Korean Ground Beef Bowl (Printable)
Savory ground beef in sweet-spicy soy glaze over steamed rice with fresh 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 to 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
09 - 2 tsp rice vinegar
10 - 1 tbsp gochujang (Korean chili paste)
→ 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
# Steps:
01 - In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, minced garlic, grated ginger, red pepper flakes, rice vinegar, and gochujang until smooth and well combined. 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, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Drain any excess fat if necessary.
03 - Pour the prepared sauce over the browned beef, stirring thoroughly to coat. Reduce the heat slightly and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until the sauce thickens and clings to the beef.
04 - Divide the cooked rice evenly among 4 bowls. Spoon the saucy Korean ground beef 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 while hot.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The sauce caramelizes onto the beef in minutes, creating glaze that tastes like you spent hours at the stove.
- It stretches one pound of beef into four generous bowls, making it as kind to your wallet as it is to your schedule.
02 -
- Do not walk away from the pan once the sauce goes in because the sugar can go from caramelized to burnt in under a minute.
- Mixing the sauce before you start cooking means you can pour it in one swift motion without scrambling while the beef sits over high heat.
03 -
- Let the beef sit undisturbed for the first two minutes of cooking so it actually browns instead of steaming in its own juices.
- Toasting the sesame seeds in the same skillet after draining the fat picks up all the leftover flavor and saves you a pan.