These Korean beef bowls (With Gochujang Sauce) are a satisfying and budget-friendly dinner that takes just 30 minutes to prepare.
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These Korean beef bowls are a quick and easy variation of traditional bulgogi, which is prepared with thinly sliced marinated beef. An adaptation of a recipe from mykoreanitchen.com, these bowls are packed with flavor and pair perfectly with plain basmati rice or Japanese garlic-fried rice.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- Quick and easy recipe: Traditional bulgogi can be time-consuming, requiring a long marinating time and extensive preparation. This 30-minute variation delivers all the same flavor in a fraction of the time.
- More affordable than traditional bulgogi: Ground beef is significantly cheaper than the conventional rib-eye, sirloin, or tenderloin typically used in bulgogi recipes.
- Perfect for meal prep: This freezer-friendly recipe is ideal for preparing meals in advance, just like my kofta recipe.
- Customizable: Check out all the fun ways you can customize these Korean beef bowls in the 'substitutions and variations' section below.
- Great for entertaining: Set up a bowl bar and serve the components separately. Your family and friends will have a ball creating their bowls.
Ingredient notes
The beef
- Extra-Lean Ground Beef: Opt for lean ground beef (85/15) for the best flavor with minimal excess grease.
- Sesame Oil: Dark toasted sesame oil adds an authentic nutty flavor that's essential to Korean cuisine.
- Cooking Oil: Too much sesame oil can be intense, so I add Avocado Oil for extra volume. Any oil that tolerates high heat, such as Canola or Sunflower, can also be used.
- Garlic: Fresh minced garlic provides aromatic depth. For optimal results, use fresh garlic rather than pre-minced garlic or garlic powder in this Korean beef bowl recipe.
- Ginger: Adds a zesty, warming note that elevates the entire dish. Fresh ginger has the brightest flavor, but ground ginger is a suitable substitute.
The marinade
- Soy Sauce: Provides the savory umami foundation for the sauce. Refer to the "substitutions and variations" section below for alternatives.
- Brown Sugar: Dark brown sugar adds a deep molasses note and balances the salty soy sauce.
- Rice Vinegar: I prefer using seasoned rice vinegar for added flavor. If you can't find any at your local store, plain rice vinegar will do.
- Sriracha: My favorite seasoning for many recipes, and my marinade wouldn't be complete without it.
- Red Pepper Flakes: Not an essential ingredient, but since I'm used to spicy food, I like to add some to my Korean beef bowl marinade.
The Garnishes
- Basil: I love the aroma and taste of basil in my Korean ground beef bowls.
- Green Onions: Green onions take these bowls from a simple weeknight meal to a great recipe!
- Sesame Seeds: These add a perfect finish and a delicious crunchy texture to Korean Bowls, the best part, in my opinion!
The Gochujang sauce
- Gochujang Paste: This fermented red chili paste is available at Asian grocery stores. It is an integral part of Korean cuisine, adding a significant amount of flavor to any Korean-inspired dish.
- Soy Sauce: I like to add soy sauce to the gochujang for that umami flavor.
- Red Pepper Flakes: I can never have enough spices in my food! You can eliminate or use less of this ingredient depending on your palate.
- Rice Vinegar: A small amount of rice vinegar helps balance the spicy, salty, and sweet flavors of the other ingredients.
- Honey: The honey adds sweetness and thickens the sauce to a perfect consistency.
Please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete list of ingredients, measurements, and detailed recipe instructions.
Substitutions & variations
- Change the vegetables: Add fresh or sautéed carrots, cucumber, bell peppers, and even spinach to your bowls.
- Switch up the meats: ground chicken, ground turkey, and thinly sliced, sautéed meats work very well. For vegans, try this recipe with Impossible Meat.
- Try a different carb base: use white rice as shown, or try the Korean ground beef bowl with some fried rice, garlic rice, or noodles as the base for your bowl.
- Make this a low-carb bowl: Eliminate the Starch and serve the beef over spaghetti squash or cauliflower rice for a lower-carb option. Try the bowls with only vegetables. Shred some napa cabbage, saute some Broccoli or tri-colored bell Peppers, and snap peas.
- Swap the brown sugar for a healthier alternative: Try honey or Swerve brown sugar as a substitute for brown sugar in the marinade.
- Switch up the soy sauce: Use low-sodium soy sauce if you're on a low-sodium diet, or opt for tamari for a gluten-free alternative.
- Try different garnishes: For a crunchy topping, add crushed peanuts and crispy noodles. If you're not in the mood to chop and cut the veggies, add some fresh microgreens.
Step-by-step instructions
- Step 1: Combine and heat both cooking oils together. Saute the crushed ginger and garlic for about 1 minute, and then add the ground beef and fry until it is no longer pink.
- Step 2: Cover and simmer in its juices for 10 minutes. Prepare the marinade while the meat is cooking, add it to the par-cooked beef, and simmer on low heat for an additional 10 minutes.
