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.
- 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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Delicious!! I didn’t have any sesame oil so I did what someone else did and added a little peanut butter. I also didn’t have the green onions. I sliced carrots and zucchini into ribbon slices and cooked until soft and added to dish for some veggies. So good!!
So darn tasty and an easy fast one too. Can you freeze the dish? Thinking to try it, but curious if you have?
This recipe is not only easy but my family says it’s fantastic.
So delicious! Thanks for a great recipe
Easy. Fast. Damn delicious . I’ve never tried it with the seeds because I don’t ever have them, but it tastes just as great without them. However, if you’re like me and like your sauces to be extra saucy, I strongly recommend doubling everything except the beef. I believe this makes a better beef-to-sauce ratio. Otherwise, perfect!
Agreed, I always make double the sauce when I make this! I also steam some veggies (broccoli, carrots, pepper, whatever I have on hand). I’ve made it many times and it’s always delicious!
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!