15 Kitchen Tools You Need For Cooking Korean BBQ At Home

While the royal origins of barbecue in Korean cuisine goes back centuries, that particular style of grilling has become increasingly popular around the world in the 21st century. Korean BBQ is an incredibly communal style of dining, with diners centered around a single tabletop grill. Meat is the star of the show, particularly thin strips of marinated beef called bulgogi, though beef short ribs (known as kalbi) and cuts of juicy pork belly and shoulder are common, as well. Side dishes, known as banchan, accompany the meat, before you wrap it all up in a crisp lettuce leaf for a tasty bite-sized treat called a ssam.

If you've yet to experience the joys of Korean BBQ, I've got you covered. After more than two decades working in the international restaurant industry, I've encountered numerous versions of Korean BBQ at joints across the world. Armed with my extensive professional experience, plus tips and encouragement from a few chef pals, I've also been making Korean BBQ at home for years — and it's easier than you might think.

Of course, having the right kitchenware on hand will certainly make things go smoother. Fortunately, most of the necessary list items aren't specific to Korean BBQ, so you'll find them handy for other meals, too. Here are some kitchen tools you need for cooking Korean BBQ at home.

At most Korean BBQ restaurants, you'll find the grill is built directly into the table, making it easier for everyone to access. Of course, this isn't really feasible at home, so your setup will require some form of portable tabletop appliance. There are a few suitable options for this, and I strongly suggest going with a portable butane stove.

For starters, I suggest going with a butane stove because butane has a lower boiling point than propane, making it better suited for indoor use. You'll want something compact enough to sit on your tabletop while leaving enough space for your various banchan and meat platters.

Additionally, you should be able to easily adjust the size of the flame as required, and while you want to ensure there's reasonable ventilation when it's in use, the stove shouldn't pose too much of a problem in terms of giving off excess smoke and fumes. Just be sure to check your gas levels in advance, and keep a spare butane canister or two on standby in case you run out during the meal.

If you're after a more authentic Korean BBQ experience, a small charcoal grill is perfect for achieving that rich and smoky flavor. The main downside of using a charcoal grill is that it puts off a lot of smoke compared to a gas-fueled stove, so good ventilation is extra important.

Since most of us don't have a way of drawing the smoke away like they do in a restaurant, a charcoal grill is best saved for outdoor dining. Plus, a portable charcoal grill is a pretty versatile piece of equipment, so you can use it for American-style grilling or camping trips when you're not making Korean BBQ.

Now, cooking with charcoal can require a bit more work in terms of setting up and cleaning compared to gas grills. You may have to top up the charcoal throughout the meal, too, and it can be a little harder to achieve consistent temperatures. That said, some food simply tastes better when it's cooked over charcoals, so it's ultimately about deciding whether the extra hassle is worth the improved taste.

Another suitable Korean BBQ heat source is a portable induction stove. These run on electricity, but they're not the same as regular electric stoves. Where an electric stove relies on heated metal coils, induction stoves use magnetic currents to directly heat the cookware. This makes induction stoves an excellent choice for Korean BBQ, as the stove itself doesn't get hot, making it a safer choice for tabletop grilling. You'll also get fewer fumes with this option — meaning you can get away with less ventilation — and they're incredibly energy-efficient.

The main thing to be aware of when dealing with these is that induction stoves are only compatible with certain types of cookware. Because they heat via electromagnetic radiation, they only work with ferromagnetic cookware. In layman's terms, this means material that's magnetic in the same way as iron. Consequently, cast iron and stainless steel cookware are your best bet, although some manufacturers have begun adding magnetic bases to their cookware to make them more versatile. When in doubt, you can always test your cookware with a magnet – if it sticks, you're good to go.

Once you've settled on your preferred heat source, you'll need to make sure you have a suitable grill plate for cooking the raw Korean BBQ ingredients. While some grill plates will work with all of the equipment I mentioned above, others are less versatile.

If you're working with a charcoal grill, you can opt for a simple mesh-style grill. The drawback of these is that they're not always suitable for smaller ingredients (as they can fall through the gaps). You'll also have to contend with dripping fat, which can spit when it hits the red-hot coals below. A flat, non-stick grill plate works with other heat sources, but you may still have to contend with hot fat, so a bowl-shaped plate may be better.

Personally, I prefer using a specialized Korean grill pan. These are domed, allowing the fat to drip away from the sizzling meat, and they have slots that let the fat fall safely away into a bowl below. You can use these with all the stove types above, although you'll have to double-check the material if you want to use one with an induction stove.

