Korean Beef Bowl
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Easy Korean beef bowl made with ground beef, soy sauce, garlic, and sesame oil. Inspired by bulgogi, this Korean beef recipe is ready in just 15 minutes.
Featured Comment
Please welcome our favorited Korean beef bowls, one of our most popular recipes on Damn Delicious. This recipe is a special twist on the traditional Korean dish, bulgogi, but as a cheater version, we are swapping out thin slices of sirloin with ground beef. Bulgogi is also marinated overnight to enhance its flavors and tenderness but with this quick ground beef version, you can have the same flavors in lightning speed time.
Why You’ll Love This Korean Beef Bowl
- Weeknight hero. With a short ingredient list, these beef bowls come together incredibly fast. The cooking process itself takes just about 10-15 minutes, and if you have some leftover cooked rice lying around, dinner will be on the table in 20 minutes or less. It’s a budget-friendly alternative to traditional bulgogi while still capturing authentic Korean BBQ flavors.
- Budget-friendly. Using pantry staples, ground beef and rice, this dish can easily feed a family of four without breaking the bank.
- Flexible recipe. Any lingering veggies (ex. chopped bell peppers, carrots or broccoli florets) can be thrown right in for a great clean-out-the-fridge meal.
Tips for the Best Korean Beef Bowl
- Use reduced sodium soy sauce. Reduced sodium has less sodium and less salt without compromising flavor. For deeper Korean flavor, try adding a spoonful of gochujang (Korean chili paste) for heat and depth.
- Use your favorite meat. Ground beef, pork, chicken or turkey, tofu or plant based ground beef will all work very well here.
- Add vegetables. Mushrooms, carrots, bell peppers or snow peas can be added for a more heartier meal.
- More protein. In need of more protein? Top your bowls with a fried egg.
- Double the sauce. Need extra sauce for sopping with rice? The sauce portion can easily be doubled or tripled for those saucy folks!
- Serve with your favorite grains. White rice, brown rice, cauliflower rice, quinoa or farro are all great options.
- Meal prep as needed. Perfect for on-the-go, these Korean beef bowls can be conveniently meal prepped for the week ahead.
What to Serve with Korean Beef Bowls
- Chicken Fried Rice
- Sheet Pan Fried Rice
- Chinese Chicken Salad
- Korean Cheese Corn
- Vegetable Potstickers
Also serve with kimchi, pickled radish, or steamed bok choy for a more authentic Korean side dish experience.
Tools For This Recipe
Large cast iron skillet – ideal for quick searing ground beef and mimicking Korean BBQ flavors at home.
Large cast iron skillet
Korean Beef Bowl: Frequently Asked Questions
Not at all! Ground pork, chicken or turkey, tofu or plant based ground beef can be used in place of the ground beef.
Absolutely! Here are detailed instructions on how to meal prep this for the week.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Yes! You can freeze the leftovers in individual freezer bags, thaw overnight, and reheat on the stovetop (adding a tablespoon of water as needed).
100%! This is one of our favorite crockpot recipes, perfect for those chilly months.
Answer: Bulgogi uses marinated sliced beef grilled or pan-fried, while Korean beef bowls use ground beef for a faster weeknight version.
Yes! Add gochujang, crushed red pepper flakes, or sliced fresh chilies to taste.
Korean Beef Bowl
Ingredients
- ¼ cup brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup reduced sodium soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes, or more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- ¼ teaspoon sesame seeds
Equipment
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, red pepper flakes and ginger.
- Heat vegetable oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add ground beef and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the beef as it cooks; drain excess fat.
- Stir in soy sauce mixture and green onions until well combined, allowing to simmer until heated through, about 2 minutes.
- Serve immediately, garnished with green onion and sesame seeds, if desired.
Video
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Absolutely delicious! Everyone loved it. Definitely adding to the regular rotation
Just like it’s described. Super easy, super fast, and a tasty cheat on beef bulgogi!
This is my top favorite weeknight dinner to make for the whole family.
Delicious and easy way to create your own Korean beef bowl. The sauce for the beef is really good, I just added a small half of a pear which turned out nicely.
Simple recipe with ingredients we always have on hand. Will definitely make again.
Favorite household recipe!
I add gochujang to the sauce mixture for a little more spice
We enjoyed this with sticky rice and accompanied the meal with steamed broccoli. It was just as easy to make as you said it was and required only pantry staples. Thank you for the recipe!
Hi! For the Korean Beef Bowls, which type of sesame oil do you use? Roasted? Something else? Thanks so much!
I’m excited to try this
But Why does this recipe say to eat immediately when it’s also a make ahead meal?
I made 1.5x the recipe and added 1lb of fresh chopped broccoli. My picky eater cleaned their plate. This is a keeper!
Delicious, coming from me who never leaves a comment. The fact it is so quick and easy. I served on rice. Next time I will double quantity because I could have eaten a lot more due to the delicious taste, Suzy from South Australia
This is a family favorite! Delicious, easy, versatile (use different meats if you like, or add some veggies) and “dinner guests worthy” with a sprinkle of green onion and sesame for garnish. I’ve made this according to directions many times, but one evening I realized I had a sweet red pepper to use up, so after mincing it, I added to the Korean Beef, and now we add it every time. Even this recipe is very versatile, the original recipe is absolutel delight for the taste buds as is, no changes needed.
First time to make this tonight. Excellent flavor and So Easy and Quick to make. Will definitely make this over and over again! Thank you!
So good, quick, and easy! I added green lentils and shredded carrots to the meat to add some fiber. Next time I’ll have to make a little more of the sauce. But overall this is a great easy weeknight meal!
So good!! Easy week night dinner my whole family likes. I use 1/2 the amount of sugar, fresh ginger and add some frozen string beans in at the end.
Love this! Question, I don’t use vegetable oil. What could I use instead?
Avocado oil is a great substitute for vegetable oil.
My family LOVES this recipe! I’ve made it with ground chicken and turkey also! What other cuts or meat should we try for this? Thanks!
Made this for dinner tonight and it was excellent. I was looking for a ground beef recipe and this looked interesting. It has a wonderful flavor and will definitely make again!
Quick and delicious meal everyone loves it!
Okay, so obviously this recipe is fantastic as it is. Clearly. BUT HERE’S A VERY NECESSARY ADDITION IF YOU HAVE IT…. *a splash or so of orange juice*. Absolute game changer. The bit of citrus in here really brings out a nice acidic note that’s missing from the base recipe. I also chopped up some onions and sauteed them with the garlic in the beginning, but who has time for that on a busy day?
Orange juice, though.
I’ve made this recipe weekly for years now! It is a staple and a family favorite!
So great, and my kids loved it. I appreciated that I could make it with things I usually have on hand. Great weeknight dinner!