Easy bibimbap recipe made with ground beef, colorful vegetables, and gochujang sauce. A quick Korean rice bowl you can make at home in under an hour.

Ground beef bibimbap served in a bowl on a wooden tray with gochujang sauce on the side.

Bibimbap (비빔밥) means “mixed rice” in Korean — a warm bowl topped with colorful vegetables, beef, egg, and gochujang, all stirred together before eating. It’s one of Korea’s most iconic comfort meals, both nourishing and endlessly customizable.

While traditional versions often use marinated bulgogi beef, which takes longer to prepare, this simplified recipe uses ground beef for a quicker, just-as-satisfying approach.

Bibimbap with vegetables and ground beef neatly arranged in a serving bowl.

As someone who grew up in Korea, I’ve enjoyed bibimbap in many forms — from sizzling stone bowl versions to weeknight family meals like this one.

With my tips, you can make authentic-tasting bibimbap at home in under an hour, without sacrificing flavor or balance.

What You Need to Make Bibimbap

Vegetables and ground beef bulgogi ingredients for bibimbap.

Meat

Many bibimbap recipes use marinated bulgogi, but it takes time to prepare. This version uses ground beef bulgogi, which takes less than 15 minutes and mixes more evenly with the rice and vegetables. It’s flavorful, fast, and ideal for weeknight meals.

Want to skip the meat? Just use tofu or double up on mushrooms for a vegetarian or vegan version.

Vegetables (Namul)

In Korean, the seasoned vegetables used in bibimbap are called namul (나물). You can mix and match based on what’s in your fridge, but aim for a variety of textures and colors.

Common vegetables include:

  • Spinach
  • Soybean sprouts
  • Zucchini
  • Carrots
  • Mushrooms (shiitake, oyster, or button)
  • Radish or cucumber (lightly pickled or sautéed)

Pro Tip: Sauté each vegetable separately and season lightly for the best layered flavor.

Gochujang Sauce

Ingredients for bibimbap sauce including gochujang, sesame oil, and seasonings.

This signature red sauce pulls everything together. If you have basic Korean pantry staples, it’s quick to whip up. Mix everything together and adjust to your taste. You’ll need:

  • Gochujang (Korean chili paste)
  • Gochugaru (chili flakes)
  • Sugar
  • Sesame oil
  • Corn syrup (optional for shine)
  • Korean plum extract (optional, adds sweet tang)
Top view of mixed Korean rice bowl with vegetables, rice, and ground beef stirred with a spoon.

How to make bibimbap

Making bibimbap at home might seem complex, but it’s really about prepping each component, then assembling them into one colorful, delicious bowl. Here’s how to do it step by step.

1. Prepare the rice. Cook short-grain rice (Korean or Japanese-style). It should be warm, slightly sticky, and ready by the time toppings are done.

Ground beef cooking in bulgogi sauce in a skillet for bibimbap.
Bibimbap sauce made with gochujang in a small mixing bowl.

2. Cook the Beef and Make the Sauce. Cook the Beef and Make the Sauce. Sauté ground beef with seasoning. Mix gochujang sauce separately.

Cooked soybean sprouts seasoned for Korean rice bowl topping.
Sliced Korean radish sautéed until tender in a skillet.
Zucchini slices sautéed until tender in a skillet.
Green watercress lightly stir-fried in a skillet as a vegetable topping.
Sliced shiitake mushrooms sautéing in a skillet until tender.
Shredded carrots sautéed in a skillet until soft and tender.

3. Prepare the vegetables. Blanch or sauté each vegetable and season lightly.

Helpful Tip: Start with light-colored vegetables like radish and finish with darker ones like mushrooms. This helps each ingredient keep its natural color and flavor, and lets you use just one skillet with less cleanup.

Prepared Korean vegetables, ground beef, and gochujang sauce ready for assembling a rice bowl.

4. Assemble. Scoop rice into a bowl, neatly arrange the beef and vegetables on top, and finish with a sunny-side-up egg in the center. Drizzle the gochujang sauce on top — or serve it on the side so everyone can add to taste.

Korean bibimbap served in a bowl and drizzled with gochujang sauce.

5. Serve. To eat bibimbap the traditional way, drizzle the sauce over the top, then mix everything thoroughly with a spoon — rice, vegetables, egg, and all — until each bite is packed with balanced flavor. This Korean rice bowl is hearty enough on its own, but it pairs beautifully with a light soup like kimchi bean sprout soup for a satisfying, well-rounded meal.

