Korean Ground Beef Bowl (Printer-friendly)

Savory-sweet Korean ground beef over steamed rice with fresh vegetables and sesame. Ready in 25 minutes.

# What You'll Need:

→ Meat

01 - 1 lb lean ground beef

→ Sauce

02 - 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
03 - 2 tbsp light brown sugar
04 - 2 tbsp sesame oil
05 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 2 tsp freshly grated ginger
07 - 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
08 - 1 tbsp rice vinegar

→ Vegetables & Garnish

09 - 4 spring onions, thinly sliced
10 - 1 medium carrot, julienned or shredded
11 - 1 cucumber, thinly sliced
12 - 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

→ Base

13 - 3 cups cooked white or brown rice

# How To Make It:

01 - Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook until fully browned, breaking it apart with a spoon, about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain any excess fat if necessary.
02 - In a mixing bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, minced garlic, grated ginger, red pepper flakes, and rice vinegar until well combined.
03 - Pour the sauce mixture over the browned beef in the skillet. Stir thoroughly and let it simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, allowing the beef to absorb the savory-sweet flavors. Adjust seasoning to taste.
04 - Divide the cooked rice evenly among four serving bowls. Spoon the saucy Korean beef generously over each portion of rice.
05 - Arrange the julienned carrot, sliced cucumber, and spring onions over the beef. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds for a nutty finish.
06 - Serve immediately while hot. Offer extra chili flakes or sriracha on the side for those who prefer more heat.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The sauce caramelizes onto the beef in minutes and tastes like you spent hours at the stove.
  • Everything cooks in one skillet which means cleanup is almost nonexistent.
  • It is endlessly adaptable so you can use whatever protein or vegetables you have on hand.
02 -
  • Do not walk away while the sauce simmers because it goes from perfectly glazed to burnt in under a minute once the liquid reduces.
  • Adding the vegetables on top rather than cooking them keeps their crunch and bright color intact.
03 -
  • Let the beef sit undisturbed for the first two minutes of cooking so it develops a real crust instead of steaming in its own moisture.
  • Toasting your sesame seeds in a dry pan for sixty seconds releases oils that make them taste ten times better than the untoasted kind.

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