Korean Beef Bowls have all the flavors of the entree they’re named for. Ingredients like fermented chili paste and toasted sesame seeds give these Korean beef bowls so much flavor. Just one taste and you’ll be hooked.
When most people think about rice bowls, they usually picture something Tex-Mex like this Instant Pot Burrito Bowl. But there are so many more options. You can do a super healthy bowl with cauliflower rice and hummus, a copycat Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bowl, or even a Greek bowl!
One of my favorite rice bowls is inspired by bibimbap, a traditional Korean dish featuring marinated meat topped with loads of vegetables and kimchi. This pared down Korean beef bowl recipe uses similar flavors, without the fuss.
Ingredients for Korean Beef Bowls
I use ground beef when I make these Korean-inspired rice bowls because it soaks up so much flavor while it cooks. It also mixes in with the rice really easily while you eat, so there’s tons of flavor in each bite.
Cook the beef with garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, and a pinch of brown sugar. It will be moist and flavorful, but not super saucy.
Once the beef is cooked, spoon it on top of cooked white rice. Then add chopped cucumbers, green onions, sesame seeds, and gochujang. A sunny side up egg is the highlight of this rice bowl – the yolk combines with the rest of the ingredients like a super rich sauce.
What is gochujang?
Gochujang is one of my absolute favorite condiments. Once you try it, I know you’ll be hooked too.
It’s a fermented chili paste made with glutinous rice, fermented soybean, and barley malt. It’s spicy, similar to sriracha, but it also has a touch of sweetness from the starches that it’s cooked with. It’s really complex and has the same rich, umami vibe that miso has.
I usually buy gochujang at a local Asian market, but I’ve also seen it in some larger grocery stores or you can find it online here. It’s shelf stable when you buy it, but does need to be refrigerated after opening.
It’s amazing on eggs but I also whisk it into vinaigrette, add it to stir fry, and drizzle it on roast vegetables.
Print
Korean Beef Bowls
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Entrée
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Korean
Ingredients
- 2 cups uncooked white rice
- 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 Tbsp. minced fresh ginger
- 4 green onions, sliced, divided
- 1 lb. ground beef
- ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp. sesame oil
- 1 tsp. brown sugar
- ½ cup water
- 4 large eggs
- 1 English cucumber, chopped
- 1 Tbsp. toasted sesame seeds
- 1–2 tsp. gochujang, to taste
Instructions
- Cook the rice according to the directions on the package.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, ginger, and half of the green onions. Cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Add the beef and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned, about 5 minutes. Drain off any fat.
- Stir in the soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, and water. Cook for another 5 minutes, or until the sauce has reduced and the beef is cooked through.
- In a second pan, fry the eggs sunny-side up.
- Divide the rice among 4 bowls. Top with cooked beef, cucumber, and an egg. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and drizzle with gochujang.
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