Korean Beef Bowl
by Chungah
This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our privacy policy for details.
Tastes like Korean BBQ (bulgogi) and is on your dinner table in just 15 min! Quick, easy, budget-friendly, and a hit with the entire family!
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.
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. Throw in any lingering veggies (ex. chopped bell peppers, carrots or broccoli florets) for an easy clean-out-the-fridge meal.
What is the difference between bulgogi and Korean beef bowls?
Bulgogi uses marinated sliced beef, grilled or pan-fried, while Korean beef bowls use ground beef for a faster, budget-friendly weeknight version. 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.
How to make korean beef bowls
- Prep the sauce. Combine the brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, red pepper flakes, and ginger. To make the bowls more spicy, swap out the red pepper flakes for gochujang (Korean red chili paste).
- Crumble the ground beef. Sauté the garlic first in a large cast iron skillet, then crumble the ground beef (or desired meat), draining the excess fat.
- Add the sauce and simmer. Add the sauce, simmering until heated through, about 2 minutes. This would be a great time to add in any leafy greens (baby spinach or kale) for those picky eaters!
- Serve. Serve warm over rice, topped with a fried egg for additional protein.
What to Serve with Korean Beef Bowls
Tools For This Recipe
Large cast iron skillet
Korean Beef Bowl: Frequently Asked Questions
Not at all! Use ground pork, chicken or turkey, tofu or plant based ground beef in place of the ground beef.
Add a fried egg on top (sunny side or over easy), breaking the runny yolk into a rich, velvety sauce to mix with the rice.
Yes! Swap out the soy sauce for gluten-free tamari.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Absolutely! Here are detailed instructions on how to meal prep this for the week.
100%! This is one of our favorite crockpot recipes, perfect for those chilly months.
Yes! You can freeze the leftovers in individual freezer bags, thaw overnight, and reheat on the stovetop (adding a tablespoon of water as needed).
Korean Beef Bowl
Video
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
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.
Equipment
Notes
- Use reduced sodium soy sauce. Reduced sodium has less sodium and less salt without compromising flavor.
- Pick your favorite protein. Ground beef, pork, chicken or turkey, tofu or plant based ground beef will all work very well here. In need of more protein? Top your bowl with a sunny side up fried egg.
- Add vegetables. Mushrooms, carrots, bell peppers or snow peas can be added for a more heartier meal, perfect for picky eaters and grown ups!
- 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 solid options.
- Meal prep as needed. Perfect for on-the-go, these Korean beef bowls can be conveniently meal prepped for the week ahead.
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @damn_delicious on Instagram and hashtag it #damndelicious!
I’ve made this recipe a number of times, and we never get tired of it. It’s delicious and so easy. I usually have all ingredients on hand. Sometimes I make modifications, but it’s perfect as is.
We serve with a fried egg on top and shredded carrots and sliced cucumbers. So good!!! This had become on of our go to’s!!!
Everyone loves this meal!
I always add pre-steamed fresh broccoli to this…it’s a great way to add veggies and the broccoli soaks up the sauce like a sponge. So good!
This recipe is DELICIOUS! Was honestly impressed by how easily it came together. I added diced red bell pepper and used ground turkey, 10/10 recipe for me. Thank you!
Way too sweet for me. Suggestions on lessening the sweetness when I serve? Add more pepper flakes maybe?
We use about half the amount of sugar the recipe calls for. Just a touch of sweetness. We prefer it this way.
Such a go to! We add way more red pepper flakes than what it calls for. So good
This is one of my go-to dishes for feeding my family. I make minor adjustments like leaving out the red pepper flakes and just adding sriracha to my bowl after, since I’m feeding kids. I also leave out the sesame seeds if i have none around and use fresh ginger since i usually keep some frozen. Sometimes we eat kimchee with it. I also sautee bok choy and/or steam broccoli to go with it. Delicious and so versatile. Great recipe and so simple…thanks so much!!
Absolutely love making this dish! Quick and easy!
This recipe is so delicious, and savory it has very bold flavors this is by far one of the best dishes I’ve had in a extremely long time. The recipe is so simple to make, and the ingredients for the recipe isn’t pricey at all. I went to Walmart for my ingredients. This recipe is one of my regular recipes and favorites. I try and make it once a week
I absolutely love this recipe! I always double the sauce-to-meat ratio because it’s so good! Definitely an easy go to recipe for our household 🙂
So easy and so good!
We love this recipe! Simple and quick. I dial down the amount of sugar as it is too sweet for my liking. It’s a staple.
Delicious! My kids love this. We serve it wit rice or quinoa and veggies. I’m wondering if anyone’s tried this over frozen meatballs in the crockpot?
Great idea!
Dang good. Next time, howevert, I’m going to add some wateer dhestnuts for a change of texture.
I made this recipe for my boyfriend and he is obsessed with it. He asks me to make it every week, he even wants it for lunch AND dinner. Thank you for this staple recipe!
I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve made this! It’s quick, easy, delicious and uses ingredients I almost always have in hand. I usually double the recipe to be sure there are some yummy leftovers!
This is so good and easy. Make it. Yum.
Fabulous! Quick and easy and especially delicious!
This is our family favorite
This is the LEGIT go to meal because of how quick and freakin scrumptious it is. I prefer using ground bison over ground beef. If you are hungry and don’t want fast food or don’t wanna wait 45 in for take out, MAKE THIS!!!