4 Korean-Style Recipes to Cook on a Camping Griddle

Camping season is upon us and that means it’s time to dust off the camping gear and start planning, including what meals you’re going to have at the campsite. My parents used to take my siblings and me RVing to national parks. The most memorable part, aside from seeing the national wonders, was always the food.

Mom and dad would cook up the best Korean dishes that would inevitably lead campground neighbors to our campsite asking what we were cooking. The aromas of grilled meats on the camping griddle like pork belly, marinated beef, vegetables, and kimchi were hard to resist. And I think most people are surprised by the variety of Korean dishes that can be made at the campsite.

As most outdoor enthusiasts know, food always tastes better outdoors. Korean food particularly tastes amazing while sitting around a campfire. The smokey smell and all of the flavors meld together perfectly.

To recreate some of my favorite dishes, I fired up the Blackstone Griddle which has been a practical addition to our RV cooking lineup. There’s a lot of real estate on that griddle top so it’s a great way to cook for a crowd or make meals to last a few days. Plus the powerful, adjustable heat allows me to sear, saute, fry, and keep food warm. There really is no limit to what you can cook on a flat top griddle.

Here are four easy, delicious Korean-style recipes that you can cook on a griddle. Acquire your own griddle for your campsite and save these recipes for your next trip.

Trout Bulgogi Bowl

Bulgogi marinade is a staple in Korean cooking. It’s typically used for Korean beef barbecue but translates deliciously with other meats and vegetables. The trout bulgogi bowl is a rewarding meal for our family after a long day of fishing as a family on Lake Superior. Nothing beats fresh fish on the camping griddle. You can also buy steelhead trout at many grocery stores but you can easily swap out trout for salmon. Some of the ingredients you’ll want to cook ahead of time like the sushi rice and steamed soybeans.

Yield: 5

Prep: 30 minutes

Cook: 20 minutes

Total: 50 minutes

Ingredients:

• 3 cups sushi rice, cooked according to package. A pressure cooker makes quick work of this.
• 2 cups baby Bella mushrooms, sliced
• 3 mini cucumbers, sliced
• 2 cups broccoli florets, blanched
• 2 cups shelled soybeans, steamed
• 2 avocados, halved and sliced vertically
• 1 steelhead trout fillet (1.75-2 lb), boneless and skin on
• Olive oil

Trout Marinade:

• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon cooking wine
• 5 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon minced or powdered ginger
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Optional:

• Gochujang sauce

Instructions:

1. Mix maple syrup, brown sugar, cooking wine, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, black pepper, and sesame seeds together in a big bowl.
2. Chop trout fillet into 2-inch wide pieces, add fish to marinade bowl and drench fillets with sauce. Let fillets marinate in the RV fridge or cooler for at least 30 minutes.
3. Fire up the griddle to medium-high heat and drizzle on olive oil.
4. Add trout fillets to griddle, skin-side up and cook for 5 minutes. Be sure to save some of the leftover marinade! Turn the fish over and cook for another 4 minutes or until the skin is crisp. Remove from griddle.
5. Add baby Bella mushrooms and blanched broccoli to the griddle and drizzle the extra marinade on top. Saute broccoli for a minute and remove. Saute baby Bella mushrooms until tender and remove.
6. Get a bowl of rice and add the toppings: cucumbers, broccoli florets, steamed soybeans, avocados, mushrooms, and trout fillet. To add a kick, drizzle on some gochujang sauce. Enjoy!

Bulgogi Juicy Lucy

This is my go-to hamburger seasoning. This isn’t an authentic Korean recipe by any means but it does use the classic bulgogi marinade which is so versatile. It will transform your burger experience into something spectacular. But we’re going one step further by making this burger a juicy lucy and stuffing the patty with a cheesy, savory mix of mushrooms and onions which are common ingredients when making traditional Korean bulgogi barbecue.

