The Best Sous Vide Skirt Steak for Sous Vide Bulgogi

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This sous vide skirt steak is marinated and cooked to tender and juicy perfection with a sweet and savory bulgogi sauce. You’ll love this sous vide bulgogi served in lettuce wraps with Korean sticky rice and kimchi!

Preparing your skirt steak using the sous vide method results in a tender and flavorful steak, that’s perfectly and evenly cooked (even when you cook sous vide frozen steak). The sous vide process allows you to control the cooking temperature, so you don’t need to worry about overcooking your steak.

And the best part? It’s a pretty hands off way to prepare steak. Just marinate and let your sous vide cooker do the rest. You’ll quickly sear the steak at the end to create a deliciously browned crust. Then slice and serve. It’s that easy!

We love this thinly sliced steak served with bulgogi sauce and paired with lettuce, sticky rice and kimchi. I think it's the best way!

You can also serve it over a plate of Korean purple rice (or any steamed rice), on a salad, in tacos or on pizza. The possibilities are actually endless!

Jump to:

• What is Sous Vide?
• Other sous vide recipes to try
• What is bulgogi?
• Ingredients
• Cooking temperatures
• Step by step instructions
• Expert tips
• Common questions
• Make ahead instructions
• Freezing instructions
• Recipe
• 💬 Comments

If you don't have a lot of experience cooking sous vide yet, you may want to pop over and read what sous vide cooking is and some tips.

What is Sous Vide?

Sous vide is basically a method of cooking using what is called an immersion circulator (i.e. the sous vide machine). This immersion circulator circulates water in a temperature controlled water bath at a certain temperature to perfectly cook your food every time.

Because the temperature doesn't change, and it keeps your meat (or dessert, veggies, etc.) at the same temperature, your risk of overcooking becomes very minimal.

To learn even more about sous vide cooking, head over and read "what is sous vide cooking and the benefits of sous vide cooking."

What is the Water Displacement Method?

The displacement method is where you slowly submerge a ziplock bag in water pushing the air out of the top of the bag (the bag should be slightly open at the top to allow air to escape).

Use a clip (I use sous vide magnets) to clip the bag to the side to keep it from floating and getting air and/or water inside.

Tools Used

• Anova Precision Sous Vide Cooker
• 12 quart container
• Vacuum sealer
• Vacuum-seal bags

You will also want to check out these posts on the best sous vide containers and the best sous vide bags for more information!

Other sous vide recipes to try

• Ginger Soy Sous Vide Tri Tip with Asian Chimichurri Sauce
• Sous Vide Flank Steak with Peppercorn Sauce
• Sous Vide Hanger Steak with Miso Soy Butter
• Sous Vide Veal Chops with Miso Mushroom Sauce
• Sous Vide Filet Mignon with Creamy Horseradish Sauce
• Sous Vide Lamb Chops with Mint Chimichurri

What is bulgogi?

Bulgogi is a Korean dish of marinated beef or pork that is grilled or pan seared and then thinly sliced.

We’re preparing it a little differently in this recipe. While we’re using a bulgogi marinade, the beef will be cooked sous vide style before pan searing at the end and thinly slicing.

If you love bulgogi, you might also want to try these spicy Korean pork bulgogi tacos or this bulgogi beef Korean pizza. They are deeeeelish!!

Ingredients

The full list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

You’ll need 1 ½ pounds of skirt steak. This is a long and flat cut of beef from the plate area of the cow. It will be marbled with a coarse grain. Given its size and grain, it’s easy to cut into thin strips.

The marinade will double as the serving sauce and is typical of a bulgogi sauce which includes ingredients like brown sugar, sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic, ginger and pear. 

For the best flavor, make sure you’re using fresh garlic and ginger.

You can substitute low sodium soy sauce, but you may wish to add a dash of salt to the marinade to compensate. Just taste and adjust accordingly.

You can use an Asian pear, but if they’re not in season or available where you are, any type of pear will work. Just make sure it is ripe and finely diced.

Please don’t substitute the sesame oil with another type of oil. Sesame oil has a unique flavor, so switching it out will impact the taste of the marinade.

We also always use a tablespoon of avocado oil for searing - any high heat oil can be used here. Don't use lower smoke point oils like olive oil as it can burn and give your meat a bitter taste.

Cooking temperatures

Skirt steak is normally cooked to medium-rare. To achieve this, you’ll want to set your sous vide water bath to 131°F.

If you prefer to cook your steak to medium, set the water bath temperature anywhere between 133° to 140°F.

Step by step instructions

Combine all the marinade ingredients in a bowl and mix to combine. 

Place the skirt steak in a vacuum sealable sous vide bag with the marinade ingredients. A ziplock bag can also be used if using the water displacement method (see above).

Use a vacuum sealer to remove the air and store in the fridge overnight to marinate.

Once the meat has marinated, turn the sous vide machine on and heat a sous vide water bath to 131°F. Cook the beef for 2-4 hours. The longer the cook time, the softer it will get.

Remove the beef from the water bath and place in an ice bath for 10 minutes.

Remove the beef from the bag, reserving the juices, and pat dry with paper towels. 

Heat a grill or a cast iron pan over high heat until smoking and sear the beef for 60 seconds per side, until a brown crust is formed.

Slice on a cutting board and serve in lettuce wraps with Korean sticky rice, kimchi, green onions and drizzled with reserved bag sauce.

Expert tips

1. Removing the air from the bag is an important step that should not be skipped to ensure the bag stays submerged and cooks evenly. Use sous vide weights if your bags floats.
2. For the best results, be sure to marinate the steak overnight in the fridge. This will give the steak time to absorb the marinade flavors.
3. Make sure to pat the beef completely dry before pan searing or grilling. This will help with browning.
4. Don't sear your skirt steak for more than 60 seconds per side as it can overcook.
5. Make sure you cut the steak against the grain as thinly as possible. 
6. To get a nice smoky flavor, this can also be seared on a hot grill.

Common questions

Make ahead instructions

You can cook the sous vide skirt steak in advance and store it in the fridge.

To do this, follow the recipe instructions up to the ice bath. Once you remove the bag of beef from the ice bath, just transfer the bag to the fridge to store for up to 5 days.

To reheat the steak, place it in a 131°F degree water bath for about 10-15 minutes, until the steak is warmed. Sear and serve per the recipe instructions.

Freezing instructions

After the ice bath, transfer the bag of sous vide bulgogi to the freezer and store for up to 3 months.

To thaw, leave the bag of beef in the fridge overnight and then heat it in a 131°F water bath for about 10-15 minutes, or until the steak is warmed. Sear and serve per the recipe instructions.

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Recipe