Korean Beef Bowl
by Chungah
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Tastes like Korean BBQ (bulgogi) and is on your dinner table in 15 min start to finish! 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 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.
- 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
Tools For This Recipe
Large cast iron skillet
Korean Beef Bowl: Frequently Asked Questions
Bulgogi uses marinated sliced beef, grilled or pan-fried, while Korean beef bowls use ground beef for a faster, budget-friendly weeknight version.
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.
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
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I love this recipe, it’s easy and almost a one pot meal! I usually add grated veggies, I’ve done carrots and zucchini the most, but almost any veggie could be added to this delicious dish.
This was an absolute hit! So delicious. It was gobbled up.And so, so easy. I added some garlic pea shoots, a bed of shredded carrot, some iceberg lettuce on top with a drizzle of sesame oil. Also, I used extra lean ground sirloin, so didn’t even have to remove any fat.Will definitely be on regular rotation. Thank you!!
I made this last night following the recipe (doubling the sauce). I also added sautéed mushrooms and steamed broccoli when I poured in the sauce as others had suggested. Wow! Simple but quick and my family advised it’s a keeper.
I’ve never felt inclined to leave a review on a site regarding recipes but had to do so on this one. Thank you for posting the recipe as I now have a new option for ground beef.
I’ve made this several times since seeing the recipe, and it’s been a hit each time! Made it tonight too! Definitely would recommend
This is sooo good- and fast!! I added some sauteed veggies on the side (carrots, broccoli, bell peppers, mushrooms) . The sauce is amazing!
This is my favorite meal EVER and I could have it every night! You need to try this.
This is my go-to recipe when I am short on time or do not feel like fussing. Love it!
DEEELICIOUS! So quick to prepare. Make sure your rice is already cooking :). I doubled the sauce as some recommended, but mine was a little thin, so I’m going to add a little cornstarch next time, because we’ll be making this again! Added some red bell pepper and broccoli and was a perfect, well rounded meal.
I made this for my husband and 2 children. They LOVED it! This will definitely be a staple as one of our household meals. So simple and easy to put together and so deliciously tasty! Thanks so much!
Have made this with beef and with “Impossible beef” and was great either way! Romaine lettuce wraps work well here, with or without rice.
I loved this. So tasty and easy. I had some mushrooms in the fridge. So I sautéed them and added at the end. I also preferred it with fresh ginger. But it was excellent with the powder ginger also. I made it two nights in a row. Now I have to look into your Korean Chicken bowls.
I have made this a few times now and it continues to be a favorite with my family. So so good!
Turned out great I highly recommend this! I am half Korean and this was spot on for bulging I marinade and I paired with home made cucumber kimchi!!
Hello, I hope this message finds you in great health and peace, is it possible to get your recipe for your homemade kimchi? Also did you marinade your ground beef in the sauce before cooking?
This is quick and tasty! I have my daughter teen daughter making it tonight.
Love this recipe, I fry it up with a pound of fresh green beans over rice. A family favorite.
One of our regular favorites. Great with Basmati rice and Impossible meat.
My ratings are simple. If the wife says, meh, you can cook it again if you want that means she will eat it but doesn’t care for it. If she says that was good, we can have it again that is 3 stars! If she says please cook this again that is a 4 star! And if she says, we need to have this again next week, I will eat it anytime you cook it, that is 5 stars. This was dang good and a 4 star by the wife. Easy too.
I made this recipe last night. It was so quick and easy and DELICIOUS!!!
I’ve made this weekly for the past four months. So easy, so good, and my kid is obsessed with it. I add in matchstick carrots and diced spinach to sneak in some vegetables and leave it as-is otherwise. (I also love the regular bulging recipe on here when we can find shaved steak and have time to marinade.) Thank you!!!
This recipe was so good! I added shredded cabbage and carrots. We also had some sesame oil with chili and it added a nice kick! Highly recommend. Tasted exactly like one of our favorite bul-go-gi spots in town!
I made this with sirloin instead of ground beef. I thought about adding other vegetables, but it was late and I was hungry. It was absolutely delicious!