Authentic Seolleongtang Recipe (Korean Ox Bone Soup)

Seolleongtang (설렁탕) is a traditional Korean ox bone soup known for its rich, milky-white broth. Beef bones are cleaned carefully and boiled for many hours until fat, proteins, collagen, and other components from the bones create the soup's characteristic creamy appearance and deeply savory flavor.

Unlike many Korean soups, seolleongtang is intentionally seasoned very lightly—or not seasoned at all—during cooking. Salt, black pepper, chopped green onions, and sometimes garlic are served at the table so each person can season their own bowl.

This authentic seolleongtang recipe takes time, but most of that time is hands-off simmering. The key is careful preparation of the bones and patience.

Prep Time: 1–2 hours
Cook Time: 8–10 hours
Total Time: About 10–12 hours
Servings: 6–8

1. What Is Seolleongtang?

Seolleongtang is a Korean soup made by boiling beef bones—traditionally ox leg bones and other beef bones—for many hours until the broth becomes cloudy, creamy, and almost white.

It is often translated as Korean ox bone soup or Korean beef bone soup.

The broth itself is deliberately mild. Instead of heavily seasoning the entire pot, diners traditionally add salt, black pepper, and chopped green onions directly to their bowls.

Thin slices of cooked beef are often added, and the soup is usually served with steamed rice and kimchi or kkakdugi.

The contrast is important: the soup is mild, rich, and soothing, while fermented kimchi adds salt, acidity, and spice.

2. Korean Kitchen Note

Seolleongtang has long been associated with Seoul and is one of Korea's best-known traditional beef soups.

It is commonly eaten as a filling breakfast, lunch, or dinner and is especially comforting during cold weather.

One of the most distinctive parts of the seolleongtang experience is that the soup usually arrives at the table relatively under-seasoned.

Instead of the cook deciding the final salt level, each diner adds salt, pepper, and green onions according to personal preference.

Many Koreans also add their rice directly to the soup rather than eating it separately.

And if there is one side dish that belongs naturally beside seolleongtang, it is kkakdugi—crunchy Korean radish kimchi. The spicy, fermented radish cuts through the richness of the beef broth beautifully.

3. Ingredients

For approximately 6–8 servings:

For the Bone Broth

• 1.5 kg (about 3.3 lb) beef leg bones or marrow bones
• 1 kg (about 2.2 lb) beef knuckle or joint bones
• Water, enough to cover the bones generously

For the Beef

• 500 g (about 1.1 lb) beef brisket or flank
• 1/2 large Korean radish or daikon, optional
• 1 medium onion, optional

For Serving

• Finely chopped green onions
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Minced garlic, optional
• Cooked Korean short-grain rice
• Kkakdugi or baechu kimchi
• Cooked somyeon noodles, optional

4. Global Ingredient Substitution Guide

Ox Leg Bones

You do not need bones specifically labeled “ox bones.” In modern grocery stores, beef leg bones, marrow bones, knuckle bones, and joint bones can all be used.

A combination of marrow-rich bones and collagen-rich joint bones produces an especially rich broth.

Ask a butcher for beef soup bones, marrow bones, or knuckle bones.

Beef Brisket

Brisket is traditional and slices beautifully after simmering.

Beef flank, chuck, or another cut suitable for long moist cooking can also be used.

Korean Radish

Korean radish adds subtle sweetness when cooked with the beef.

Daikon is the easiest substitute outside Korea.

Somyeon

Thin Korean wheat noodles are sometimes added to restaurant-style seolleongtang.

Japanese somen works as a substitute, or the noodles can simply be omitted.

5. Step-by-Step: How to Make Seolleongtang

Step 1. Soak the Beef Bones

Place the beef bones in a very large bowl or stockpot and cover completely with cold water.

Soak for at least 1 hour, and preferably several hours if the bones contain a lot of residual blood.

Change the water once or twice until it becomes noticeably clearer.

Rinse the bones thoroughly.

Step 2. Blanch the Bones

Place the soaked bones in a large stockpot and cover with fresh water.

Bring to a strong boil and cook for about 10 minutes.

