Korean Beef Bowl
by Chungah
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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?
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Just made this and it tastes amazing! Do we have to know the nutrition facts for this or calories?
Myfitnesspal app calculates it to be approximately 340 calories per serving! 20g carb, 24g protein, 18g fat
Easy and delicious. I added sliced onion, matchstick carrot, shredded cabbage, and some gochujang paste I had. Will make again. Amazing on rice with a poached egg
Good recipe! We used ground chicken then mixed with rice and filled it into lettuce with toom sauce sooooooo yummy.
Next level delicious! Made it for the first time last week and already making it again today
Great, simple, delicious recipe.
I substituted impossible meat for the beef, and it was a hit at the dinner table.
Next time I prepare this, I’ll be adding some veggies.
This is a great recipe, it is easy to make and doesn’t disappoint! I do 1.5 x the sauce since I like saucy things and it’s great over rice and broccoli.
This recipe is amazing! Salty and sweet with a nice sesame finish. One of my new favorites 🙂
This was delicious! I served it over rice and lightly smothered cabbage.
Can this be done in a large skillet that is not cast iron?
Absolutely!
Definitely my favorite thing I’ve cooked so far, and I like to double it! In addition, I’ve found that I prefer it with strips of beef for stir-frying, rather than ground beef! This also means there’s much less fat, so you don’t have to drain it. I always garnish with toasted sesame seeds and raw green onion.
Tonight I made this for the 3rd time this year. My husband and kids absolutely love this one. I don’t have veg oil so we used olive, I usually use a few extra garlic cloves, green onions, and tonight we were talking about next time adding some thinly shredded cabbage and carrots.
I can usually make this whole meal in about 20 minutes, with prep time I think it still comes out under 30. Amazing!
Been using this recipe once every 2 weeks since i found it. Absolutely delicious every time! I like to throw in a frozen bag of veggies which pairs so well with the sauce. 5/5
Love it! All the flavors remind me of old school Korean cooking by my Korean mom when growing up. Easier to make with use of ground beef.
This was a huge hit with my 16 year old football player! I added fire roasted veggies that I stir fried and added to the meat and sauce. This is a keeper!
Made this for dinner today ♡ my family and I loved it! Used ground pork. Will be adding this to the bi weekly rotation!! Thank you 🙂
One of my favorite easy dishes to make- really quick, not particularly expensive, super filling, and delicious! The perfect meal for cooking dinner on a student budget.
Simple to make and quick! The flavor is simply amazing.
This was GREAT! I used shaved beef – the kind you use for Philly steak sandwiches – and it was delicious!
I’ve been making this recipe for 10 years and my whole family loves it. Question for you – my son (age 6) recently developed a severe allergy to sesame. He’s also allergic to tree nuts and peanuts. Do you have any suggestions on making this recipe with a substitution for the sesame oil? Thanks for any help you can provide!
I make this about once a week. I always double it. We have it with steamed broccoli or in romaine lettuce boats and steamed white rice, all varieties.
I love it. My mom even loves it and she lived in Korea for 10 years. My son loves it.
I add hot pepper paste, and sometimes a bit less sugar.
Excellent and easy recipe!!!