Sweet & spicy Korean Beef Bowls! These bowls are packed with delicious flavor and ready in 20 minutes or less. The perfect balance of savory, sweet, and spicy… and delicious with or without all your favorite toppings!
Do you ever get into a dinnertime rut? (I mean… don’t we all?!) Well, I was in one recently, feeling like I had been cycling through the same handful of recipes for far too long. So I decided it was time to mix things up… with these Korean Beef Bowls!
They’re an easy “cheater” version of Bulgogi, which is a traditional Korean dish. And when I say easy… I mean easy! They take less than 20 minutes to make, require only one pan, and quite literally have it ALL. The savory, the sweet, and the spicy!
One of the things I love MOST about this recipe is how easy these bowls are to customize. You can balance out the flavors according to your tastes… and the topping possibilities are endless.
I topped mine with sliced cucumbers, carrots, and spicy peppers, but they would also be delicious with avocado, spicy mayo, sliced red pepper, cabbage, or any of your favorites.
what you’ll need for this recipe
Ground beef – 1 pound lean ground beef. I’ve made this recipe with 93% lean and 90% lean beef and it’s delicious both ways. You can also substitute ground turkey or chicken if you prefer.
Garlic & ginger – Fresh minced garlic and ginger infuse the beef with tons of amazing flavor. I used 4 large garlic cloves and 1 heaping Tablespoon of fresh minced ginger. Feel free to adjust the amounts to taste.
Sauces & seasonings – A combination of sweet, savory and spicy seasonings make this beef so flavorful you don’t need any additional sauce. I used soy sauce, brown sugar, sriracha, rice vinegar, fish sauce, red pepper flakes, and sesame oil.
Green onions & sesame seeds – Fresh sliced green onions and sesame seeds add flavor and texture to the beef. Use toasted or un-toasted sesame seeds.
Garnishes – For garnishes, I added thinly sliced cucumber, matchstick carrots, spicy fresno pepper, and additional sliced green onions. See my “recipe variations” below for more garnish ideas.
how to make korean beef bowls
Brown the meat. In a medium skillet over medium heat, brown and crumble the ground beef.
Add the flavor. Add the minced garlic and minced ginger and sauté until fragrant. Add the remaining seasonings and cook until the meat absorbs some of the sauce. Stir in the green onions and sesame oil.
Serve over rice; garnish as desired. Serve over rice, cauliflower rice, or on its own. Garnish with sliced cucumbers, carrots, spicy peppers, or any garnishes you enjoy!
Tips for Success
Use fresh ingredients – Seriously, fresh ginger and garlic make a HUGE difference in this recipe. They add such great flavor to the meat… I would only use ground versions in a pinch.
Adjust the flavor profile – Easily adjust the sweetness, the salt level, or the spice level by adding more or less of certain ingredients. This recipe really is for everyone!
Wait on the sesame oil – Add the sesame at the end, when you stir in the green onions. This helps preserve the delicious sesame flavor.
Switch up the garnishes – We love doing a build your own Korean Beef Bowl Bar so everyone can choose the garnishes they like!
Recipe Variations
- Substitute ground turkey or ground chicken for the ground beef
- Use honey as a sweetener in place of brown sugar
- Substitute gochujang sauce for the sriracha sauce
- Use garlic powder and ground ginger instead of fresh minced garlic and ginger
- Adjust the sweetness and the spice level according to taste
- Serve over cauliflower rice for a low carb option
- Add additional garnishes, such as avocado, cabbage, or sliced red pepper
- Top with a fried egg
storing & reheating
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. To reheat, transfer to a small skillet and add 1-2 Tablespoons of water. Heat over medium heat until warmed through. Garnish as desired and enjoy on its own or over rice.
More Delicious Bowl Recipes
We love turning our favorite foods into bowls! These are some more of our favorites:
Korean Beef Bowl
Ingredients
- 4 cups rice
Beef
- 1 Tablespoon oil
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 Tablespoon fresh ginger minced
- 3 Tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon sriracha
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- 4 green onions sliced
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
Garnishes
- 2 green onions sliced
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
- 1/2 cup cucumbers sliced
- 1/2 cup matchstick carrots
- 1 fresno pepper OR jalapeño OR serrano, sliced
Instructions
- Heat 1 Tablespoon oil in a medium skillet over medium heat.
- Add the ground beef and cook until browned and crumbled, about 6-7 minutes.
- Add 4 cloves minced garlic and 1 Tablespoon minced ginger. Cook, stirring, 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
- Add 3 Tablespoons soy sauce, 2 Tablespoons brown sugar, 1 Tablespoon rice vinegar, 1 Tablespoon sriracha, 1 teaspoon fish sauce, and 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring, until meat has absorbed some of the sauce.
- Stir in 4 sliced green onions and 1 teaspoon sesame oil and cook 1 minute more.
- Remove from heat; serve over rice and garnish with sesame seeds, additional green onions, sliced cucumbers, carrots, peppers, or garnishes of your choice.
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