best results. This extended marinating time allows the meat to absorb the flavors more deeply, resulting in tender and flavorful beef short ribs.
- Proper Grilling Technique is necessary. Preheat your grill to medium-high and oil the grill grate to prevent sticking. Grill the ribs in a single layer without overcrowding. For even cooking and beautiful grill marks, resist the urge to move the ribs around too much. Flip them only once during grilling to ensure even charring on both sides.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Marinating time: 2 hours to overnight
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: mains
- Method: grill
- Cuisine: Korean
Food safety
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
Isabella says
Marinate is perfect and meat is tender 👌
Alice says
Ribs are the best and most tender for me, also love the marinade
Lily M says
The dish came out really great cause i marinate it overnight. thanks
Matt B. says
NGL its so juicy.
Carmen Spillette says
SOOO GOOD RIGHT?!