If you're prepping food for Korean BBQ, you're going to be doing a fair amount of knifework. Whether thinly slicing meat for bulgogi or dicing veggies for bancha, you'll need a set of sharp and reliable knives.

Kitchen knives come in many shapes and sizes, and while Korean BBQ doesn't require too many different kinds, there are some you don't want to be without. First, you should have a dependable chef's knife. This is the workhorse of the knife world, and you can use it for everything from cutting meat to mincing herbs. A Japanese-style santoku isn't exactly the same as a chef's knife, but it's equally up to the task.

Korean BBQ calls for fine cuts of sirloin or ribeye for bulgogi. This is where a carving knife comes in handy, and a boning knife is invaluable for prepping ribs. You should also pick up a smaller-sized utility knife for finer prep work, like dicing vegetables or trimming fat from meat. There's a common adage in the culinary world that a dull knife is more dangerous than a sharp one, and it's something I've consistently found to be true. Sharp knives are both safer and easier to use, so make sure you're keeping your blades well-maintained.

If you've ever been to a Korean BBQ restaurant, you'll know that kitchen shears – effectively food-grade scissors – are essential. Quality kitchen knives are great for prepping food in advance, but not as easy to use when you're cutting up meat at the dining table. Plus, not everyone is comfortable handling sharp knives, whereas most guests will find kitchen shears both safer and easy to use.

As with knives, you want your kitchen shears to be reliable and sharp. I suggest going with stainless steel or high-carbon steel for durability and to avoid rust. The handles should be big enough that anyone can use them, but not so large that those with smaller hands can't operate them comfortably. You also want handles with a good grip, especially when eating Korean BBQ, which usually involves handling food directly, and you don't want items to slip if your hands are slick.

Many kitchen shears come with extra functions, like bottle openers and nutcrackers, but these aren't particularly important for Korean BBQ. However, I recommend picking a pair with detachable handles. This will make cleaning them much easier, while lowering the risk of cross-contamination if you're using them on raw meat.

As I've already mentioned, Korean BBQ involves a fair amount of prep work, so you're going to need a chopping board, though I'd suggest making sure you have more than one available. In my experience, the two biggest safety risks associated with Korean BBQ are burns from handling hot equipment, and cross-contamination from raw meat. To avoid the latter, it's worth looking at how professional kitchens use chopping boards.

Many pro chefs use distinct, color-coded boards to avoid and reduce these food safety risks. Red chopping boards are reserved for raw meat, yellow boards are for cooked meat, and blue boards are for raw fish. Vegetables are dealt with on brown boards, fruit and salad on green, white is for bread and dairy, and purple boards are reserved for prepping allergen-free dishes.

Now, I'm not saying you need that many different cutting boards in your own kitchen. But at the very least, you should have one for uncooked meat and one for produce when making Korean BBQ (and in general). It's also best to stick with plastic for everything except bread boards, as wood absorbs juices that can develop bacteria which then get transferred between food items.

There are lots of great meat cuts for Korean BBQ, with beef and pork being the most popular options. Sirloin, ribeye, and short rib are extremely common, as are pork belly and pork neck. One of the main things to look for is a good fat-to-meat ratio, as the fat will stop the meat from drying out. However, you may sometimes find yourself dealing with leaner meats, which is where a meat tenderizer comes in handy.

A meat tenderizer is a superb tool for prepping meat. It breaks down the connective tissues to help create a less chewy bite. Even if you're working with softer cuts, tenderizing can make it easier for the meat to absorb the flavors of your Korean-style marinade. The trick is to avoid getting carried away with the tenderizer; if you work the meat too hard, it can lose its structure and turn mushy.

Despite its remarkable simplicity, the automatic rice cooker is a surprisingly recent invention. The basic version of the appliance wasn't really perfected until the 1950s, but it's had a huge impact on Asian cuisine. As someone who's spent much of the last decade living in Southeast Asia, I can tell you it's extremely rare for a family not to own a rice cooker, even in lower-income households. Plus, no Korean BBQ is complete without steamed rice, and a rice cooker is by far the quickest and easiest way to make it.

Most modern models have a warming setting, as well, so you can keep rice at the table without having to worry about it getting cold. I'd suggest getting one with a non-stick pot and clear measurement markers, but more expensive models often come with additional features, too. A rice cooker is also extremely versatile, and you may be surprised how often you end up using it.

An often overlooked tool outside of professional kitchens, tongs have so many uses. Whether you're tossing salad, cleaning a hot cooking surface, or using them to flip steaks, it's always worth having a few pairs in the drawer. There are many different types of tongs that have various purposes, and some of them are invaluable for Korean BBQ.

