Korean Ground Beef Bowl (Printable)

Savory ground beef in sweet-spicy Korean sauce over steamed rice with fresh toppings. Ready in 25 minutes.

# What You'll Need:

→ Base

01 - 1 lb lean ground beef
02 - 2 cups cooked jasmine or short-grain rice

→ Sauce

03 - 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
04 - 2 tbsp brown sugar
05 - 1 tbsp sesame oil
06 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
08 - 1/2 to 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (adjust to taste)
09 - 2 tsp rice vinegar
10 - 1 tbsp gochujang (Korean chili paste, optional)

→ Toppings

11 - 2 green onions, sliced
12 - 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
13 - 1 carrot, julienned
14 - 1 small cucumber, thinly sliced
15 - Kimchi (optional, for serving)

# Directions:

01 - In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, minced garlic, grated ginger, red pepper flakes, rice vinegar, and gochujang if using. Set aside.
02 - Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it apart with a spatula, until browned and cooked through, about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain any excess fat if needed.
03 - Pour the prepared sauce over the browned beef and stir well to combine. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly and evenly coats the beef.
04 - Divide the cooked rice evenly among 4 bowls. Spoon the saucy Korean ground beef mixture over each portion of rice.
05 - Top each bowl with sliced green onions, toasted sesame seeds, julienned carrot, thinly sliced cucumber, and kimchi if desired. Serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The sauce comes together in about sixty seconds and tastes like something from a restaurant.
  • It stretches one pound of beef into four generously topped bowls without anyone feeling shortchanged.
  • Clean up is minimal since everything important happens in a single skillet.
02 -
  • Do not walk away while the sauce simmers because it goes from glazed to burnt in seconds once the liquid reduces.
  • Day old rice actually works better here because it soaks up sauce without turning mushy.
  • Taste the sauce before pouring it over the beef and adjust sweetness or heat to your preference.
03 -
  • Let the beef sit untouched for the first minute of cooking so you get real browning instead of steamed gray crumbles.
  • A squeeze of sriracha on top at the end adds a vinegary kick that ties everything together beautifully.

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