Easy Korean Steak Bites
If you’ve been craving steak bites, these Whole30 Korean steak bites are about to become your new go-to. Marinated in a bulgogi-inspired sauce sweetened naturally with fruit, these juicy steak bites cook in under 10 minutes on the stovetop or in the air fryer for a super quick, protein-packed, and flavorful meal. Each piece is seared golden brown on the outside while staying tender and melt-in-your-mouth juicy inside. You’ll love how versatile they are as a meal or appetizer!
Servings: 4 servings
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.
Video
Notes
- I highly recommend marinating these 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 it 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 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 cooking time to each method.
- For extra spice, garnish with red pepper flakes.
- Store leftover steak bites in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Reheat the leftovers in the air fryer for 2-3 minutes or the microwave for 1-2 minutes.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving - makes 4 | Calories: 378kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 104mg | Sodium: 792mg | Potassium: 655mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 297IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 3mg