How much sugar is in bulgogi sauce? A nutritional deep dive.

November 5, 2025 •

5 min read

According to nutritional data from Sempio, a single 18-gram serving of their bulgogi sauce can contain 7 grams of sugar. Understanding how much sugar is in bulgogi sauce is key for those monitoring their intake, as the sweet and savory flavor can often mask a surprising amount of added sweeteners.

Quick Summary

Bulgogi sauce's sugar content varies significantly by brand and recipe, with commercial versions potentially containing high levels of added sweeteners. Comparing labels, exploring different brands, and making low-sugar homemade alternatives offers greater nutritional control.

Key Points

Check Labels for Added Sugars: Commercial bulgogi sauces vary widely in sugar content; focus on the 'Added Sugars' line on the nutrition label to understand the product's nutritional impact.
Homemade Offers Control: Making bulgogi sauce at home allows for complete customization and the use of natural, low-sugar sweeteners like fruit purées, monk fruit, or stevia.
Sugar Source Matters: Traditional recipes use fruit like Asian pear for sweetness and tenderizing, while many store-bought brands use high-fructose corn syrup.
Practice Portion Control: Even with homemade sauce, being mindful of the quantity used as a marinade or glaze helps manage sugar intake.
Explore Other Sauces: While other Korean sauces like gochujang and ssamjang are also flavorful, be sure to check their labels, as some may also contain a good amount of sugar.
Compare by 100g: When comparing different brands, use the 'per 100g' value on the nutrition label to account for differing serving sizes.

Why Is Bulgogi Sauce So Sweet?

Bulgogi, which translates to "fire meat," is a popular Korean dish known for its uniquely sweet and savory flavor profile. The sauce, which is essentially a marinade, is the star of the show. Its characteristic sweetness comes from a blend of ingredients designed to both flavor and tenderize the meat. While traditionally derived from natural sources like grated Asian pear or apple, commercial sauces often rely on more potent and less expensive sweeteners such as white sugar, brown sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, and glucose-fructose syrup. The combination of these sweetening agents with savory soy sauce, aromatic garlic and ginger, and nutty sesame oil creates the rich, complex taste that makes bulgogi so irresistible. However, this reliance on sugar, particularly in store-bought versions, is a key reason for its high sugar content.

Sugar Content: Comparing Store-Bought Bulgogi Sauces

When shopping for bulgogi sauce, you'll find a significant range in sugar content depending on the brand. Examining nutritional labels is crucial for making an informed choice, especially if you are on a low-sugar diet. The stated serving size, often just a single tablespoon (around 15-20g), can be misleading, as most recipes call for far more than that to properly marinate meat.

Here’s a look at the sugar content for some popular brands, based on nutritional information available:

Sempio Bulgogi Sauce: A serving of 18g (approx. 1 tbsp) contains 7g of sugar. This is a notable amount for a single tablespoon, and it can add up quickly if you're marinating a larger quantity of meat.
Beksul Bulgogi Sauce for Beef: Reports from MyNetDiary indicate this sauce has 10g of total sugars per serving. While the exact serving size isn't always standardized in online data, this highlights the variability.
CJ Bibigo Mild & Sweet Bulgogi Sauce: A more comprehensive view reveals that per 100g, this product contains 33.8g of sugar. A typical marinade for a pound of meat might use half a cup or more, making the overall sugar contribution substantial.
Ottogi Korean BBQ Bulgogi Marinade Sauce: According to Eat This Much, a 40g serving (over 2 tablespoons) contains 14g of sugar. This is a good example of how varying serving sizes can complicate comparison.

Factors Influencing Sugar Levels

Several factors contribute to the sugar levels in commercial bulgogi sauces:

Flavor Profile: "Mild & Sweet" versions, like the one from Bibigo, are explicitly designed to be sweeter, driving up their sugar content.
Added Sweeteners: Many brands use high-fructose corn syrup and other added sugars to achieve the desired sweetness, which can be less healthy than natural fruit sugars.
Preservatives: Sugar also acts as a preservative, extending the shelf life of the bottled sauce.

Homemade vs. Store-Bought Bulgogi Sauce: A Sugar Comparison

Making your own bulgogi sauce provides the ultimate control over its ingredients, especially the amount of sugar. You can substitute, reduce, or eliminate sweeteners to fit your dietary needs without sacrificing flavor.


Feature	Homemade Bulgogi Sauce	Store-Bought Bulgogi Sauce
Sugar Source	Controlled; typically brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, or fruit purees.	Often includes high-fructose corn syrup, glucose-fructose syrup, and processed sugars.
Sweetness Level	Adjustable to personal preference; can be significantly reduced or replaced with low-calorie sweeteners.	Fixed by the manufacturer; often formulated for maximum sweetness to appeal to a wide audience.
Tenderizing Agent	Often uses grated pear or kiwi, which contain natural enzymes.	May use fruit purees, but some commercial versions may rely on other additives.
Cost	Potentially lower cost, especially if using pantry staples.	Priced based on brand and size; can be a costlier option over time.
Freshness	Made on demand, containing fresh, non-processed ingredients.	Can contain additives and preservatives for extended shelf life.
Nutritional Profile	Complete control over sodium and sugar.	Sodium and sugar content are predetermined and can be very high.

