Korean Ground Beef Bowl (Printable)

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

# What You'll Need:

→ Main

01 - 1 pound 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, adjust 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

# Directions:

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 or wooden spoon, until browned and cooked through, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Drain excess fat if necessary.
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 sauced 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 is a perfect balance of sweet, salty, and spicy that makes everything it touches irresistible.
  • It uses pantry staples you probably already have, which means no special grocery runs.
  • Cleanup is minimal since everything cooks in one skillet.
  • Toppings are fully customizable, so everyone at the table builds their own perfect bowl.
02 -
  • Do not skip draining excess fat from the beef before adding the sauce or your finished dish will be greasy instead of silky.
  • The sauce will look thin when you first pour it in but thickens fast once it simmers. Trust the process and do not rush it.
  • Cold rice straight from the refrigerator works fine, but letting it come to room temperature first prevents it from cooling down the whole bowl.
  • Ground chicken or turkey swaps in perfectly if you want something lighter, though you may need a splash of oil to prevent sticking.
03 -
  • Let the beef sit undisturbed in the skillet for the first two minutes of cooking to develop a proper crust before you start breaking it apart.
  • Double the sauce recipe and keep the extra in a jar in the fridge for a week. It works as a marinade, a stir fry seasoning, or a dipping sauce for dumplings.

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