Korean Ground Beef Bowl
This easy Korean ground beef bowl features sticky rice, caramelized garlicky beef, and a sweet-savory sauce for a comforting, flavor-packed dinner in just 20 minutes. It’s perfect for busy weeknights, meal prep, and totally customizable with your favorite toppings.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Korean
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb ground beef (85% lean preferred)
- 1/4 cup soy sauce (or tamari/coconut aminos for gluten-free)
- 2–3 tbsp brown sugar
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated (or 1/2 tsp ground ginger)
- 1 tbsp sesame oil, plus more for drizzling
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (to taste)
- 3 cups cooked white or brown rice (about 1.5 cups uncooked)
- 2–3 green onions, sliced
- 1–2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- Optional toppings: quick-pickled carrots or cucumbers, sliced radishes, shredded cabbage, kimchi, sriracha or gochujang, fried or soft-boiled egg
Instructions
- Rinse 1.5 cups uncooked rice under cold water until clear. Add to rice cooker or saucepan with 3 cups water and a pinch of salt. Cook per package or rice cooker instructions (15–20 minutes). Let rest 5 minutes, then fluff.
- In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, red pepper flakes, and grated ginger until sugar dissolves. Adjust sweetness or spice to taste.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high. Add ground beef and break up with a spatula. Let brown undisturbed for 2–3 minutes, then stir and cook until no longer pink (5–6 minutes total). Drain excess fat, leaving a little for flavor.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add minced garlic and sauté with beef for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Pour sauce mixture over beef. Stir to coat and simmer 2–3 minutes until sauce thickens and caramelizes.
- Turn off heat. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Stir in half the green onions, reserving the rest for garnish. Drizzle with extra sesame oil if desired.
- Divide cooked rice among bowls. Top with beef mixture and your choice of toppings: green onions, sesame seeds, pickled veggies, kimchi, or a fried egg. Serve hot.
Notes
For gluten-free, use tamari or coconut aminos. For low-carb, serve over cauliflower rice. Customize toppings with pickled veggies, kimchi, or a fried egg. Drain excess fat before adding sauce for best texture. Store beef and rice separately for meal prep. Adjust spice level to taste.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (about 1/4 of recipe with rice and toppings)
- Calories: 550
- Sugar: 10
- Sodium: 950
- Fat: 22
- Saturated Fat: 7
- Carbohydrates: 48
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 25
Keywords: Korean ground beef bowl, easy dinner, 20-minute meal, beef rice bowl, meal prep, Asian bowl, gluten-free option, dairy-free, spicy, quick weeknight dinner