Korean Beef Bowl
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Tastes like Korean BBQ and is on your dinner table in just 15 min start to finish! It doesn’t get any easier than this!
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 i love this recipe
- 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.
- 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 and tricks for success
- Use reduced sodium soy sauce. Reduced sodium has less sodium and less salt without compromising flavor.
- 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 bowl
Tools For This Recipe
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.
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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Super easy and really tasty. I am impressed with this recipe!
I’ve never left a review, but l should as l try so many different recipes. Ths recipe is awesome! Something different to do w ground beef! Fast and easy! My families only beef is they want more sauce for their rice. Lol Tonight is 3rd time l’ve made it. I made the sauce then halved it again! So good!
I love this recipe and have made it many times! I like to add a bag of cole slaw mix (shredded cabbage and carrots) so I almost double the sauce recipe and pour it all together. This mix is delicious over rice or fried into egg roll shells. This time I added some baby corn. Highly recommend this simple quick recipe
Sooo good! Made tonight! I had 1/2 ground beef and 1/2 ground turkey. Followed the recipe really simple and fast. I had leftover brown rice,so didn’t have to wait on that. But my timing was off I wanted a veg. So my meat is done didn’t add the sauce,got out baby bok choy and zucchini, steamed them,warmed the rice added the sauce. Dinner!! Hubby said it was good. It was great for me! Will make this again. Thank you!
Just made this for dinner and it is excellent and was very easy. I followed the recipe exactly and it was perfect for 2 adults, one tween and a toddler. I made a extra side of veggies that includes thin sliced carrots, orange pepper, thinly sliced ginger and some spinach. I sautéed the veggies in some sesame oil. It paired great with this meal. Will make again. Thank you!
You explained each and everything to make Korean beef in quite easy steps. Your video tutorial is also simple. Thanks for sharing this easy guide with us. Keep sharing the good work ahead…
Excellent recipe as is. Quick, easy, and very tasty. Thank you for all your work giving us the great recipes I’ve used for years. Your website is my favorite go to place for recipes. I recommend it highly.
This is an often requested dish around our house. I made it once and it became an instant family favorite. To top it all off, it is easy to make. Thanks for posting. This recipe is Damn Delicious!
One of my favorite quick recipes to make! I usually pickle some sliced cucumbers and carrots to serve with – they are a great addition. Also, I make a Sriracha mayo and drizzle it over the top. Add some cilantro and yum!!
I absolutely love the recipe! I’ve made it many times with beef, but I’m now allergic to beef so I’m going to try it with tofu and I’m so excited Thanks for such a great quick recipe!
This is so easy and completely DELISH!!! I always make a little more of the sauce to add to rice or what have you… Try it!!!
Made this last night for dinner! Turned out very well! Think I might add some hot sauce next time!
Made this last night. Didn’t have any sesame oil. But followed the recipe exactly. Was a big hit !!! Will definitely be making this again! Thanks!
OMG, this recipe is INSANELY good!!!
So easy, uses pantry staples, takes literally no time at all and the flavour is out of this world! I only had about 200g of mince (half a pound?) so blitzed 250g of mushrooms and added them to bulk out the beef. Then added broccoli stalks for greens. Yep, def making this again, and again, and again 🙂
I’ve been making this for a couple years now based on this recipe. I HIGHLY recommend replacing the pepper flakes with 1 tbsp gochujang (or more/less, depending on how spicy you like it). The flavor is much better and I guess it makes it a bit more Korean!
An amazing recipe! I added fried eggs on top which really brought the flavors together.
I’ve been making this delicious recipe for years, everyone loves it; it’s so flavorful and easy! I substitute the ground beef for ground turkey and find it just as tasty.
My husband found this recipe and I can’t believe how easy and delicious it is! Given the bland name for the recipe, I figured it would be quick to make but average tasting…a lazy weeknight dinner when you don’t want to make an effort. This was UNBELIEVABLY delicious. We have made it 4 times already and will make it a go to meal with or without time constraints. It is truly simple to make.
If we are adding a mushrooms or another vegetable, we do 1.5 times the sauce so it isn’t too dry with the extra food.
I never used this site before but I am now scouring the it for another new favorite recipe. Thanks for making dinner delightful!
Have been making this recipe for years now! Absolutely perfect. Just realized I don’t have brown sugar, can I go without it or use regular sugar?
I made this tonight and my family loved it. I added a small onion, half a red pepper and maybe 1/2 cup julienned carrots. I doubled the sauce but cut back in the brown sugar and added extra garlic. I did make a cornstarch slurry to thicken the sauce. Topped it with pickled onions and served it over brown rice with steamed edamame and broccoli. My husband and son added sriracha. Thanks for the great recipe!
I love this!! A quick and easy recipe, I follow the recipe great every time.
Fantastic and quick dinner! Perfect for busy afternoons and late baseball game nights. I added steamed broccoli, and my 6 & 9 year old absolutely loved it! I ate my portion over riced cauliflower and my 1 year old preferred my dish! I’ll definitely double the sauce next time and add a drizzle of spicy mayo to top it off. Highly recommend.