Korean Ground Beef Bowl (Printable)

Savory seasoned beef over rice with crisp pickled vegetables

# What You'll Need:

→ Beef

01 - 1 lb lean ground beef
02 - 2 tablespoons soy sauce (use tamari for gluten-free)
03 - 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
04 - 1 tablespoon brown sugar
05 - 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
06 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 1 teaspoon gochujang or sriracha, optional
08 - 2 green onions, thinly sliced
09 - 1 tablespoon sesame seeds

→ Rice Base

10 - 4 cups cooked jasmine rice or cauliflower rice

→ Quick Pickled Vegetables

11 - 1 cup carrot, julienned
12 - 1 cup cucumber, thinly sliced
13 - 1/2 cup radish, thinly sliced
14 - 1/2 cup rice vinegar
15 - 1 tablespoon sugar
16 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

→ Garnish

17 - Additional green onions, sliced
18 - Extra sesame seeds

# How-To Steps:

01 - In a bowl, combine rice vinegar, sugar, and salt, stirring until dissolved. Add carrot, cucumber, and radish, tossing to coat evenly. Allow to sit for at least 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
02 - Prepare jasmine rice or cauliflower rice according to package directions. Keep warm until assembly.
03 - Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and cook, breaking apart with a spoon, until browned and cooked through, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Drain excess fat if necessary.
04 - Add soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, and gochujang if using. Stir thoroughly and cook for 2 to 3 additional minutes until fragrant and saucy.
05 - Remove from heat and stir in sliced green onions and sesame seeds.
06 - Divide rice or cauliflower rice among serving bowls. Top with seasoned beef and a generous portion of pickled vegetables.
07 - Garnish with additional green onions and sesame seeds. Serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The pickled vegetables add such a bright, tangy punch that you'll find yourself craving this bowl on random afternoons.
  • It comes together in 35 minutes flat, making it perfect for weeknight cooking when you want something restaurant-quality without the stress.
  • You can swap the rice for cauliflower rice or pile it over greens—it's flexible enough to fit whatever's in your kitchen or your mood.
02 -
  • Don't drain all the liquid from your pickled vegetables when you add them to the bowl—that tangy brine is part of the whole experience and keeps everything from tasting one-dimensional.
  • If your beef tastes flat after cooking, it's probably because the ginger and garlic didn't cook long enough to lose their raw edge; those 2 to 3 extra minutes make all the difference.
03 -
  • Toast your own sesame seeds in a dry skillet for 2 minutes before using them—the flavor becomes deeper and more aromatic than store-bought toasted seeds.
  • If you're using gochujang, mix it with a tiny bit of water first so it disperses evenly instead of clumping up in the hot beef.
Go Back