This easy Korean beef bowl recipe is a quick weeknight dinner made with ground beef, garlic, soy sauce, ginger, and a touch of sweetness. Served over rice with fresh toppings, it’s a flavorful 20-minute meal the whole family will enjoy!

This Korean beef bowl recipe is a quick and flavorful dinner that’s perfect for busy nights. The ground beef is simmered in a savory-sweet sauce made with garlic, ginger, and soy sauce, then served over rice for a hearty, family-friendly meal. It is ready in about 20 minutes you’ll want to make again and again.

 

Korean beef bowls are also incredibly versatile and so easy! You can top them with fresh vegetables, a fried egg, or sesame seeds for extra flavor and texture. Whether you’re looking for something different to do with ground beef, a meal prep idea, or a family-friendly recipe, this Korean beef bowl will become a go-to favorite.

Ingredients Needed

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• Lean Ground Beef – you can use ground turkey as well, the flavor will just change a little
• Soy Sauce
• Brown Sugar
• Rice Vinegar
• Sesame Oil
• Gochujang Sauce – you can find this in a lot of grocery stores in the Asian aisle, Trader Joe’s sells it or you can find it on Amazon.
• Garlic
• Fresh Ginger
• Green Onions
• Sesame Seeds
• White Rice

How To Make Korean Beef Bowls

1. Brown Ground Beef. In a large skillet brown ground beef over medium high heat, breaking apart. Once it is no longer pink, drain away any excess grease. Add garlic and ginger and cook for a couple minutes until you can really start to smell them.
2. Make Sauce. In a liquid measuring cup mix together brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar and gochujang sauce. Whisk until combined.
3. Simmer. Pour the sauce over the meat and mix until combine. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5-6 minutes until it is thick and well coated.
4. Serve. Serve the beef mixture over rice topped with green onions and sesame seeds.

Recipe Tips & Suggestions

• Gochujang Sauce. This really is what makes it have Korean flavor, so ideally you don’t want to skip it. If you really can’t find it Sriracha will work to give it a little spice and depth of flavor.
• Add Veggies. If you have bell peppers or carrots or other veggies in the fridge that you want to add to this, you can sauté them with the ground beef and add them to the bowls.
• Toppings. You can go crazy with the toppings and make these bowls a full meal. A fried runny egg is amazing. You can add shredded carrots and cucumber like I did for a fresh crunch. If you have kimchi that would really complete the Korean flavor.
• Spicy. As the recipe is written it is not very spicy. If you want more spice you can use more gochujang sauce or you can add red pepper flakes to the beef mixture.
• Saucy. If you want extra sauce to have over the rice you can definitely double the sauce portion of the recipe.

Storage

Store leftover Korean beef in an airtight container. You can reheat in the microwave until it is warmed through. I usually like to store it over rice in individual serving sizes for easy lunches the next day.

Freezing

The beef mixture is absolutely freezer friendly. I like to store in a freezer safe bag, so I can get all of the air out. They will last for 3-4 months in the freezer. Just thaw in the fridge before reheating and serving over rice.

More Easy Ground Beef Recipes

• Ground Mongolian Beef Bowls
• Walking Taco Recipe
• Maid Rites
• Porcupine Meatballs
• Hamburger Rice Casserole