Korean Ground Beef Bowl (Printable)

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

# 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 tablespoons brown sugar
05 - 1 tablespoon sesame oil
06 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
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, sliced
12 - 1 tablespoon 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, until browned and cooked through, about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain excess fat if needed.
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 among 4 serving bowls. Spoon the Korean ground beef mixture generously 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 -
  • The sauce comes together in about sixty seconds and tastes like something from a restaurant kitchen.
  • It scales effortlessly whether you are feeding yourself or a table of four.
02 -
  • Do not walk away while the sauce simmers because it can go from perfectly thickened to burnt in under a minute.
  • Cooking the rice ahead of time and letting it cool slightly helps the grains separate and absorb the sauce better.
03 -
  • Toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan for about thirty seconds until golden and fragrant, it makes a surprising difference.
  • Let the beef sit undisturbed for the first minute of cooking so it can develop a proper crust before you start breaking it up.

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