Easy Korean Beef Bowl (Printable)

Savory ground beef in spicy gochujang sauce over rice with crisp vegetables, ready in 25 minutes.

# What You'll Need:

→ Beef & Sauce

01 - 1 pound lean ground beef
02 - 2 tablespoons gochujang
03 - 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce or tamari
04 - 2 tablespoons brown sugar
05 - 1 tablespoon sesame oil
06 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
08 - 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
09 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

→ Rice Base

10 - 4 cups cooked white rice or cauliflower rice

→ Fresh Toppings

11 - 1 cup cucumber, thinly sliced
12 - 1 cup carrot, julienned or shredded
13 - 2 green onions, thinly sliced
14 - 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
15 - 1 fresh red chili, sliced thin (optional)
16 - Kimchi for serving (optional)

# How to make it:

01 - Heat sesame oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and cook, breaking up the meat with a spatula, for 4-5 minutes until fully browned and cooked through.
02 - Add minced garlic and grated ginger to the beef. Sauté for 1 minute until fragrant, stirring constantly.
03 - Stir in gochujang, soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, and black pepper. Mix thoroughly and simmer for 2-3 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly and evenly coats the beef.
04 - Taste the beef mixture and adjust seasoning as desired. Remove from heat.
05 - Divide cooked rice or cauliflower rice evenly among serving bowls, using approximately 1 cup per bowl.
06 - Top each rice bowl with the Korean beef sauce. Arrange cucumber slices, julienned carrot, and green onions over the beef. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and add sliced red chili or kimchi if desired. Serve immediately.

# Recipe Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It tastes like you spent an hour cooking but only stole twenty-five minutes from your evening.
  • The gochujang brings a warm, complex heat that supermarket taco seasoning could never touch.
  • You can make it low-carb, gluten-free, or load it with regular rice without changing a single step.
  • Leftovers somehow taste even better the next day when the flavors have had time to become friends.
02 -
  • Do not skip the fresh ginger, the powdered stuff does not have the same bright, zesty punch.
  • If your sauce looks too thick, add a tablespoon of water and stir, it should coat the beef but not turn into paste.
  • Taste before you serve because different brands of gochujang and soy sauce vary wildly in saltiness and heat.
03 -
  • Toast your sesame seeds in a dry skillet for thirty seconds before sprinkling them on, the nutty aroma they release is worth the extra minute.
  • If you cannot find gochujang, mix sriracha with a little miso paste and a pinch of sugar, it is not traditional but it works in a pinch.
  • Use a box grater for the ginger instead of mincing it, you will get more juice and flavor with way less effort.
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