Korean BBQ at Home, What to Buy First?

Searching for what to buy for Korean BBQ at home usually means one thing: you want a grill night that actually tastes like the real thing, not a sad version with the wrong sauce.

This guide is written for anyone outside Korea shopping for their first home Korean BBQ, someone who wants a clear list of meat, wraps, sauces, and side dishes instead of a vague overview of Korean food culture.

I put this list together after setting up more than a few home Korean BBQ nights for friends who had never tried it, including the first time I squeezed ssamjang straight from the tub onto already-salty pork and learned the hard way that it needs no extra seasoning.

What to Buy for Korean BBQ at Home: The Essentials

For a basic Korean BBQ at home, you need four things: meat, lettuce wraps, dipping sauce, and at least one banchan side dish.

Rice and soup are traditional but optional, and drinks like soju or beer are entirely up to you. Everything else on this list just makes the table feel more complete.

Category	What to buy	Korean name
Meat	Pork belly, pork collar, beef short rib, or marinated beef	samgyeopsal, moksal, galbi, bulgogi
Wraps	Lettuce, perilla leaves	sangchu, kkaennip
Aromatics	Garlic, green chili peppers	maneul, cheong-gochu
Sauce	Ssamjang, sesame oil with salt	ssamjang, chamgireum-sogeum
Side dish	Kimchi, bean sprout salad	kimchi, kongnamul-muchim

Which Meat Cuts Should You Buy First?

Pork belly, called samgyeopsal, is the easiest cut to start with because its fat keeps it from drying out on a hot pan.

Pork collar, or moksal, is leaner but still forgiving, and works well if you want variety without a second trip to the butcher counter. Beef short rib, galbi, usually comes pre-marinated and sweet, which makes it a safe choice for anyone unsure about seasoning.

The first time I grilled galbi next to bulgogi on the same pan, the bulgogi burned in under two minutes because it is sliced paper thin and cooks almost instantly. Now I always put it on last, not first.

Cut	Korean name	Fat level	Good for beginners
Pork belly	samgyeopsal	High	Yes, hardest to overcook
Pork collar	moksal	Medium	Yes
Beef short rib	galbi	Medium-high	Yes, pre-marinated
Marinated beef	bulgogi	Low-medium	Cook last, cooks fast

What Banchan and Side Dishes Do You Need?

Kimchi is the one banchan nobody should skip, but a bean sprout salad and pickled radish round out the table without any extra cooking.

Store-bought banchan from a Korean grocery store is completely normal, even in Korean households, so there is no need to make anything from scratch for a first attempt. If you want to see how Korean food habits are shifting beyond the grill, Korean Food Trends 2026 covers what is rising in everyday dining.

• Kimchi, the fermented cabbage side dish everyone expects at the table
• Kongnamul-muchim, a cold seasoned bean sprout salad
• Danmuji, sweet pickled yellow radish, good against fatty pork

What Sauces Make Korean BBQ Taste Authentic?

Ssamjang is the single sauce that makes grilled meat taste like Korean BBQ instead of plain grilled pork.

It is a thick, salty-sweet mix of fermented soybean and chili paste, sold pre-made in nearly every Korean grocery store, so there is no need to blend anything yourself. A small dish of sesame oil with salt is the other common dip, meant for plain grilled meat when you want to taste the meat itself rather than a sauce.

Gochujang, the red chili paste, is optional and mainly for people who want extra heat. One thing I learned by trial: ssamjang is already salty on its own, so do not add more salt to the meat before grilling or the whole bite turns too salty to enjoy.

Where Can You Buy Korean BBQ Ingredients?

Korean or Asian grocery stores carry everything on this list in one trip, while a regular supermarket usually only covers the meat.

Store type	What you’ll find	Notes
Korean grocery store	Meat, banchan, sauces, wraps	Widest selection, one-stop shopping
General Asian grocery	Basic cuts, common sauces	Good backup if no Korean store nearby
Regular supermarket	Pork belly, beef, lettuce	Ask the butcher for thin slices if pre-cut isn’t available

If the meat case only has thick-cut pork belly, ask the butcher counter to slice it thinner; thick cuts take longer to cook through and are easier to burn on the outside before the center is done.

How Do You Grill and Eat Korean BBQ at Home?

Grill the fattiest cuts first, save thin bulgogi for last, and wrap each bite in lettuce with a dab of ssamjang and a piece of garlic or chili.

Soju is the traditional pairing with Korean BBQ, though recent reports suggest everyday drinking in Korea has dropped below pandemic-era levels, so plenty of home BBQ nights now skip alcohol entirely without it feeling out of place.

For background on the dish itself and its grilling traditions, see the Wikipedia entry on Korean barbecue.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a special grill for Korean BBQ at home?

No, a nonstick pan, griddle, or electric tabletop grill all work fine. A dedicated grill just makes grease cleanup easier.

Can I use regular lettuce instead of perilla leaves?

Yes, lettuce alone works fine for wrapping. Perilla leaves, kkaennip, just add a stronger, slightly minty flavor if you want to try them.

How much meat should I buy per person?

Plan for roughly 200 to 300 grams of meat per adult. Buy more if you are skipping rice and side dishes.

Is doenjang-jjigae necessary for Korean BBQ at home?

No, it is a traditional add-on, not a requirement. The meal works fine with just rice, or no starch at all.

So that’s the full list: meat, wraps, sauce, and at least one banchan, with everything else as a bonus. Have you tried setting up Korean BBQ at home yet, and what did you end up buying too much or too little of?

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