Korean Ground Beef Bowl (Printable)

Savory ground beef in sweet-spicy sauce over steamed rice with fresh toppings. Ready in 25 minutes.

# What You'll Need:

→ Base

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, adjusted to taste
09 - 2 tsp rice vinegar
10 - 1 tbsp gochujang (Korean chili paste), optional

→ Toppings

11 - 2 green onions, sliced
12 - 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
13 - 1 carrot, julienned
14 - 1 small cucumber, thinly sliced
15 - Kimchi, for serving (optional)

# 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 or wooden spoon, until browned and cooked through, about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain any excess fat if necessary.
03 - Pour the prepared sauce over the browned beef and stir well to combine. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly and evenly coats the beef.
04 - Divide the cooked rice evenly among 4 bowls. Spoon the saucy 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 Tips:

01 -
  • Twenty five minutes from pantry to plate, which is faster than arguing about what to order for delivery.
  • The sauce is that perfect sweet savory spicy trifecta that makes you want to lick the skillet clean.
  • Leftovers reheat beautifully for lunch the next day, if you even have leftovers.
02 -
  • Do not walk away while the sauce simmers because it goes from perfectly thickened to burnt sugar in about thirty seconds of inattention.
  • Ground chicken or turkey works as a lighter swap, but you will want to add an extra splash of sesame oil since leaner meats need the help.
03 -
  • Toast your sesame seeds in a dry pan right before serving because the ones sitting in your pantry for months have gone flat and sleepy.
  • Use tamari instead of soy sauce if you need this gluten free, and the flavor difference is practically invisible once the sauce comes together.

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