How to Make Dolsot Bibimbap Without a Stone Bowl

Dolsot bibimbap is traditionally served in a sizzling stone bowl that crisps up the rice and keeps the dish hot. But you can recreate that same delicious texture at home using a small cast-iron or heavy-bottomed skillet.

Dolsot-style bibimbap cooked in a cast-iron skillet with crispy rice.
Spoonful of crispy dolsot-style bibimbap showing golden rice crust.

Coat the pan with a little sesame oil, add warm rice, and arrange the toppings on top. Press gently and cook over medium heat until the bottom turns golden and crispy. Then scrape up the crust, mix everything, and serve hot.

🎥 Watch how I do this in a skillet at 4:09 in the video below for an easy dolsot-style bibimbap at home.

Bibimbap recipe video

More Easy Korean Meals to Try

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A bowl of Korean bibimbap is on a wooden tray with gochujang sauce on the side

Ground Beef Bibimbap

Servings: 6 people
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Quick Korean bibimbap recipe made with ground beef, seasoned vegetables, rice, and spicy gochujang sauce. Easy to make in under an hour!
5 from 7 ratings
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Recipe Video

Ingredients

Bibimbap sauce

For bibimbap

  • 6 cup freshly cooked white rice
  • 6 egg
  • 1 lb ground beef bulgogi, see not below for vegetarian or vegan option

Bibimbap vegetables

  • 1 lb soybean sprouts
  • 1 lb Korean radish, sliced into very thin matchsticks
  • 2 small zucchini, sliced
  • 1 bunch watercress, sliced
  • 6 oz shiitake mushroom, thinly sliced
  • 2 carrots, sliced into thin matchsticks (see note)

Vegetable seasonings

Instructions 

To make bibimbap sauce

  • Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well; set aside.

To make bibimbap vegetables

  • For the soybean sprouts, blanch them in boiling water for 5 minutes and drain. Season with a a mixture of 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 2 teaspoons Korean soup soy sauce, pinch salt, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, 2 teaspoons sesame seeds, and 2 tablespoons finely chopped green onions. Toss well.
  • For the radish, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the 2 teaspoons of minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add radish slices and a couple pinches of salt, and toss well. Cover with a lid and cook until soft, about 2 minutes. Drizzle 2 teaspoon of sesame oil. Taste and add more salt if needed.
  • For zucchini, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add 2 teaspoons garlic, zucchini slices, and salt. Stir fry until soft, about 1-2 minutes. Add 2 teaspoon sesame oil and 1 teaspoon sesame seeds. Toss well.
  • For watercress, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet over medium heat, add the 2 teaspoons of minced garlic and watercress; stir fry for 1 minute. Drizzle 2 teaspoon Korean soup soy sauce and cook until wilted.
  • For mushrooms, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet over medium heat, add the 2 teaspoons minced garlic and the mushrooms; stir fry for 1 minute. Drizzle 2 teaspoon Korean soup soy sauce and cook until soft. Sprinkle in 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds at the end and toss.
  • For carrots, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add carrot and salt and toss together for 30 seconds. Pour in 2 tablespoons water to create steam and cover with a lid immediately. Cook for 1-2 minutes until soft. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds at the end and toss.

For ground beef and egg

  • Cook ground beef bulgogi according to the recipe direction.
  • For eggs, fry eggs to sunny-side up or over easy in hot oil.

Assembling Bibimbap

  • Put a desired amount of rice on the bottom of a large serving bowl. Arrange the vegetables on top of the rice in alternating colors for a good visual presentation. Put bulgogi meat in the center. Place an sunny-side up egg on top.
  • You can either drizzle the bibimbap sauce (about 2 tablespoon) directly over the rice bowl, or you can put the sauce in a small sauce bowl on the side next to the bibimbap so that your guest can add the sauce directly to the bowl in their desired amount.

Notes

Pro Tip: Cook lighter-colored vegetables first (like radish) and save darker ones (like mushrooms) for last. It keeps colors vibrant and lets you use a single skillet without flavor overlap or extra cleanup.
For carrot: I use package pre-shreded carrot matchsticks. It’s a time savor and makes prep time shorter.
For vegetarian or vegan bibimbap: You can either omit the beef and egg, or replace with tofu and other plant based protein.
 
Cuisine: Korean
Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course, Rice Dishes
Author: Holly Ford
Web Story: https://www.beyondkimchee.com/web-stories/bibimbap/
Calories: 659kcal, Carbohydrates: 71g, Protein: 29g, Fat: 29g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g, Monounsaturated Fat: 12g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 217mg, Sodium: 1278mg, Potassium: 1049mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugar: 16g, Vitamin A: 3956IU, Vitamin C: 46mg, Calcium: 166mg, Iron: 5mg
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