Yield: 4

Prep: 30 minutes

Cook: 20 minutes

Total: 50 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs lean ground beef
• ½ large onion, diced
• 1 cup baby Bella mushrooms, diced
• 5 cheddar cheese cubes
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon cooking wine
• 5 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon minced or powdered ginger
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• Canola oil

Instructions:

1. Preheat griddle to medium-high.
2. In a large bowl, mix brown sugar, cooking wine, soy sauce, sesame oil, minced garlic, ginger, and black pepper. Mix in ground beef and marinate in the RV fridge or cooler for 30 minutes.
3. Drizzle olive oil on the griddle and saute mushrooms and onions until tender and caramelized. Remove from griddle.
4. Separate ground beef evenly into five balls. Split each ball in half and form two burger patties that are about a ½ inch thick.
5. Make an indent in the center of one half of a burger patty, place a tablespoon of mushroom and onion mixture into patty along with one cheese cube.
6. Place other patty over the top and press gently to connect patties. Pinch edges of patties together to seal. Repeat until all of the burgers are made.
7. Drizzle olive oil on the griddle and put patties on hot griddle. Cook for 5 minutes on each side. Let burger sit for 10 minutes.
8. Serve on a toasted bun and enjoy!

Korean BBQ Quesadilla

This Korean twist on the quesadilla is not your typical quesadilla. The Korean BBQ Quesadilla is packed with flavor thanks to the savory beef, caramelized onions, and melted cheese. It’s then topped with pico de gallo. A griddle is perfect for making quesadillas because of its large, flat, evenly heated surface. Quesadillas are also an easy, quick meal to make and one that can be saved and reheated later. Adults and kids both love it. My kids love to help make it by topping the tortillas with extra cheese and toppings.

Yield: 4

Prep: 30 minutes

Cook: 5 minutes

Total: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 burrito flour tortillas
• 2 cups beef round eye, thinly sliced into bite-size pieces
• ½ large onion, cut into strips
• 3 cups shredded Mexican-blend cheese
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon cooking wine
• 5 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon minced or powdered ginger
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• Canola oil

Optional:

• Pico de Gallo
• Guacamole
• Sour cream
• Hot sauce

Instructions:

1. Mix brown sugar, cooking wine, soy sauce, sesame oil, minced garlic, ginger, and black pepper in a large bowl. Add beef and onions. Then, marinate in the RV fridge or cooler for 30 minutes.
2. Fire up the griddle to medium-high heat and drizzle on canola oil.
3. Saute beef and onions until there’s no more pink in the beef. Avoid overcooking to keep beef tender. Remove from heat.
4. Spray some more oil and put two tortillas on top. Top half of each tortilla with cheese, beef, and onion mixture, add more cheese, and fold over tortilla.
5. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side.
6. Remove from heat and cut into triangle pieces. To give it some more flavor and kick, top with pico de gallo, guacamole, sour cream, and your favorite hot sauce.

Seafood Pajun

Seafood pajun is a savory Korean pancake made with green onions and a mixture of seafood. It’s not fluffy like a typical breakfast pancake but rather crispy on the outside and soft on the inside and thin. The seafood mixture usually comes frozen with shrimp, mussels, calamari, and scallops. The pancake is called “Korean pancake mix” (real original) or buchimgaru and it gives these pancakes a crispy texture and more flavor. You can find it in most Korean grocery stores or online. We’ve enjoyed seafood pajun as a snack, as an appetizer, and as a main course meal. The bigger the better with these savory pancakes. We usually make them 10+ inches wide so the griddle is the perfect tool to cook this dish.

Yield: 4

Prep: 15 minutes

Cook: 20 minutes

Total: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

• 5 cups Korean pancake mix
• 5 cups water
• 1 cup mixed seafood, usually comes frozen but be sure to thaw and chop up
• 2 bunches of green onions or about 15 sprigs, shredded vertically
• Vegetable oil

Dipping Sauce:

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon sugar

Instructions:

1. Mix Korean pancake mix and water in a large mixing bowl until smooth. Add in chopped seafood and half of the green onions.
2. Preheat the griddle to medium-high heat and drizzle vegetable oil.
3. Pour ½ cup of batter mixture onto the griddle and spread evenly in a circle so that pancake is 10 inches wide. If you have room on your griddle, you can make two at a time.
4. Add extra scallions on top of the pajun and press into batter. Drizzle on extra batter over the green onions. Cook until bottom is golden brown and crisp.
5. Turn pajun over and add more oil around the edges. Cook until bottom is golden brown and crisp.
6. Mix together soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and sugar in a small bowl for the dipping sauce.
7. Eat hot off the griddle and dip in dipping sauce.

We use our Blackstone tabletop griddle whether we’re on the road or at home. Pick up your own gas grill and griddle at Camping World. These recipes can be created on any flat top griddle including a griddle pan, electric griddle, or gas griddle. I hope these Korean-style dishes inspire you to think outside the box and cook something creative and new the next time you fire up the griddle!