Korean Ground Beef Bulgogi Bowl
This Korean ground beef recipe makes satisfying ground beef bulgogi within 20 minutes. You get to enjoy authentic taste of Korean beef bowl without marinating the beef for a long time. This crispy, savory dish is a perfect quick and budget-friendly dinner option!
Korean Beef Bowl made with Ground Beef
If you are looking for a good Asian bowl of beef and rice, add this Korean ground beef recipe to your repertoire. It transforms a pound of ground beef into a healthy Korean beef and rice bowl in no time.
Traditional sliced beef bulgogi requires a long marinating time and needs some prep work before you start cooking. It makes a wonderful Korean beef dish, no doubt.
However, if you are in a time crunch, but need something quick to feed yourself and your family, this recipe will come to the rescue. It’s healthy, if using lean ground beef, and affordable– a perfect budget Asian meal. Use this ground beef bulgogi as a topping, especially for an easy bibimbap recipe.
If you would like another quick bulgogi dish with a western twist, try my Philly style bulgogi cheesesteak. It’s quick, delicious, and everyone would love it.
Use of ground beef bulgogi recipe
This simple Korean ground beef and rice bowl is a time-saving solution for preparing various Korean dishes.
- Bibimbap (Korean mixed rice with ground beef and vegetables): Substitute the classic bulgogi with this ground beef recipe. It’s easier to mix and blends well with other vegetables, resulting in a better taste and texture.
- Kimbap (Korean seaweed rice roll): Korean ground beef works wonderfully as a filling for delicious bulgogi kimbap.
- Rice balls: Mix this Korean bbq ground beef with leftover rice to create satisfying snacks or appetizers in no time.
What to eat with ground beef bulgogi
- Rice or noodle – If you want to serve this recipe as a Korean beef rice bowl, cooked rice is a must, of course. But plain noodles or soba noodles also make a nice accompaniment for this Korean beef bowl.
- Kimchi – if you love kimchi and have a jar of kimchi in your refrigerator, it makes a great meal together.
- Try my easy vegan kimchi recipe if you prefer mild flavored kimchi.
- Vegetable – Use any vegetable of your choice. Steamed broccoli, zucchini, or green beans go particularly well with this beef recipe.
- Simple Korean side dishes – If you want to stretch your savory muscles a bit, try my Korean cucumber salad, soybean sprout side dish, and spinach side dish. They are all quick to make, within 15 minutes, and each makes a wonderful one dish meal.
Ingredients list
- Ground beef – Opt for a leaner cut like 90% for your Korean ground beef recipe, ensuring a healthier option without compromising on the rich, meaty flavors.
- Onion and garlic: Aromatic essentials. They form a flavor foundation that’s crucial for creating a Korean beef bowl.
- Green onion – An optional garnish
For the bulgogi sauce
- Soy sauce: Essential to any Korean bbq recipe, soy sauce imparts the savory depth that is characteristic of Korean cuisine, setting the stage for a delectable ground beef bulgogi.
- Sugar: Sweetens the soy sauce base, creating a balanced and rich sauce that complements the savory notes in your Korean beef bowl.
- Sweet rice wine (mirin): A staple in Korean BBQ recipes, mirin enhances the sauce with a mild sweetness and a glossy finish, perfect for coating each strand of ground beef.
- Sesame oil: For that unmistakable scent and flavor that you find in authentic Korean beef dishes, sesame oil offers a smoky richness that’s essential for a genuine Korean food experience.
- Pepper: A pinch of pepper adds a slight kick, which subtly elevates the meat’s taste.
- Sesame seeds: Added as a garnish, sesame seeds not only provide a pleasant crunch but also intensify the sesame flavor throughout the dish.
How to make Korean ground beef bulgogi
Step 1. Whisk all the bulgogi sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
Step 2. Heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic, and cook until soft, about 1-2 minutes.
Step 3. Add ground beef and cook until beef is browned and fully cooked.
Step 4. Pour the sauce mixture over the beef and stir to combine. Allow the mixture to simmer until it is heated through and the sauce reduces, about 1-2 minutes.
Step 5. Garnish with green onion and sesame seeds, if desired. Serve immediately.
How to serve Korean ground beef bowl
For a simple yet satisfying meal, sprinkle a modest amount of this meaty topping over a bowl of steaming Korean short grain rice or hearty multigrain rice.
