The most tender and flavorful Korean steak bites cooked on the stovetop or in the air fryer! This paleo and Whole30 dish is sweetened with fruit to recreate an authentic bulgogi flavor that’s so addicting.
Steak will probably always be my favorite cut of meat. I usually love it grilled plain with just a bit of salt and pepper, but sometimes, I’ll get fancy with a marinade when I want to make it a bit more special. These marinated Korean steak bites are one of those recipes that’s just full of flavor and so easy to prepare.
Paleo & Whole30 Korean Steak Bites Recipes
If you are a fan of bulgogi, you are going to love these marinated Whole30 steak bites. Sweetened with dates, the marinade is just so addicting and full of umami and the steak bites are so tender and flavorful. You can serve them at a party with toothpicks, or just eat them as a meal alongside some cauliflower rice.
How to Make Steak Bites with Korean Marinade
The cooking process for these Korean Whole30 steak bites are straightforward and simple. You do need to marinate them in the bulgogi sauce for at least 2 hours, then they take just 10 minutes or less to cook! Here’s how to make steak bites on the stovetop or in the air fryer.
- Cut the steak into 1 inch cubes or bite-sized pieces and place in a resealable bag.
- Make the marinade by blending all its ingredients together until smooth and creamy.
- Pour the marinade over the beef, seal, and marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
- Remove from the fridge and drain the bulgogi marinade when ready to cook.
Stove Top Method
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the steak bites in a single layer and cook for 2 minutes until seared. Flip the pieces then cook for 2 more minutes.
Air Fryer Method
To make air fryer steak bites, preheat the air fryer for 5 minutes at 400 degrees F. Add the steak bites in a single layer and cook for 5 minutes. Flip the steak bites and cook for another 5 minutes.
You can garnish with sesame seeds and chopped green onions before serving. Both methods turn out fantastic in both texture and flavor!
Additional Tips
- I highly recommend marinating these Whole30 steak bites for at least 2 hours. The meat really needs at least this much time to absorb all the delicious flavors of the marinade!
- If you are not doing the Whole30, you can replace the medjool date with 2 tsp of maple syrup to sweeten the bulgogi sauce. Or if you are eating low carb, you can replace with 2 tsp of monk fruit sweetener.
- For both the stovetop or air fryer steak bites, cook the meat pieces in a single layer so they cook evenly and to yield the best texture. This means you may need to cook the meat in 2 batches for either method.
- The suggested cooking times will cook the steak bites to medium rare to medium. If you like your steak well done, I would add a few more minutes of cook time to each method.
What to Serve with Steak Bites
These Korean steak bites can served alone as an appetizer on toothpicks. However, if you are serving these as a meal, here are some delicious sides to serve them with:
- cauliflower rice
- roasted broccoli
- steam green beans
- kimchi or radish kimchi
- Korean side dishes from Korean Paleo
However you serve these juicy and flavorful Korean steak bites, they are guaranteed to be a hit and please even the pickiest eaters!
If you enjoyed these paleo and Whole30 steak bites, you might also like…
- Whole30 Mongolian Beef (Paleo, Keto, AIP Option)
- Whole30 Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken Recipe (Paleo, AIP)
- Paleo & Whole30 Sesame Chicken – Stovetop & Air Fryer Method
- Paleo Asian Meatloaf
- Paleo Skirt Steak with Chimichurri Sauce (Whole30, AIP, Keto)
Paleo & Whole30 Korean Steak Bites – Stovetop or Air Fryer (AIP Option)
Ingredients
- 1½ lb sirloin steak or ribeye, strip steak, or tenderloin
- 1 tbsp avocado oil or your favorite cooking oil, for stovetop method
- For garnish: Sesame seeds and chopped green onions omit sesame seeds for AIP
Marinade
- 1/2 cup coconut aminos
- 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil or olive oil for AIP
- 4 garlic cloves peeled
- 1 pitted medjool date OR 2 tsp maple syrup for non-Whole30
- 1 inch fresh ginger
- Optional: 2 tsp gochugaru (Korean chili pepper flakes) – omit for AIP
Instructions
- Cut the steak into 1 inch cubes or bite-sized pieces and place in a resealable bag.
- Place all ingredients for the marinade in a blender and blend until smooth.
- Pour over the steak, seal the bag, and massage the steak to coat. Place in the fridge to marinate for 2 hours to overnight.
- Remove from fridge and drain the steak. Discard the marinade.
Stovetop Method
- Heat avocado oil on a large skillet over medium high heat.
- Once the pan is sizzling hot, add the steak pieces in a single layer and sear for 2 minutes.
- Flip the steak pieces and cook for another 2 minutes until cooked through and golden brown.
- Remove from heat and garnish with sesame seeds and chopped green onions before serving.
Air Fryer Method
- Preheat the air fryer at 400 degrees for 5 minutes.
- Add the steak bites to the air fryer in a single layer. You may need to cook them in 2 batches to do this.
- Cook for 10 minutes, flipping the pieces halfway through.
- Remove from the air fryer once golden brown and cooked through. Garnish with sesame seeds and chopped green onions before serving.
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I’m so exited to try this in my air fryer! It looks so good!
I love these! Each bite is tender, juicy and full of so much flavor!
Thanks so much for the additional tips on making these bites. Will surely be making it soon.
Love how easy this is! I have all the marinade ingredients so I can’t wait to try this.
These were so good, but super easy! Definitely going to be added to regular rotation in our house
So easy! And I’m a new cook. My korean husband was so impressed and asked to add it to our rotation
Ah that’s the best review. Thanks so much!
Thanks to this recipe I‘ve recently moved up the ranks to “most popular” at dinner. I used to be “least likely to succeed”…
Made a double batch of marinade and did both filet and chicken. Yummy!
Amazing idea!!
Amazing! Did the stove top version and we absolutely loved it! Will make again!!😋
Yay, thank you so much!!
Hello! I just found your site recently and am so glad I did. I’ve been working out some autoimmune issues for almost a year so I find your site helpful and encouraging.
I have the meat marinading for the night. Would you have an idea of how to cool this in an instant pot? Or would that not be recommended.
Because it cooks fast fast, I wouldn’t recommend the Instant Pot. It might cook down the meat too much (like a tender roast instead of steak) unless you just use the sauté function of the Instant Pot.
So excited, I just received your cookbook Korean Paleo! I want to make this recipe For tomorrow nights dinner but only have beef stew meat. Will that be okay to use?
Thank You,
DeeDee
Yes, I think it will!
So good!!!
Thank you so much!