Tips for Reducing Sugar in Your Bulgogi Diet

To enjoy the delicious flavors of bulgogi while minimizing your sugar intake, consider these practical tips:

Make Your Own Sauce: This is the most effective method. Experiment with low-sugar options like grated Asian pear or kiwi, which provide both sweetness and natural enzymes to tenderize the meat, as well as sweeteners like monk fruit, erythritol, or stevia.
Adjust Fruit Ratio: When using fruit purée, you can reduce the amount or use less-sweet fruits to cut down on sugar.
Dilute Store-Bought Sauce: If you must use a pre-made sauce, try diluting it with a small amount of soy sauce, rice vinegar, or water to extend its volume without adding more sugar.
Check Ingredient Lists: Look for sauces that list sugar or high-fructose corn syrup further down the ingredient list. The ingredients are ordered by weight, so those at the beginning are the most prevalent.
Practice Portion Control: Be mindful of how much sauce you are using. Even with a lower-sugar sauce, over-marinating can increase your sugar intake.
Use as a Finishing Glaze: Instead of marinating for hours, use a minimal amount of sauce and apply it as a glaze during the last few minutes of cooking to control the amount you consume.

Decoding Nutritional Labels for Sugar

Understanding how to read a food label is essential for managing your sugar intake. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and similar international bodies require that labels list both 'Total Sugars' and 'Added Sugars'.

Total Sugars: This number includes both naturally occurring sugars (from fruits like pear) and added sugars.

Added Sugars: This is the most important number for health-conscious consumers. It shows how many grams of sugar were added during processing. The FDA recommends limiting added sugars to no more than 10% of your total daily calories. A product with a high percentage of the Daily Value (%DV) for added sugars (e.g., 20% or more) is considered high in sugar.

When comparing products, always use the 'per 100g' column to standardize your comparison, as serving sizes vary between brands.

What About Other Korean Sauces?

For those seeking alternatives, it's helpful to compare bulgogi sauce to other common Korean condiments:

Gochujang: A fermented chili paste that is spicy, savory, and also sweet. Its sugar content can be high, but it offers a different flavor profile. Some recipes may call for less volume than bulgogi sauce, depending on the desired heat level.
Ssamjang: A thicker, savory dipping sauce made from gochujang and doenjang (fermented soybean paste). While it has a different flavor, its sugar content should still be checked.
Teriyaki Sauce: A Japanese sauce that shares similarities with bulgogi sauce due to its soy and sugar base. However, teriyaki often includes more mirin and sake, and typically omits the pear or fruit component found in bulgogi.

Conclusion: Navigating Sweetness for Healthier Nutrition

While delicious, bulgogi sauce can be a significant source of added sugar, especially in its bottled, store-bought form. By taking a closer look at nutrition labels and understanding the difference between commercial and homemade options, you can maintain better control over your sugar consumption. For the most nutritionally sound choice, crafting your own sauce allows you to balance the traditional sweet and savory flavors with healthy sweeteners or natural fruit purees. With these strategies, you can enjoy the classic taste of bulgogi without an excessive sugar intake, making it a sustainable part of your nutritional diet.

To explore more about healthy ingredient substitutions, consider checking out resources on reading food labels and managing added sugar intake.

Frequently Asked Questions

Bulgogi sauce gets its high sugar content from a combination of ingredients, including brown sugar, white sugar, and fruit purees like apple and pear. This sweetness is essential to the classic sweet-and-savory flavor profile of the dish, and commercial sauces often use corn syrups to achieve this taste.

Yes, you can easily make a low-sugar bulgogi sauce at home by replacing traditional sweeteners with alternatives like monk fruit sweetener, stevia, or even adjusting the ratio of grated fruit to control the sweetness.

To check the sugar content, look at the Nutrition Facts label on the package. The label lists "Total Sugars" and, importantly, "Added Sugars." Pay close attention to the ingredient list; the closer sugar is to the beginning of the list, the more prevalent it is in the sauce.

The amount of sugar in a tablespoon of bulgogi sauce varies by brand. For instance, a serving from Sempio (18g) contains 7g of sugar, while the Ottogi brand has 14g of sugar in a 40g serving. Always check the specific product label.

Both bulgogi and teriyaki are soy and sugar-based, but bulgogi traditionally uses grated Asian pear or kiwi for natural sweetness and tenderizing, while teriyaki often includes more mirin and sake and does not contain the same fruit components.

In addition to added sugars, many bulgogi sauce recipes and some commercial versions use fruit purees, such as pear or apple, which provide a natural source of sugar and enzymes that help tenderize the meat.

To reduce sugar, you can use less sauce overall or use a low-sugar homemade recipe. For store-bought sauce, try using it more as a finishing glaze rather than a long-duration marinade to limit how much is absorbed by the meat and consumed.