The water will become gray or brown and foam will rise to the surface.

Drain the bones completely and discard this water.

Step 3. Wash the Bones and Pot

Rinse each bone under running water, removing any dark residue or loose material.

Clean the inside of the stockpot thoroughly as well.

This preparation helps prevent unpleasant flavors and keeps the finished soup tasting clean even though the broth itself will eventually become opaque.

Step 4. Begin the First Long Boil

Return the cleaned bones to the clean pot.

Add enough fresh water to cover the bones generously.

Bring to a strong boil, then maintain a steady medium to medium-high boil.

Unlike galbitang, where the goal is a clear broth, seolleongtang benefits from stronger boiling.

Continue cooking for approximately 3 hours, adding hot water as necessary to keep the bones submerged.

The liquid should gradually become cloudy and pale.

Step 5. Cook the Beef

Add the brisket, Korean radish, and onion during the first round of cooking.

Simmer the beef until tender, usually about 1 1/2 to 2 hours depending on thickness.

Remove the cooked beef before it becomes overly soft.

Cool it slightly and refrigerate until serving.

Remove the radish as well and reserve it if desired.

Step 6. Collect the First Broth

After the first long boiling period, carefully pour the milky broth through a strainer into a large heat-safe container.

Keep the bones in the pot.

Step 7. Boil the Bones Again

Cover the bones again with fresh water.

Bring to a strong boil and continue boiling for another 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

The second broth should again become cloudy and milky.

Strain this broth and combine it with the first batch.

Step 8. Repeat If Needed

If the bones still appear rich and the second broth developed good color, they can be boiled once more with fresh water for another 2 to 3 hours.

Combine the resulting broth with the previous batches.

There is no magic number of rounds. Continue while the bones still produce a flavorful, milky broth.

Step 9. Chill and Remove Excess Fat

Cool the combined broth safely and refrigerate it.

As the soup chills, beef fat will rise and solidify on the surface.

Remove as much or as little of the solidified fat as you prefer.

Step 10. Reheat and Serve

Slice the cooked brisket thinly across the grain.

Bring the broth back to a full simmer.

Place beef slices, optional noodles, and a little cooked rice in each serving bowl.

Ladle piping-hot seolleongtang over the top.

Serve with chopped green onions, salt, black pepper, and kimchi so each person can season the soup individually.

6. Korean Cook's Tips

Do not skip the first blanch. The gray blanching water contains blood, proteins, and residue you do not want in the final soup.

Clean the pot after blanching. Brown residue sticks to the sides and can affect the flavor of the fresh broth.

Do not confuse seolleongtang technique with galbitang technique. Galbitang is gently simmered to keep the broth clear. Seolleongtang is boiled more vigorously because cloudiness is the goal.

Add hot water when possible. If the broth level becomes too low, topping up with hot water minimizes interruption of the boil.

Remove the brisket when tender. The bones need many hours, but the meat does not.

Make a large batch. Considering the cooking time, seolleongtang makes more sense when prepared in quantity.

Freeze extra broth. Once cooled and portioned, the broth is extremely useful as a base for other Korean soups.

7. Nutrition Notes

Seolleongtang contains beef and long-cooked beef bone broth, but its exact nutritional composition varies significantly depending on the bones used, the amount of meat added, cooking time, and how much rendered fat is removed.

The sliced beef provides protein, iron, zinc, and vitamin B12.

The broth can contain gelatin and other components released from connective tissue during prolonged cooking.

However, it is best not to treat bone broth as a medicinal food or assume that longer cooking automatically makes it nutritionally superior.

Sodium is largely under the diner's control because traditional seolleongtang is minimally seasoned in the pot.

This makes it relatively easy to adjust salt according to individual preference.

8. Why It Works: Cooking Science

Why Does Seolleongtang Turn White?

The milky appearance does not come from milk, cream, or flour.

During prolonged boiling, fat and other components released from the bones become dispersed throughout the water.

The vigorous movement of boiling breaks fat into tiny droplets and helps keep them suspended in the liquid.

These microscopic suspended particles scatter light, causing the broth to appear pale and opaque.

