Korean Ground Beef Bowls

These Korean Ground Beef Bowls are so incredibly easy to make - the perfect weeknight meal! It will quickly become a new meal prep favorite that you will make again and again! Gluten-free too. 

Ready to meet the hottest new quick Asian meal on the block? One that will rock your meal prep game and require minimal ingredients and little effort?! Then you're ready to meet my Korean Beef Bowls.

The fried ground beef takes only minutes to brown from all sides and is then simmered in a rich salty-sweet sauce that comes together in a pinch!

Trust me, you will be surprised that with such a small list of ingredients, you can still get ALL that delicious Korean flavor. The brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, and ginger combination is simply the best.

This is one of the recipes that prove that you don't need a bunch of fancy ingredients to whip up a delicious Asian meal.  Of course, there are some secret additions that make this extra special. Gochujang and Asian pear, to be more specific.

The fried beef is so delicious served over steamed rice and you can add some seasonal veggies to your bowls to make these a bit different every single time. A truly well-rounded bowl.

Whether served as a bowl of stored in meal prep containers, make sure to sprinkle with some sesame seeds and freshly chopped green onions and you have about the easiest Korean meal that you will ever make!

 A note on the Asian pear:

Asian pears provide a unique texture and refreshing taste and they keep in the refrigerator for a month. I LOVE them and you will agree that this is a unique and delicious fruit. They bring a fruity freshness to this Korean meal prep dish. When combined with garlic, ginger, soy sauce, brown sugar, and sesame it creates a unique flavor that is not only perfect for short ribs but also for all things ground beef, chicken, and pork.

If you cannot find it, you can use regular pears.

How to make Korean Ground Beef Bowls

If you’d like to quick-pickle your veggies, start with that and let them soak for 30 minutes or more.

Quick pickle recipe:

• 1 cup sliced radish and sliced pickled cucumbers
• 1 cup water
• ¾ cup white vinegar, rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 2 tsp salt

In a pot mix 1 cup water, ½ white wine vinegar, 3 tbsp sugar, and 2 tsp salt. Heat until dissolved. Place veggies in two small or one large glass container and pour vinegar mixture on top.  Soak for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Prep: If you don’t have cooked rice, start it while you prep your ingredients and make the rest of the recipe so that everything’s ready at the same time. In a blender, add all the sauce ingredients and blend until smooth.

Step 1 & 2  - Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and cook beef until it’s almost cooked (no longer pink), about 5 minutes, breaking it down in small bites with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Drain excess fat if any and return the skillet to the stove.

Step 3 - 5 Pour sauce over and cook, stirring until sauce thickens and is absorbed by the beef, about 2-3 minutes.

Assemble: 

In individual bowls or plates, add rice or cauliflower rice as a base. Spoon beef and top it with scallions and sesame seeds. Add the radish, cucumbers, and carrots. Serve and enjoy!

Tips:

• Ground beef does contain bacteria and is safest if cooked well done. The USDA sets the minimum safe temperature for ground beef at 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
• This stir-fry sauce works great with ground turkey and chicken as well. Sauté it with all the ingredients. Cook until it is no longer pink.
• About Gojujang paste: this is what makes this dish typically “Korean” taste-wise vs just standard “Asian” so if you can get your hands on it, don’t hesitate one second. Otherwise, another pepper paste would work (but again, the taste won’t be the same).

5 from 5 votes

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Korean Ground Beef Bowls

These Korean Ground Beef Bowls are so incredibly easy to make - the perfect weeknight meal! It will quickly become a new meal prep favorite that you will make again and again! Gluten-free too. 

Course Main Course

Cuisine Asian, Korean

Keyword ground beef bowl, Korean beef bowl

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Servings 4

Calories 313 kcal

Ingredients

• 1 lb lean ground beef

For the sauce:

• ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons coconut sugar or brown sugar
• 2 garlic cloves peeled
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger peeled
• ½ cup pear peeled and cubed (if you can find Asian pear, it’s even better!)
• 2 teaspoons Gochujang hot pepper paste - see notes
• ½ teaspoon fresh black pepper

For the bowl:

• 4 cooked rice or 8 cups cauliflower rice (2 cups uncooked rice)
• 1 cup radish sliced (quick pickled, ideally - see recipe below)
• 1 cup pickling cucumbers or English cucumbers sliced (quick pickled, ideally - see recipe below)
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• ½ cup scallions sliced
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Instructions

1. If you’d like to quick pickle your veggies, start with that (see the recipe below in the notes) and let them soak for 30 minutes or more.
2. If you don’t have cooked rice, start it while you prep your ingredients and make the rest of the recipe so that everything’s ready at the same time.
3. In a blender, add all the sauce ingredients and blend until smooth.
4. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and cook beef until it’s almost cooked (no longer pink), about 5 minutes, breaking it down in small bites with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Drain excess fat if any and return the skillet to the stove.
5. Pour sauce over and cook, stirring, until sauce thickens and is absorbed by the beef, about 2-3 minutes.
6. In individual bowls or plates, add rice or cauliflower rice as a base. Spoon beef and top it with scallions and sesame seeds. Add the radish, cucumbers and carrots. Serve and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

About Goshujang paste: this is what makes this dish typically “korean” taste-wise vs just standard “asian” so if you can get your hands on it, don’t hesitate one second. Otherwise, another pepper paste would work (but again, the taste won’t be the same).

Quick pickle recipe:

1 cup sliced radish
1 cup sliced pickle cucumbers
1 cup water
¾ cup white vinegar, rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
3 tbsp sugar
2 tsp salt

In a pot mix 1 cup water, ½ white wine vinegar, 3 tbsp sugar, and 2 tsp salt. Heat until dissolved. Place veggies in two small or one large glass container and pour vinegar mixture on top.  Soak for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Nutrition Facts

Korean Ground Beef Bowls

Amount Per Serving (1 /4)

Calories 313 Calories from Fat 135

% Daily Value*

Fat 15g23%

Saturated Fat 4g25%

Cholesterol 70mg23%

Sodium 656mg29%

Potassium 722mg21%

Carbohydrates 18g6%

Fiber 3g13%

Sugar 9g10%

Protein 27g54%

Vitamin A 5494IU110%

Vitamin C 11mg13%

Calcium 86mg9%

Iron 4mg22%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

If you tried this Korean Beef  Bowl Recipe, don’t forget to rate the recipe below and let me know how it went in the comments – I love hearing from you! You can also follow me on Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook for more deliciousness and behind-the-scenes!

More Asian-inspired recipes you would love:

• Asian Glazed Meatballs
• Cauliflower Fried Rice
• Asian Slaw with Ginger Peanut Dressing
• Chicken Lettuce Wraps