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Korean BBQ Beef Rice Bowl

Korean BBQ beef rice bowl - featured image
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This Korean BBQ beef rice bowl features juicy marinated beef, crisp veggies, and perfectly sticky rice for a speedy, flavor-packed dinner ready in 30 minutes. It’s customizable, crowd-pleasing, and brings restaurant-quality Korean flavors to your weeknight table.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 pound beef sirloin or ribeye, thinly sliced against the grain (flank steak works too)
  • 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup (optional)
  • 1 medium Asian pear or sweet apple, peeled and grated (about 1/3 cup)
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
  • 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil (plus extra for drizzling)
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon gochujang (Korean chili paste; optional, or substitute sriracha)
  • 2 green onions, thinly sliced (plus extra for garnish)
  • 3 cups cooked short-grain white rice (jasmine or sushi rice, or brown rice)
  • 1 cup shredded carrots
  • 1 cup thinly sliced cucumber
  • 1 cup bean sprouts (fresh or lightly blanched)
  • 1 cup shredded purple cabbage
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds, for garnish
  • Extra gochujang or sriracha, to serve
  • Kimchi, optional

Instructions

  1. Place thinly sliced beef in a large mixing bowl. For easier slicing, freeze beef for 20 minutes beforehand. Pat dry with paper towels.
  2. In a blender or food processor, combine soy sauce, brown sugar, honey, grated pear or apple, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, rice vinegar, black pepper, gochujang, and green onions. Blend until smooth.
  3. Pour marinade over beef, toss to coat, and let sit for at least 15 minutes at room temperature or up to 2 hours in the fridge.
  4. Rinse 1.5 cups short-grain white rice under cold water until water runs clear. Cook according to package instructions (about 2.5 cups water for 1.5 cups rice). Fluff and keep warm.
  5. While beef marinates, prep veggies: slice cucumber, shred carrots and cabbage, and prepare bean sprouts (blanch if desired).
  6. Heat a large skillet or grill pan over high heat and add a drizzle of oil. Working in batches, sear beef slices for 1-2 minutes per side until browned and caramelized. Transfer to a plate and repeat as needed.
  7. Divide cooked rice among 4 bowls. Arrange beef, carrots, cucumber, bean sprouts, and cabbage on top. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and extra green onions. Add kimchi and a drizzle of sesame oil. Serve with gochujang or sriracha on the side.
  8. Serve immediately while hot and fresh.

Notes

For best results, slice beef very thinly (freezing helps). Don’t marinate beef overnight—15 minutes to 2 hours is ideal. Cook beef in small batches over high heat for caramelization. Rinse rice well for best texture. Swap veggies or protein as desired. For gluten-free, use tamari and check gochujang label. Leftovers keep well for meal prep.

Nutrition

Keywords: Korean BBQ, beef rice bowl, bulgogi, easy dinner, weeknight meal, Asian, rice bowl, meal prep, gluten-free option, spicy, customizable, healthy, quick dinner

Find it online: https://tempotaste.com/korean-bbq-beef-rice-bowl-recipe-easy-flavorful-dinner-in-30-minutes/