Why Is Seolleongtang Boiled Harder Than Galbitang?

The goal of galbitang is a relatively clear broth, so excessive agitation is avoided.

For seolleongtang, opacity is desirable. More vigorous boiling encourages fat and proteins to disperse throughout the liquid, creating the characteristic milky appearance.

Why Boil the Bones More Than Once?

After the first broth is collected, the bones still contain compounds that can be extracted into fresh water.

Repeating the boiling process allows the cook to obtain additional broth rather than discarding bones after only one extraction.

Why Does the Soup Become Gelatinous When Cold?

Connective tissues contain collagen.

During prolonged moist cooking, some collagen converts to gelatin.

Gelatin disperses through the hot broth but can form a soft gel-like structure as the liquid cools.

A broth that firms slightly in the refrigerator is therefore normal.

9. What to Serve With Seolleongtang

The most traditional accompaniment is steamed Korean short-grain rice.

Many diners spoon rice directly into the bowl and eat it together with the broth.

Recommended side dishes include:

• Kkakdugi – Korean radish kimchi
• Baechu kimchi – Napa cabbage kimchi
• Fresh green chili peppers
• Simple Korean vegetable banchan

Kkakdugi is particularly important. Its crunchy texture, acidity, saltiness, and chili flavor contrast perfectly with the mild, fatty richness of seolleongtang.

10. Frequently Asked Questions

What is seolleongtang?

Seolleongtang is a traditional Korean beef bone soup made by boiling beef bones for many hours until the broth becomes rich, cloudy, and milky white.

Does seolleongtang contain milk?

No. Its white color comes entirely from prolonged boiling of beef bones and the dispersion of fat, proteins, gelatin, and other components in the broth.

Why isn't my seolleongtang white?

The most common reasons are insufficient cooking time, too gentle a simmer, too much water relative to the amount of bones, or bones that have already given up much of their extractable material.

How long should beef bones be boiled?

For a rich homemade seolleongtang, expect several hours per extraction. Many traditional home methods boil the same bones two or three times and combine the resulting broth.

Can I make seolleongtang in a pressure cooker?

A pressure cooker can significantly reduce cooking time and produce a rich beef bone broth, but the appearance and degree of emulsification may differ from a traditionally boiled version.

What is the difference between seolleongtang and gomtang?

The terms can overlap in everyday Korean usage, but seolleongtang is particularly associated with long-boiled beef bones and a cloudy, milky broth. Many gomtang styles emphasize meat and produce a clearer broth.

What is the difference between seolleongtang and galbitang?

Galbitang is made primarily with beef short ribs and is valued for its clear broth. Seolleongtang is based on long-boiled beef bones and is intentionally cloudy and milky.

Why is seolleongtang served without much salt?

Traditionally, the broth is kept relatively mild so diners can season their own bowls with salt, pepper, and green onions.

Can seolleongtang be frozen?

Yes. Cool the broth completely, divide it into airtight freezer-safe containers, and freeze in practical portions. Add fresh green onions and seasoning after reheating.

11. More Korean Recipes

If you enjoy traditional Korean soups, try these recipes next:

• Galbitang – Korean Beef Short Rib Soup
• Kkori Gomtang – Korean Oxtail Soup
• Yukgaejang – Korean Spicy Beef Soup
• Miyeokguk – Korean Seaweed Soup with Beef
• Soegogi Muguk – Korean Beef and Radish Soup
• Samgyetang – Korean Ginseng Chicken Soup

12. Key Takeaways

Authentic seolleongtang is defined by its rich, milky-white beef bone broth, not by complicated seasoning.

The essential method is to soak the bones, blanch them, rinse them thoroughly, clean the pot, and then boil the bones for several hours in fresh water.

For an even richer broth, collect the first batch, add fresh water to the same bones, and boil them again before combining the batches.

The cloudy color is completely natural and comes from components released from the beef bones becoming dispersed throughout the vigorously boiling broth.

Serve seolleongtang piping hot with sliced beef, rice, chopped green onions, salt, black pepper, and plenty of kkakdugi for one of Korea's most iconic comforting soups.