Ground Beef Bulgogi (Easy Korean Beef Bowl)
Make delicious ground beef bulgogi in just 15 minutes! This quick, budget-friendly Korean beef bowl uses simple pantry ingredients for an easy weeknight dinner.
If you’re craving a delicious Korean beef rice bowl, try this Korean ground beef bulgogi recipe. It quickly turns a pound of ground beef into a tasty meal.
Traditional beef bulgogi, made with sliced beef, requires lengthy marinating and some prep work before cooking. While it’s a fantastic dish, it can be time-consuming.
In contrast, if you’re short on time, this ground beef bulgogi is a lifesaver. It only takes 15 minutes to cook, and you’ll have a scrumptious dinner ready, especially if you have pre-cooked rice.
It’s fantastic as a topping—especially for my easy bibimbap with ground beef! Or, take a fusion twist and stuff it into a quesadilla or pile it over noodles. However you serve it, this recipe is a total win-win!
Ingredients for Ground Beef Bulgogi
If your Asian pantry is well-stocked, you’re already ahead of the game. If not, no worries—you can grab everything at your local grocery store. Bonus: this recipe is easy on the wallet!
For the ground beef, go for a leaner cut, like 90%. It brings all the rich, meaty goodness without the greasy aftermath, making it the perfect match for the savory sauce.
How to make ground beef bulgogi
First, make quick bulgogi sauce in a small bowl and set aside.
Now, grab a skillet and cook onion and garlic in a little bit of oil.
Add ground beef and cook until beef is browned and fully cooked.
Pour the sauce mixture over the beef and let this thing to simmer until the sauce reduces.
Finally, garnish the bulgogi with green onion and sesame seeds, if desired.
Serving Suggestions
For a simple yet satisfying meal, sprinkle a modest amount of this meaty topping over a bowl of steaming rice or hearty multigrain rice.
Pair with your choice of fresh vegetables or a side of kimchi. You an also complement this dish with an assortment of traditional Korean side dishes for a complete, flavor-packed 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.
Ground Beef Bulgogi (Easy Korean Beef 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.
I just used this as a base recipe. In my mind no way to marry flavors in 2 minutes. So I cooked it about 4 hours, added ginger, more garlic a whole fugi apple grated, chicken broth, beef bouillon, red pepper flakes. All the extra ingredients added to a perfect recipe.
I made this last night, thanks to an Alexa inquiry. I made the recipe as written except I made a double batch of the sauce, added a cornstarch slurry to half of it and put in a bit of Gochugaru. I let that thicken and poured over some Asian veggies and the beef. The spice kick was FANTASTIC! Thanks for the recipe.
So happy to hear that you liked it. I like your variation of adding gochugaru. Great job!
As a an American Korean I LOVE this! I’ve tried several variations and this is the winner 🏆
That makes me so happy to hear! Thank you so much. I’m honored this version is your winner. So glad you enjoyed it!
This is such a fan favorite. My husband went “wait you made this?” So good especially with gochujang
That makes me so happy to hear! Love that your husband was impressed 😊 Adding gochujang is such a great touch!
Hi, I don’t have mirin or rice vinegar. Is distilled white vinegar with some sweetner an acceptable sub? If not, is there something else than can sub? Really want to give this recipe a try!
You can substitute white vinegar with a pinch of sugar added for balance. Enjoy the recipe!
This recipe has quickly slipped into our regular dinner repertoire. My 14yo son makes the sauce while I take care of chopping & sauteeing. So delicious, simple and fast! An excellent baseline recipe that has inspired my kid and given him confidence to experiment! 🌟 Thx so much for sharing! 😋
So happy to hear this! I love that your son is getting involved in the kitchen. That’s exactly what makes cooking together so special. And yes, this recipe is perfect as a baseline to tweak and make your own. Thanks for sharing your experience.
This was so easy, quick and delicious. Basically a clean out freezer, fridge and pantry kind of meal. I didn’t have sesame seeds so just sprinkled “everything but the bagel” seasoning on top. Delicious and enough for 4 meals.
So glad you enjoyed it! Love the idea of using ‘everything but the bagel’ seasoning—that’s such a clever swap!