Samgyeopsal
삼겹살
Thick pork belly grilled at the table, wrapped in lettuce with ssamjang, garlic and a bit of rice.
Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen. Native name preserved: 삼겹살.
0 people cooked this in the public kitchen yet. Kitchen-tested by I Want Some Food. Not a purchased rating.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spice
- No chilli
- Cost
- A bit special$16–28 USD · indicative, not a store price
About
Samgyeopsal is a method more than a sauce. You render thick pork belly until the fat is gold and the edges crisp, then you wrap it. No marinade required. The work is in the sides: ssamjang, sliced raw garlic and chilli, grilled kimchi, rice. If you boil the belly you have made a different dinner.
Ingredients
- Pork, skinless belly, 1 cm slices700 g
- Lettuce16 leaf
- Ssamjang89 ml
- Garlic, thin sliced, raw or quickly grilled8 clove
- Fresh chilli, sliced (optional)2
- Kimchi, grilled on the side200 g
- Rice, uncooked, to serve300 g
- Toasted sesame oil, mixed with a pinch of salt for dipping (optional)30 ml
Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.
Steps
Step 1
Pat the belly dry. Heat a dry heavy pan or grill. Lay slices in a single layer.
2 minStep 2
Cook until the fat renders and both sides are browned and blistered, 3–5 minutes a side. Cut into bite-size with kitchen scissors at the table.
15 minStep 3
Grill kimchi in the pork fat until the edges char. Serve everything at once: meat, lettuce, ssamjang, garlic, rice.
5 minTip: One bite: lettuce, a smear of ssamjang, meat, garlic, maybe rice. Do not build a burrito.
Adapt this recipe
The canonical recipe stays intact. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are maths, not AI.
Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 24 August.
Substitutions
Pork belly → Pork collar or shoulder slices
Leaner. Do not overcook.
Tips
- If the pan floods with fat, pour some off. You want fry, not poach.
- Salt-sesame oil dip is the old-school alternative to ssamjang.
History & culture
This is the default Korean barbecue order for a group. People cook their own slices. At home, a cast-iron pan in the middle of the table is the whole restaurant.
Pork belly as a national grill meat is modern abundance talking. It is still the plate people mean when they say 'let's do Korean BBQ' without looking at a menu.
Traditional — Unsmoked, skin-off belly, about 1 cm thick. Do not confuse it with streaky bacon.
Provenance: Editorial adaptation. Original editorial adaptation for I Want Some Food. Not copied from another recipe site. Official recipe photography is pending. Photograph: idkjm123 via Openverse (cc0 1.0). https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=54131228
Questions about this recipe
Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips — not a chatbot.
How long does Samgyeopsal take?
40 min all in — 15 min prep, 25 min cook. That is the time on this recipe, not a guess.
How many does it serve?
The recipe is written for 3 trays. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.
How hard is it?
Easy.
How spicy is it?
No chilli.
What allergens should I watch?
This recipe is labelled for Soy, Sesame, Wheat. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.
Does it fit a diet?
The published recipe is labelled Dairy-free, Nut-free.
What does it cost to cook?
A bit special — about $16–28 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.
What equipment do I need?
Frying pan, Tongs.
How much salt do I put in?
This recipe does not list salt as its own ingredient. Saltiness comes from Kimchi — 200 g (grilled on the side). Taste at the end rather than adding a number we did not write.
How much kimchi?
200 g (grilled on the side) of Kimchi.
How much toasted sesame oil?
2 tbsp (mixed with a pinch of salt for dipping, optional) of Toasted sesame oil.
What can I use instead?
Pork belly → Pork collar or shoulder slices. Leaner. Do not overcook.
Any tips from this recipe?
If the pan floods with fat, pour some off. You want fry, not poach. Salt-sesame oil dip is the old-school alternative to ssamjang.
Can I use an air fryer?
This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.
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