Korean Ground Beef Bowl (Print View)

Savory seasoned beef over rice with tangy pickled vegetables creates this satisfying Korean-inspired bowl ready in 35 minutes.

# Components:

→ Beef

01 - 1 lb lean ground beef
02 - 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari for gluten-free
03 - 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
04 - 1 tablespoon brown sugar
05 - 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
06 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 1 teaspoon gochujang or sriracha, optional
08 - 2 green onions, thinly sliced
09 - 1 tablespoon sesame seeds

→ Rice Base

10 - 4 cups cooked jasmine rice or cauliflower rice

→ Quick Pickled Vegetables

11 - 1 cup carrot, julienned
12 - 1 cup cucumber, thinly sliced
13 - 0.5 cup radish, thinly sliced
14 - 0.5 cup rice vinegar
15 - 1 tablespoon sugar
16 - 0.5 teaspoon salt

→ Garnish

17 - Additional green onions, sliced
18 - Extra sesame seeds

# Directions:

01 - In a bowl, combine rice vinegar, sugar, and salt, stirring until dissolved. Add carrot, cucumber, and radish, tossing to coat evenly. Allow to sit for at least 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
02 - Prepare jasmine rice or cauliflower rice according to package instructions. Keep warm until assembly.
03 - In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add ground beef. Cook while breaking apart with a spoon until browned and cooked through, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Drain excess fat if necessary.
04 - Add soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, and gochujang to the beef. Stir thoroughly and cook for 2 to 3 additional minutes until fragrant and sauce coats the meat.
05 - Remove from heat and stir in sliced green onions and sesame seeds.
06 - Divide cooked rice or cauliflower rice among serving bowls. Top each with seasoned ground beef and a generous portion of pickled vegetables.
07 - Top each bowl with additional green onions and sesame seeds. Serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Everything cooks in one skillet while the pickles do their thing in a bowl, so dinner happens fast without feeling like a project.
  • The flavors are big and satisfying but the ingredient list is short enough that you probably have most of it already.
  • You can swap the rice for cauliflower rice and it still tastes like a treat, not a compromise.
  • Leftovers taste even better the next day when the beef has soaked up all that sesame and ginger.
02 -
  • Don't skip the fresh ginger, the jarred stuff just doesn't have the same brightness and the whole dish falls a little flat without it.
  • Let the pickled vegetables sit for at least fifteen minutes, they need that time to soften and soak up the brine or they'll taste like raw vegetables with vinegar on them.
  • If you're using cauliflower rice, cook it until it's just tender but not mushy, nobody wants a soggy bowl.
03 -
  • Toast your sesame seeds in a dry skillet for a minute before adding them, it makes them nutty and fragrant instead of just decorative.
  • If you like more heat, add an extra teaspoon of gochujang or a drizzle of chili oil at the table so everyone can adjust to their own taste.
  • Use a box grater to grate the ginger instead of mincing it, it breaks down into the sauce better and you don't get big fibrous chunks.
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