These Korean beef bowls are made with ground beef cooked in a sweet and savory sauce, steamed rice and a colorful assortment of vegetables. An easy dinner option that’s ready in less than 30 minutes!
Korean ground beef is simple to make, yet packed with tons of flavor. Pair it with rice and veggies for a complete meal that tastes like it came from a restaurant.
When I’m looking for a super easy dinner that I know the whole family will eat, I often turn to these Korean beef bowls. This recipe uses a handful of ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry, and you can use whatever vegetables are in the house.
What is Korean beef?
Korean beef is sliced or ground beef that’s cooked in a combination of soy sauce, sugar and sesame oil. Often times other flavorings are added like garlic, ginger and chili peppers. While this particular recipe uses ground beef, you can substitute thinly sliced steak such as flank steak if you prefer.
How do you make Korean beef?
To make Korean beef, you’ll need to brown your ground beef, then stir in the garlic and seasonings. The whole thing will simmer for a few minutes until the beef is coated in the sauce. Sprinkle some sesame seeds and green onions over the top, then serve and enjoy!
To make Korean beef bowls, simply spoon your beef mixture over steamed rice and add some steamed or stir fried vegetables on the side. I typically put up a pot of rice to boil before I start cooking my beef, then I cook the beef and vegetables simultaneously in separate pans so that everything is ready at once.
The beauty of this recipe is that you can use whatever veggies you happen to have on hand. I used a combination of broccoli, carrots and asparagus here, but other great options are
- bell peppers
- bok choy
- mushrooms
- onions
- green beans
This Korean beef reheats beautifully, so feel free to make a double batch and save the leftover for lunch, or use your extra beef to make meal prep bowls for the week.
I typically use 90% lean ground beef in my cooking; I find that it’s plenty flavorful yet doesn’t produce a lot of excess grease. If you choose to use ground beef with a higher fat content, be sure to thoroughly drain the meat before proceeding with the recipe.
Not a fan of ground beef? This recipe can also be made with ground turkey, although the flavors will not be as rich.
More Asian food recipes
- Honey Garlic Shrimp Stir Fry
- Slow Cooker Orange Chicken
- Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry
- Firecracker Chicken
- Shrimp Chow Mein
Korean Beef Bowls Video
Korean Beef Bowls
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 lbs lean ground beef I use 90% lean
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1/4 cup sliced green onions
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- 3 cups steamed rice
- 3 cups steamed or sauteed vegetables such as broccoli, asparagus, carrots, mushrooms and/or peppers
Instructions
- Place a large pan over medium high heat on the stove. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking the meat up with a spatula, until done, approximately 4-6 minutes.
- Add the garlic and ginger to the pan and cook for 1 more minute.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the sesame oil, brown sugar and soy sauce.
- Pour the sauce over the meat and bring to a simmer. Cook for 3-4 minutes.
- Mix the cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of cold water. Add it to the beef mixture and cook for 1 minute or until sauce has thickened.
- Stir in the green onions and sesame seeds.
- Divide the rice and vegetables between 4 bowls. Spoon the beef over the top and serve.
An easy dinner that turns out great every time. I ran out of sesame oil mid recipe and added tahini instead, which worked fine and thickened it up without the cornstarch. It’s an easy swap to make if you’re ever in the same situation.
Such a satisfying and easy meal. I double the sauce measurements and also find that you need to use more cornstarch, about a full teaspoon. I add some chili paste to spice it up a bit. The sesame seeds and scallion are the perfect touch.
I made this last night per the recipe and it was excellent. I stirfried up a few veggies on the side as suggested. I highly recommend this meal quick and easy.
The sauce on this was amazing! Thanks for the recipe!
Sounds great for a busy night dinner! I like that you use ground beef, makes this delicious dish even faster to cook.
The sauce on this was so good that the kids even ate the vegetables to get the sauce flavor! Simple to make!
I cook something similar to this when I don’t have much time to do. I usually have frozen veggies (carrots, corn and peas) that I just cook with the ground beef after it has browned. Yummy!
We love Korean bowls so will be making this soon!
I don’t eat beef at all. Do you think I can use some other meat or protein? Tofu or cottage cheese?
I bet you could use firm tofu or ground chicken
Korean beef sounds quite delicious! I’ll be sure to try your recipe!
This looks tasty. I so love Korean Bowls. And hey, I would love to have this with over-easy fried egg on top.
Oh wow. This looks delish. Its also fairly easy to make.
Now that looks delicious! I love meals that are simple like this – seasoned meat, rice and veggies. Thanks for the recipe!
That looks wonderful! That’s like right up my ally too in terms of a meal I’d enjoy cooking for my family.
It sounds like something my MIL would totally enjoy! I am going to make this for her and see if I am right!
Thank you for sharing. I am always looking for new meal inspiration for my family and need things that do not take long so 30 minutes is just perfect.