Korean Ground Beef Bowl (Print Version)
Savory ground beef in sweet-spicy sauce over steamed rice with fresh toppings, ready in 25 minutes.
# What You 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 tbsp brown sugar
05 - 1 tbsp sesame oil
06 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
08 - 1/2–1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, adjusted to taste
09 - 2 tsp rice vinegar
10 - 1 tbsp gochujang (Korean chili paste), optional
→ Toppings
11 - 2 green onions, sliced
12 - 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
13 - 1 carrot, julienned
14 - 1 small cucumber, thinly sliced
15 - Kimchi, optional for serving
# How-To Steps:
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 saucy ground beef mixture 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 ratio is so perfectly balanced that people will assume you spent an hour reducing and adjusting it.
- It reheats beautifully for lunch the next day, maybe even better when the flavors have had time to mingle overnight.
02 -
- Do not skip draining the excess fat after browning the beef, or your sauce will swim in grease instead of coating the meat properly.
- The sauce thickens fast once it starts simmering, so pull the pan off heat about thirty seconds before you think it is done because carryover cooking will finish the job.
03 -
- Let the beef sit undisturbed in the skillet for the first two minutes of cooking so a proper crust forms before you start breaking it up.
- Toast the sesame seeds in the same skillet right after removing the beef, and they will pick up residual flavor from the pan that makes them taste like they belong there.