Korean Beef Bowl with Gochujang (Printable)

Spicy beef with gochujang sauce over rice with pickled vegetables and kimchi.

# What You'll Need:

→ For the Beef

01 - 1 lb lean ground beef
02 - 2 tbsp vegetable oil
03 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
05 - 3 tbsp gochujang
06 - 2 tbsp soy sauce
07 - 1 tbsp brown sugar
08 - 1 tbsp rice vinegar
09 - 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
10 - 2 green onions, thinly sliced

→ For the Pickled Vegetables

11 - 1/2 cup carrot, julienned
12 - 1/2 cup daikon radish, julienned
13 - 1/2 cup rice vinegar
14 - 1 tbsp sugar
15 - 1/2 tsp salt

→ For Serving

16 - 4 cups cooked white rice
17 - 1 cup cucumber, thinly sliced
18 - 1/2 cup radish, thinly sliced
19 - 1 cup kimchi, chopped
20 - 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

# How to make it:

01 - In a small bowl, combine rice vinegar, sugar, and salt. Stir until dissolved. Add julienned carrot and daikon radish, mix well and set aside to pickle while preparing remaining components.
02 - Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add minced garlic and ginger, sauté for 1 minute until fragrant. Add ground beef and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned and cooked through, approximately 5 to 6 minutes. Drain excess fat if necessary.
03 - Stir in gochujang, soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, and sesame oil. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, allowing the sauce to thicken and coat the beef evenly. Remove from heat and stir in half of the sliced green onions.
04 - Divide cooked rice among 4 bowls. Top each with a generous portion of beef mixture. Arrange pickled vegetables, cucumber slices, radish slices, and chopped kimchi around the beef. Garnish with remaining green onions and toasted sesame seeds.
05 - Serve immediately while components are at optimal temperature and texture.

# Recipe Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Everything comes together in under 40 minutes, most of it hands off while the beef cooks and the vegetables pickle themselves.
  • The balance of spicy, sweet, tangy, and savory hits every craving at once without feeling heavy.
  • You can prep the pickled vegetables and rice ahead, then just sear the beef and assemble when hunger strikes.
  • It's endlessly customizable, swap the protein, add an egg, dial the heat up or down without losing the soul of the dish.
02 -
  • Don't skip draining the beef if it releases a lot of fat, otherwise the sauce will turn greasy instead of glossy.
  • Taste the gochujang before you add it, brands vary wildly in heat level, start with 2 tablespoons if you're nervous and add more as you go.
  • If your pickles aren't tangy enough by the time the beef is done, let them sit a few extra minutes while you set the table.
03 -
  • Let the garlic and ginger sizzle just until fragrant but not brown, burned garlic will make the whole dish taste bitter.
  • Use day old rice if you have it, it's drier and holds up better under all the toppings without turning mushy.
  • If you like things spicy, add a pinch of gochugaru (Korean chili flakes) to the beef along with the gochujang for an extra kick.
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