Easy Korean Beef Bowl (Printer-Friendly)

Quick savory beef with gochujang glaze over rice, topped with fresh vegetables

# What You Need:

→ Beef & Sauce

01 - 1 lb lean ground beef
02 - 2 tablespoons gochujang
03 - 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
04 - 2 tablespoons brown sugar
05 - 1 tablespoon sesame oil
06 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
08 - 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
09 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

→ Rice Base

10 - 4 cups cooked white rice or cauliflower rice

→ Fresh Toppings

11 - 1 cup cucumber, thinly sliced
12 - 1 cup carrot, julienned or shredded
13 - 2 green onions, thinly sliced
14 - 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
15 - 1 fresh red chili, sliced thin (optional)
16 - Kimchi for serving (optional)

# How-To Steps:

01 - Heat sesame oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and cook for 4-5 minutes, breaking apart the meat until browned and cooked through.
02 - Add minced garlic and grated ginger to the beef. Sauté for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Stir in gochujang, soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, and black pepper. Mix thoroughly and simmer for 2-3 minutes until the sauce thickens and coats the beef evenly.
04 - Taste the beef mixture and adjust seasoning as desired. Remove from heat.
05 - Divide cooked rice or cauliflower rice among four serving bowls. Top each portion with the prepared Korean beef.
06 - Top each bowl with sliced cucumber, julienned carrot, green onions, toasted sesame seeds, and optional fresh chili or kimchi. Serve immediately.

# Helpful Hints:

01 -
  • The gochujang sauce is umami-rich and slightly spicy without being overwhelming, so even people who claim they don't like heat always ask for seconds.
  • It comes together faster than takeout, and your kitchen will smell incredible—the kind of smell that makes people drift toward the stove asking what you're making.
  • You can customize it endlessly, swapping rice types or protein depending on what you have on hand or what your body needs that day.
02 -
  • Don't skip browning the beef properly—if you cook it on too low heat or crowd the pan, you'll steam the meat instead of searing it, and you'll miss out on the caramelized flavor that makes this dish sing.
  • Taste your sauce before serving and trust yourself to adjust; gochujang brands vary in heat and saltiness, so what works in one kitchen might need tweaking in yours, and that's not a failure—that's you making it your own.
03 -
  • Use a meat thermometer or just break the largest piece open—if there's no pink and the juices run clear, you're done; overcooking ground beef makes it rubbery and tough.
  • Make extra sauce because you'll find yourself drizzling it on leftovers, roasted vegetables, or even scrambled eggs the next morning, and suddenly this recipe has given you three dinners instead of one.
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