Walk into a Korean BBQ for the first time and the meat menu can look like a foreign language — bulgogi, galbi, chadolbaegi. Don’t worry: once you know a handful of cuts, ordering is easy. Here’s a plain-English guide to the main Korean BBQ meat cuts, what each one tastes like, and which to throw on the grill first.
The main Korean BBQ cuts at a glance
| Cut | What it is | Flavour |
|---|---|---|
| Bulgogi | Thin marinated beef | Sweet-savoury, tender — the beginner favourite |
| Galbi | Marinated beef short ribs | Rich, sweet, a little smoky |
| Chadolbaegi | Very thin unmarinated brisket | Clean, beefy, cooks in seconds |
| Brisket / beef slices | Thicker beef cuts | Hearty, great with sauce |
| Marinated chicken | Chicken in gochujang or soy glaze | Sweet-spicy, crowd-pleasing |
| Lamb | Thin-sliced or skewered lamb | Bold, aromatic |
Bulgogi: the best first cut
Bulgogi means “fire meat” — thin slices of beef marinated in soy, garlic, sesame, and pear. It’s sweet, tender, and almost impossible to overcook, which makes it the perfect starting point for anyone new to Korean BBQ.
Galbi: the star of the grill
Galbi (also spelled kalbi) is marinated beef short ribs — richer and meatier than bulgogi, with a sweet-savoury glaze that caramelises beautifully on the grill. If you order one “special” cut, make it this.
Chadolbaegi: thin brisket that cooks in seconds
These paper-thin, unmarinated brisket slices cook in well under a minute and have a clean, pure beef flavour. Dip them in sesame oil with salt and pepper — simple and addictive.
What about samgyupsal?
Samgyupsal — thick pork belly — is the most famous cut in Korea, but it’s pork, so it isn’t halal. At a halal Korean BBQ like Mukbang Shows, its role is filled by rich beef cuts, lamb, and marinated chicken, so you still get that indulgent, fatty-and-crispy experience without the pork. (More on this in our guide to whether Korean BBQ is halal.)
Don’t forget the seafood
Shrimp, squid, and salmon all grill wonderfully and are naturally free of the pork/alcohol question — a big part of why a Korean BBQ and seafood spread works so well.
Which cut should a beginner grill first?
Start with bulgogi (forgiving and sweet), then move to galbi (richer), and try chadolbaegi once you’re comfortable with timing. Mix in marinated chicken and grilled shrimp to keep the table varied.
Try every cut, unlimited, in the UAE
The best way to learn the cuts is an all-you-can-eat spread where you can taste them all. Mukbang Shows Korean BBQ & Seafood serves 100% halal all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ — unlimited halal beef, lamb, chicken and seafood — across JBR, Deira, Love Mukbang at DWTC, and Muroor & Electra Street in Abu Dhabi.
Hungry to try them all? Book a table.
