Korean Ground Beef Bowl (Print Version)
Savory ground beef in sweet-spicy Korean sauce over steamed rice with fresh crunchy toppings. Ready in 25 minutes.
# What You'll Need:
→ Main
01 - 1 lb lean ground beef
02 - 2 cups cooked jasmine or short-grain rice
→ Sauce
03 - 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
04 - 2 tbsp brown sugar
05 - 1 tbsp sesame oil
06 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
08 - 1/2–1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (to taste)
09 - 2 tsp rice vinegar
10 - 1 tbsp gochujang (Korean chili paste; optional for extra spice)
→ Toppings
11 - 2 green onions, sliced
12 - 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
13 - 1 carrot, julienned
14 - 1 small cucumber, thinly sliced
15 - Kimchi (optional, for serving)
# How to Make It:
01 - In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, minced garlic, grated ginger, red pepper flakes, rice vinegar, and gochujang if using. Set aside.
02 - Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it apart with a spatula, until browned and cooked through, about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain excess fat if needed.
03 - Pour the prepared sauce over the browned beef, stirring well to combine. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly and evenly coats the beef.
04 - Divide the cooked rice among 4 serving bowls. Spoon the Korean ground beef mixture over each portion of rice.
05 - Top each bowl with sliced green onions, toasted sesame seeds, julienned carrot, thinly sliced cucumber, and kimchi if desired. Serve immediately.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The sauce hits every note at once, sweet, savory, spicy, and a little tangy, and you probably have most of the ingredients already.
- It scales effortlessly from a solo weeknight meal to a crowd pleasing dinner with almost zero extra effort.
02 -
- Drain the fat from the beef before adding the sauce or your beautiful glaze will turn into a greasy puddle.
- Taste the sauce before pouring it over the meat because adjusting sweetness or heat at that stage is far easier than trying to fix it after.
03 -
- Toast your sesame seeds in a dry pan for one minute and you will never go back to using them raw again.
- Let the beef sit without stirring for thirty seconds at a time during cooking because those crispy browned bits are where the best flavor lives.