- Step 3: Bring to a boil and cook on high until all the liquid has evaporated.
- Step 4: Fry for a few minutes at the end till the meat is medium to dark brown. Plate, garnish, and enjoy your Korean beef bowls.
Expert Tips
- Repurpose your leftovers: If you have any leftover meat after dinner is over (you probably won't), use it to make bulgogi spring rolls, bulgogi tacos (yes, that's a thing), bulgogi pizza, or fill it in lettuce and make yourself a healthy wrap for lunch the next day.
- Save time: Cook your rice, sauce, and beef simultaneously so
everything finishes at the same time. I usually cook my rice in my Instant Pot and cook the meat and sauce simultaneously using two different burners on my stove. - Use the right beef: Too much fat makes the meat taste heavy, while less fat results in dry, flavorless meat. For optimal results, use meat with a fat content of 15%.
- Double the Sauce: Making extra gochujang sauce takes no additional time and comes in handy for cooking stir-fries or marinating meats.
Recipe FAQS
What's the best tool to cook the beef in?
Cook the beef in a Wok or pot with a heavy base and tall sides. This helps conduct heat well, and the tall sides make it easy to stir the beef constantly so it cooks evenly.
How do I store my Korean beef bowls?
Store the beef mixture and rice separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. For meal prep, portion the beef and rice into individual containers and top with fresh garnishes just before eating.
Can I freeze this dish?
Yes! Both the cooked beef mixture and rice can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Other beef recipes you may like
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Korean Beef Bowls (With Gochujang Sauce)
These Korean Beef Bowls with Gochujang are an easy and affordable take on traditional Korean Beef Bulgogi prepared with thinly sliced meat.
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Ingredients
Beef
- 1 lb extra lean ground beef (see notes)
- ½ tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil (see notes)
- 1 tablespoon garlic paste
- 1 tablespoon ginger paste
Marinade
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup dark brown sugar (see notes)
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sriracha
- 1 tablespoon red chili flakes (see notes)
Toppings
- 2 tablespoon chopped basil
- 2 tablespoon chopped green onions
- 2 tablespoon sesame seeds
Gochujang Sauce
- ¼ cup gochujang sauce
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon red chili flakes (see notes)
- 2 tablespoon rice vinegar
- ⅛ cup honey
Instructions
Beef Bowls
- Combine and heat both oils together. (see notes)
- Saute the garlic and ginger paste for 1 minute.
- Add the ground beef, frying till it is no longer pink, cover and simmer in it's own juices for 10 minutes.
- Prepare the marinade while the meat is cooking.
- Add the marinade and simmer the mixture on low heat for another 10 minutes.
- Uncover and cook on high till all the liquid evaporates, sauteing for a few minutes at the end till the meat is a medium to dark brown.
- Serve with the rice, garnishes, and gochujang sauce.
Gochujang Sauce
- Mix all of the ingredients in a saucepan.
- Whisk till well combined.
- Bring to a boil and then simmer till slightly thickened. (see notes)
Notes
The beef - I prefer using 85% lean beef for my Korean beef bowls. Any leaner than this and the meat will be too dry. Any more fat than 15% and the bowls will be too greasy.
The sugar - Dark brown sugar is best for this recipe, but light brown sugar is a good alternative if you can't source dark brown sugar. If you want a healthier alternative, you can use honey or brown swerve sugar.
The oil - Sesame seed oil lends a nice nutty flavor to the beef, but too much of it can sometimes be overpowering. Since we're using extra-lean ground beef in this recipe, we need more than just ½ tablespoon of oil, so I add a little bit of regular cooking oil to the mix. Any oil that can tolerate high heat, such as avocado, canola, or sunflower (to name a few), can be used.
Red chili flakes - I like my food on the spicy side, so I add some red pepper flakes to my marinade and Gochujang sauce. If you prefer your beef less spicy, you can halve the amount or omit this ingredient altogether.
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 363kcalCarbohydrates: 32gProtein: 29gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 70mgSodium: 1832mgPotassium: 639mgFiber: 2gSugar: 24gVitamin A: 864IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 90mgIron: 5mg
Have you tried this recipe yet?Mention @Untoldrecipesbynosheen or tag #Untoldrecipesbynosheen!
sandra axelrod
This sounds so delicious that I can't wait to try it! Just have to pick up some ground beef
Nosheen Babar
Let me know how it goes!
Saima Kamal
Loved the flavor, but felt it was a tad dry. Would have liked some more sauce to go with the rice. Otherwise, a great weeknight meal ?
untoldrecipesbynosheen
Hi Saima. Thank you for the review and suggestion. I'll work on some options for a sauce so you can enjoy it the way you like it .
Aasiya Sachwani
Nosheen - I made this for a quick dinner (had been doing a detailed clean in my kitchen and so had very little time). I loved it! It was SO flavourful and so easy to make ?
Nosheen Babar
Hi Aasiya!
I'm so glad you tried and liked the recipe.It's one of my go-to's for a quick dinner as well.