Korean Ground Beef Bowl (Printable)
Savory-sweet Korean beef over steamed rice with fresh vegetables and sesame. A quick 25-minute weeknight meal.
# What You'll Need:
→ Meat
01 - 1 lb lean ground beef
→ Sauce
02 - ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
03 - 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
04 - 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
05 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
07 - ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
08 - 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
→ Vegetables & Garnish
09 - 4 spring onions, thinly sliced
10 - 1 medium carrot, julienned or shredded
11 - 1 cucumber, thinly sliced
12 - 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
→ Base
13 - 3 cups cooked white or brown rice
# Step-by-step:
01 - Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon, until fully browned. Drain any excess fat if necessary.
02 - In a mixing bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, minced garlic, grated ginger, red pepper flakes, and rice vinegar until well combined.
03 - Pour the sauce over the browned beef in the skillet. Stir thoroughly and let it simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, allowing the beef to absorb the savory-sweet flavors. Adjust seasoning to taste.
04 - Divide the cooked rice evenly among four serving bowls. Spoon the Korean beef generously over each bed of rice.
05 - Arrange the julienned carrot, sliced cucumber, and spring onions over the beef. Finish with a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds.
06 - Serve immediately while hot. Offer extra chili flakes or sriracha on the side for those who prefer more heat.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The sauce caramelizes onto the beef in minutes and tastes like something from a restaurant kitchen.
- Everything cooks in one skillet, which means cleanup is almost embarrassingly easy.
02 -
- Do not rush the sauce reduction step because those few minutes of simmering are what concentrate the flavor and thicken the glaze.
- Toasting sesame seeds in a dry pan for two minutes transforms them from bland to nutty and aromatic.
03 -
- Grate the ginger directly into the sauce bowl using a microplane so none of the juices escape.
- Cook the rice a few hours ahead or use day old rice so your bowls come together in under fifteen minutes.