Alternatively, create a classic Korean beef bowl by heaping the savory ground beef over rice in a generous bowl, paired with your choice of fresh vegetables or a side of kimchi. Complement this dish with an assortment of traditional Korean side dishes for a complete, flavor-packed meal.
Adaptation Tip! Did you realize that this crispy Korean ground beef is the perfect stuffing for quesadillas? Combine it with a cheese of your choice that melts well, toss in some fragrant cilantro for an aromatic lift, and you’ve got yourself a fantastic Mexican-Korean fusion dish. It’s a versatile recipe that works wonderfully as a snack or a full meal!
Storage and Reheating tip
Store leftover beef in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. You can also freeze it in a freezer-safe zip bag for up to 3 months. To reheat, either microwave to heat through or cook in a skillet with a little bit of oil over the stove top.
More popular Korean dishes
Don’t miss out these famous Korean dishes. You can make these recipes easily at home.
- Korean Fried Chicken Recipe
- Easy Japchae (Korean Glass Noodles)
- 20-Minute Tteokbokki (Spicy Korean Rice Cake)
- Kimbap (Korean Seaweed Rice Roll)
- Beef Bulgogi (Korean BBQ Beef)
- Hotteok Recipe (Korean Sweet Pancake)
Korean Ground Beef Bulgogi Bowl
Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1/2 onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lb (450g) ground beef, preferably 90% lean
- 2 green onion , finely chopped, optional
For bulgogi sauce
- 4 tbsp soy sauce
- 2-3 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp sweet rice wine (mirim)
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Mix all the bulgogi sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
- Heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic, and cook until soft, about 1-2 minutes. Add ground beef and cook until beef is browned and fully cooked.
- Pour the sauce mixture over the beef and stir to combine. Allow the mixture to simmer until it is heated through and the sauce reduces, about 2 minutes. Garnish with green onion and sesame seeds, if desired. Serve immediately.
This is one of the best posts I’ve ready in quite a while. Nice work.
This recipe is delicious, I did add some gochugaru for some heat and it’s amazing! Thank you for this recipe!!
Wow, this recipe is absolutely amazing!! I made it for the first time today and I’ll definitely be making it more in the future.
so good. Added a thumb of ginger plus more on the garlic and onions. So good and medicinal.
Awesome and easy recipe. Thank you. I added a thumb plus of ginger, and added more garlic and onions than stated. Soo good and medicinal.
Loved this recipe! Perfect for a quick weeknight dinner. Modified this recipe to make it gluten free by using tamari instead of soy sauce, and it still tasted great. Thanks for this recipe!
Simple, delicious & satisfying without the expense of eating out! My girls couldn’t be happier to take these leftovers to school.
Hi Gina
I’m so pleased that you enjoyed it. Thank you so much!
This is my go to recipe for a quick bulgogi craving. I chop steak and marinate it in the bulgogi sauce . If you have Maggi Seasoning, I use 2tbsp of soy sauce and 2 tbsp of Maggi Seasoning. The recipe is already delicious but this makes it even more flavorful.
This was super good. The only thing I did different was add a little ginger and had gochujang paste on the side. Thanks for the recipe.
I made this today for lunch and it was super easy and delicious. Usually I make bulgogi and let it marinade for a day but this was a great substitute for that! I added 1/4 tsp grated ginger, about 2 tbsp grated Korean pear, and some diced mushrooms. Ate it over rice with kimchi and kakdugi 👍🏻
Hi there,
I don’t have mirin. Could I sub sweet rice vinegar?
You can just omit the rice wine and add 1 teaspoon of rice vinegar in the sauce. Thanks!
Fabulous flavor, so easy to prepare!!! Thanks for sharing this recipe!!!
Hi Camilly
Im’ thrilled to hear that you liked this recipe. Thank you so much for your comment!
Hi!
I’ve made this a couple of times now. I love how it is so easy and quick and comes out delicious. I sometimes add sliced mushrooms, julienne carrots, paprika.
Thank you!
Hi
I am so glad that you like this recipe. Yes, mushrooms and carrots are great additions to make this dish hearty. Thanks for your comment.
Add gochujang flakes, serve with pickled carrots and cucumber
I have made this recipe probably 5 or 6 times. AMAZING!
Instead of the beef, I used ground chicken which is equally as good. This is a crowd pleaser and will be in my list of keeper recipes forever. Thank you!