What are Korean-style grilled beef short ribs called?

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Korean-style grilled beef short ribs are called galbi. The Korean word galbi means “rib,” and the dish is commonly made with beef short ribs grilled over charcoal or another tabletop heat source.

Galbi is often marinated in a sweet-savory mixture of soy sauce, sugar, garlic, scallions, sesame oil, black pepper, and sometimes Asian pear or ginger. Diners commonly grill the meat themselves, then cut it with kitchen scissors and wrap it in lettuce or perilla leaves with ssamjang and garlic.

The name can also refer to related preparations. Saeng-galbi means fresh, unmarinated ribs, while yangnyeom-galbi refers to seasoned or marinated ribs. Pork versions are generally identified as dwaeji-galbi, so the beef context in this question makes galbi the canonical answer.

A common mix-up is bulgogi, another famous Korean barbecue dish. Bulgogi usually consists of thinly sliced marinated beef, whereas galbi centers on rib meat and may be served bone-in. LA galbi is a later Korean-American flanken-cut style sliced across the bones.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Aug. 2026

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