Korean Beef Bowls (Printable)

Savory Korean beef with jasmine rice, crisp vegetables, and sesame-gochujang sauce. Ready in 25 minutes.

# Ingredient List:

→ Beef

01 - 1 pound lean ground beef

→ Sauce

02 - 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
03 - 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
04 - 1 tablespoon sesame oil
05 - 4 garlic cloves, minced
06 - 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
07 - 1 tablespoon gochujang (Korean chili paste) or 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
08 - 2 teaspoons rice vinegar

→ Rice and Bowls

09 - 1 1/2 cups jasmine or short-grain white rice
10 - 2 cups water

→ Toppings

11 - 2 medium carrots, julienned
12 - 1 small cucumber, thinly sliced
13 - 4 scallions, thinly sliced
14 - 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
15 - Kimchi (optional)
16 - Fresh cilantro (optional)

# Steps:

01 - Rinse rice under cold water until the water runs clear. Add rice and 2 cups water to a saucepan, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 12–15 minutes until tender. Fluff with a fork.
02 - In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, gochujang, and rice vinegar until well combined.
03 - Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and cook, breaking it up with a spatula, until browned, about 5 minutes. Drain excess fat if needed.
04 - Pour the sauce over the beef and cook, stirring, for another 2–3 minutes until the beef is evenly coated and the sauce has thickened slightly.
05 - Divide the steamed rice among 4 bowls. Top each with the beef mixture, carrots, cucumber, scallions, sesame seeds, and optional toppings like kimchi or cilantro. Serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The sauce comes together in seconds but tastes like it simmered all day
  • You can customize the toppings based on whatever is in your fridge
  • It hits those perfect sweet, salty, and spicy notes everyone craves
02 -
  • Draining too much fat from the beef leaves the final dish dry, so keep a little grease for mouthfeel
  • The sauce continues to thicken as it stands off the heat, so do not over-reduce it in the pan
  • Fresh ginger and garlic make an enormous difference compared to jarred versions
03 -
  • Toast your sesame seeds in a dry pan for 2 minutes before adding them for next-level flavor
  • Let the beef get dark and crispy in spots, that texture contrast is what makes restaurant versions so good

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