Korean Ground Beef Rice Bowl

A bowl of white rice topped with ground meat, sliced cucumbers, shredded carrots, green onions, and sesame seeds, with a fork on the side and a salad in the background.

Korean ground beef rice bowl made on the stovetop in 20-minutes. A high-protein, meal-prep-friendly weeknight dinner topped with a quick cucumber salad.

Course dinner, Main Course

Cuisine Asian

Diet Low Lactose

Keyword korean ground beef

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 10

Total Time 20

Servings servings

Calories 398

Author Robyn Conley Downs

Equipment

Skillet

Ingredients

2 teaspoons neutral oil (such as avocado or canola oil)
1 pound 93% lean ground beef
3 green onions, thinly sliced, green and white parts separated

For the Sauce

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce (or tamari for gluten-free)
1 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
2 teaspoons gochujang (see notes)

Optional Cucumber Salad

2 cups seedless cucumber, sliced
½ cup carrots, shredded
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

To Serve

2 cups steamed white rice

Instructions

Make the Sauce: In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the garlic, ginger, soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and gochujang until the sugar and gochujang have completely dissolved.
Cook the Beef: Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef, breaking it into small crumbles, and cook for 3-4 minutes until beginning to brown. Add the white parts of the green onion (save the green parts for topping), and continue cooking for 2–3 more minutes, until the beef is browned and no longer pink.
Add the Sauce: Pour the sauce over the beef and stir to combine. Simmer for 2 minutes, until the sauce is slightly reduced and the beef is well coated.
Make the Salad: While the meat is cooking, make the salad in a medium bowl by combining the cucumber, carrots, 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, ½ teaspoon salt, and 2 teaspoons sesame oil, tossing to combine. Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes for the flavors to combine.
Serve: Build the bowls by adding ¼ cup of the rice, ¼ of the beef, and ¼ of the cucumber salad to a bowl. Top with reserved sliced green onions and sesame seeds if that’s your thing.

Notes

Optional Serving Suggestions: avocado, sesame seeds.
Gochujang: Don't have gochujang on hand? Sriracha works as a 1-to-1 substitute in a pinch. The flavor is less complex and more straight heat but it gets the job done and the sauce is still really good.

Nutrition