Costco's Bulgogi Bake Is An International Fave, But What Is It?

Costco is a beloved wholesaler here in America, famed across the country (except Rhode Island, West Virginia, and Wyoming where it has no warehouses) for its excellent prices and delicious food court menu. But America isn't the only country with a love for the $1.50 hot dog meal. Warehouses are also spread across nearly every continent.

And just like McDonalds with its laundry list of international-only menu offerings, so too does Costco offer exclusive items depending on the region. One of the chain's best international-only offerings is the bulgogi bake, reportedly available in parts of China, and Japan. It was once on the Costco food court menu in South Korea, but was replaced with a pork bake. The star of the bulgogi bake is the thinly sliced, sweetly marinated beef, but it's enhanced by gooey mozzerella and a nice bite of green onion.

It's somewhat similar to the chicken bake you can get here in the States, actually, in that both are baked into a tube of dough and contain meat and cheese. If you've visited an international Costco location and tried the bulgogi bake and craving hits back home, luckily, you can make a copycat in your own kitchen.

To start your copycat, you'll need some pizza dough for the tube, cut into rectangles. You can make the bake as big or small as you want, depending on if you want a proper meal or just a snack. When you start stuffing, though, be careful not to overfill. You still need to wrap it up.

You can make your own bulgogi if you want, though you could also grab some ready-made bulgogi at Costco or elsewhere. Otherwise, the stuffing appears to be just the meat, some mozzarella, and green onions. Make sure not to go too hard on the green onion, you don't want to overpower the bulgogi. If you want to make it your own, consider tossing some kimchi in there too, and maybe some pickled radish. You could also toss in little pieces of mushroom with the bulgogi for an umami boost.

Finally, to finish the bake, roll it up a bit like a burrito, tucking the fold underneath. Then give it a quick brush of butter and a sprinkling of mozzarella (or whatever other cheese you're using), and let it bake. When its done, do your best to let the homemade bulgogi bake cool before you dig in.