Asian Korean Beef Bowls (Printable)
Quick, flavorful Korean-style beef bowls with seasoned meat, fresh vegetables, and punchy sauce over steamed rice
# What You’ll Need:
→ Beef
01 - 1 lb lean ground beef
→ Sauce
02 - 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
03 - 2 tbsp light brown sugar
04 - 1 tbsp sesame oil
05 - 4 garlic cloves, minced
06 - 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
07 - 1 tbsp gochujang or 1 tsp red pepper flakes
08 - 2 tsp rice vinegar
→ Rice and Bowls
09 - 1 1/2 cups jasmine or short-grain white rice
10 - 2 cups water
→ Toppings
11 - 2 medium carrots, julienned
12 - 1 small cucumber, thinly sliced
13 - 4 scallions, thinly sliced
14 - 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
15 - Kimchi (optional)
16 - Fresh cilantro (optional)
# Directions:
01 - Rinse rice under cold water until water runs clear. Combine rice and 2 cups water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 12–15 minutes until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed. Fluff with a fork before serving.
02 - Whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, minced garlic, grated ginger, gochujang, and rice vinegar in a small bowl until sugar dissolves and mixture is well combined.
03 - Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and cook, breaking up with a spatula, until browned throughout, approximately 5 minutes. Drain excess fat if desired.
04 - Pour the prepared sauce over the browned beef. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2–3 minutes until beef is evenly coated and sauce thickens slightly.
05 - Divide steamed rice among 4 bowls. Top each portion with beef mixture, julienned carrots, sliced cucumber, scallions, and sesame seeds. Add kimchi and cilantro if desired. Serve immediately.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The sauce comes together faster than you can chop vegetables and transforms basic ground beef into something restaurant worthy
- Leftovers taste even better the next day when the flavors have had time to really settle in
02 -
- Ground turkey works surprisingly well here but you will need an extra teaspoon of sesame oil to compensate for less natural fat
- The sauce thickens quickly once it hits the hot beef so have your vegetables prepped before you start cooking
03 -
- Toast your sesame seeds in a dry pan for 2 minutes before sprinkling them on top
- Double the sauce recipe and keep half in an airtight container for future bowls