Korean Ground Beef Bowl (Printable)

Savory seasoned beef over rice with tangy quick-pickled vegetables, ready in 35 minutes.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Beef

01 - 1 lb lean ground beef
02 - 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari for gluten-free
03 - 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
04 - 1 tablespoon brown sugar
05 - 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
06 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 1 teaspoon gochujang or sriracha, optional
08 - 2 green onions, thinly sliced
09 - 1 tablespoon sesame seeds

→ Rice Base

10 - 4 cups cooked jasmine rice or cauliflower rice

→ Quick Pickled Vegetables

11 - 1 cup carrot, julienned
12 - 1 cup cucumber, thinly sliced
13 - 1/2 cup radish, thinly sliced
14 - 1/2 cup rice vinegar
15 - 1 tablespoon sugar
16 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

→ Garnish

17 - Additional green onions, sliced
18 - Extra sesame seeds

# How To Make:

01 - Combine rice vinegar, sugar, and salt in a bowl and stir until dissolved. Add carrot, cucumber, and radish, toss to coat. Let sit for at least 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
02 - Prepare jasmine rice or cauliflower rice according to package instructions. Keep warm until assembly.
03 - Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and cook, breaking apart with a spoon, until browned and cooked through, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Drain excess fat if necessary.
04 - Add soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, and gochujang to the beef. Stir thoroughly and cook for 2 to 3 additional minutes until fragrant and sauce develops.
05 - Remove from heat and stir in sliced green onions and sesame seeds.
06 - Divide cooked rice among bowls. Top each with seasoned ground beef and a generous portion of pickled vegetables.
07 - Top with additional green onions and sesame seeds. Serve immediately.

# Top Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together faster than you'd think, making weeknight dinners feel intentional rather than rushed.
  • The pickled vegetables add brightness that keeps you coming back for bite after bite, no heavy feeling afterward.
  • You can swap rice for cauliflower rice without sacrificing flavor, which means it adapts to whatever your mood calls for.
02 -
  • Don't skip draining excess beef fat if your meat is particularly fatty, because it changes the texture from satisfying to heavy in an instant.
  • The pickled vegetables are doing more than just sitting there looking pretty—they're cutting through the richness of the beef and keeping your palate interested from first bite to last.
03 -
  • If you're prepping for a busy week, make your pickled vegetables the night before because they actually improve as they sit, becoming more flavorful without getting mushy.
  • Toast your sesame seeds in a dry skillet for one minute before adding them to the bowl, and you'll taste the difference in their nutty depth immediately.
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