For placing, flipping, and removing meat on the hot grill, you'll need a pair of reasonably long, metal utility tongs. These aren't quite as big as the BBQ tongs you'd use on an outside grill, which are too cumbersome for a tabletop grill or stove. For serving, it's worth giving each diner a set of their own serving tongs, as well, which are essentially the same as utility tongs but smaller.

My main piece of advice is to make sure you use separate tongs for raw and cooked food to prevent cross-contamination and reduce the risk of anyone getting sick. Keep one set for putting things on the grill and flipping them, and another set for taking them off and plating them.

One ingredient you'll find yourself using quite often in Korean BBQ is fresh garlic. It goes in your meat marinades and many banchan side dishes, after all, and is also a key ingredient in Korean sauces and condiments, like the traditional wrapping sauce, ssamjang. Of course, dicing that much garlic can get tiresome after a while, and it wastes time that could be better spent working on other prep. So why not save yourself the fuss and buy a garlic press instead?

Garlic presses are typically pretty cheap because they're so simple. The most important thing is to guarantee the press produces a uniform mince for cooking consistency. With a half-decent one, you shouldn't even need to peel the skin from the garlic either. Garlic presses are pretty versatile, too, and you can use them to press fresh ginger, crack nuts, crush seeds, or even some herbs. The main thing to remember is to make sure you clean the press out thoroughly with warm water and dish soap before you use it for other ingredients — unless you also want them to taste like pungent garlic, that is.

If you're familiar with Korean BBQ, you know that many of the most popular side dishes call for finely sliced vegetables. Kimchi typically features sliced carrots and radishes, oi muchim and pa muchim are salads that use julienned cucumbers and scallions, respectively, and most slaws require lots of chopping. Unless you want to spend half your day at the chopping board, you definitely want to get yourself a mandoline slicer.

Mandoline slicers are adjustable utensils that make short work of julienning ingredients. You essentially run the food along a bladed plane; plus, many mandolines can be used for dicing or crinkle cuts, as well. A word of warning, though: Mandolines can cause serious damage to your hands and fingers if you're not extremely careful.

Over my career in the hospitality industry, I've seen more injuries caused by these tools than anything else. Before you attempt to use a mandoline, make sure you know how to operate it. You should never use one without the safety guard, for instance, and may want to consider donning a cut-proof safety glove.

I've already talked about how Korean BBQ calls for a lot of fresh vegetables, whether it's the ingredients for your banchan or the leaves to make your ssam wrap. And you should always wash veggies before you prep them even if they've got a peel. This gets rid of any dirt or debris, helps remove any harmful bacteria that may be present, and rinses off any pesticide residue. With that in mind, using a colander greatly simplifies washing your vegetables.

Beyond rinsing veggies, a colander is handy for rinsing the starch off your rice before you cook it. You can drain noodles in it if you're making a traditional Korean side dish like jjajangmyeon, as well, which is a delicious black bean noodle-based banchan. Like many of the other kitchen tools on this list, colanders are almost infinitely versatile, so if you've been going without all this time, it's worth picking one up as soon as you can.

Whenever you're making marinades, sauces, or pastes for a Korean BBQ from scratch, you'll find things go much faster with a food processor. Bulgogi and galbi marinades are a doddle when you can simply throw the ingredients into a food processor and blitz them together in a few seconds.

A food processor with a slicing blade can also be a great way to shred veggies if you don't have a mandoline slicer or aren't comfortable using one. If you're going as far as crafting your own gochujang paste or ssamjang wrap sauce –- and congratulations on the impressive dedication! — a food processor will also save you from having to mash everything by hand with a mortar and pestle.

It's worth pointing out that a blender and a food processor aren't entirely interchangeable. A blender is great for condiments that are more liquid-based and for getting an extra smooth consistency. However, they're not as effective for cutting through tougher ingredients, and a food processor is typically better when you're working with larger batches.

If you don't already own any, you should look into purchasing a set of digital kitchen scales, which are one of the most useful kitchen tools you can own. Since Korean BBQ features some pretty intense flavors, you want to delicately balance the ingredients to avoid your recipes tasting too salty, tangy, or spicy. Using a scale to measure out your ingredients is a much more accurate approach than relying on volume or guesswork.

Digital kitchen scales are excellent for figuring out portion sizes, as well. The last thing you want is to find out you haven't prepared enough food for all your guests, after all, so you can use scales to ensure you've got enough meat, rice, and banchan ready to go. Preparing too much food isn't as problematic, though it's unfortunate if you have to let things go to waste. If you're hosting an ambitiously large Korean BBQ dinner party, scales can also help you scale up recipes to cater to more people.