Asian Korean Beef Bowls (Printable)

Flavorful beef bowls with fresh veggies and a tangy Korean-inspired sauce over steamed rice.

# What You'll Need:

→ Beef

01 - 1 lb lean ground beef

→ Sauce

02 - 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
03 - 2 tbsp light brown sugar
04 - 1 tbsp sesame oil
05 - 4 garlic cloves, minced
06 - 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
07 - 1 tbsp gochujang (Korean chili paste) or 1 tsp red pepper flakes
08 - 2 tsp rice vinegar

→ Rice and Bowls

09 - 1 1/2 cups jasmine or short-grain white rice
10 - 2 cups water

→ Toppings

11 - 2 medium carrots, julienned
12 - 1 small cucumber, thinly sliced
13 - 4 scallions, thinly sliced
14 - 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
15 - Kimchi (optional)
16 - Fresh cilantro (optional)

# Method:

01 - Rinse rice under cold water until the water runs clear. Add rice and 2 cups water to a saucepan, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 12–15 minutes until tender. Fluff with a fork before serving.
02 - In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, gochujang, and rice vinegar until smooth and well combined.
03 - Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and cook, breaking it up with a spatula, until browned and cooked through, approximately 5 minutes. Drain excess fat if needed.
04 - Pour the sauce over the browned beef and cook, stirring constantly, for another 2–3 minutes until the beef is evenly coated and the sauce has thickened slightly.
05 - Divide the steamed rice among 4 bowls. Top each portion with the seasoned beef mixture, followed by arranged sections of carrots, cucumber, scallions, and sesame seeds. Add kimchi or cilantro if desired.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • The sauce hits all the right notes—sweet, salty, savory, and just a little spicy
  • You can customize the toppings based on whatever's in your fridge
  • It tastes like takeout but costs a fraction of the price
02 -
  • The sauce will taste quite salty on its own—it needs the rice to balance it out
  • Don't overcrowd your beef in the pan or it'll steam instead of brown
  • Let the sauce bubble away for those extra minutes—it thickens quickly
03 -
  • Use a microplane to grate the ginger—no fibrous strings that way
  • Toasted sesame seeds make a huge difference, so take those extra 2 minutes

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