Korean Ground Beef Bowl (Print Page)

Savory ground beef in sweet-spicy Korean sauce served over steamed rice with fresh toppings.

# What You Need:

→ Base

01 - 1 pound lean ground beef
02 - 2 cups cooked jasmine or short-grain white rice

→ Sauce

03 - 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
04 - 2 tablespoons brown sugar
05 - 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
06 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
08 - 1/2 to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, adjusted to taste
09 - 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
10 - 1 tablespoon gochujang (Korean chili paste), optional

→ Toppings

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

# Directions:

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 evenly 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 thoroughly to combine. Let the mixture simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly and evenly coats the beef.
04 - Divide the cooked rice evenly among 4 serving bowls. Spoon the saucy ground beef mixture over each portion of rice.
05 - Top each bowl with sliced green onions, toasted sesame seeds, julienned carrot, cucumber slices, and kimchi if desired. Serve immediately while hot.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The sauce comes together in about two minutes and tastes like you spent way longer on it.
  • You probably have most of these ingredients in your kitchen right now.
  • It reheats beautifully for lunch the next day if you are lucky enough to have leftovers.
  • Everyone at the table can customize their own bowl with whatever toppings they like.
02 -
  • Do not walk away from the stove once you add the sauce because the sugar can go from caramelized to burnt very quickly.
  • Drain the beef if there is a lot of rendered fat, otherwise the sauce will be greasy instead of silky.
03 -
  • Press the beef flat into the pan and let it cook without stirring for two minutes to get real caramelization and texture.
  • Make a double batch of the sauce and keep half in the fridge for stir-fries later in the week.

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