Korean-Style Beef Bowls are a quick and flavorful 30-minute dinner inspired by Korean bulgogi. Made with ground beef, a savory-sweet sauce, and fresh, zesty toppings, this easy weeknight meal is endlessly customizable and guaranteed to become a family favorite!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
As a busy family, we’re constantly looking for true 30-minute meals to make for dinner, and Korean-Style Beef Bowls is one of our favorites. This recipe is inspired by Korean Bulgogi – a mouthwatering beef dish flavored with tamari, garlic, sesame oil, and green onions – that’s equal parts savory and sweet. Serve over rice with a plethora of fresh, spicy, and tangy toppings for a customizable meal the whole family will love!
Korean Bulgogi-Inspired Ground Beef Bowls
If you’re anything like me, you typically turn a pound of ground beef into simple suppers like spaghetti or burgers. My Korean-Style Beef Bowls, though, are a fun and even faster way to switch up ground beef night.
We’re talking 30 minutes MAX from fridge to table!
Inspired by Korean bulgogi, a savory-sweet grilled beef dish, this recipe swaps sliced steak for economical ground beef while keeping all the mouthwatering flavor.
Serve the beef over rice with banchan, the small, savory side dishes traditionally served alongside rice in Korean cuisine, and let everyone build their own bowl.
Believe it or not, this is the dish that got my kids into kimchi, and is a great way to pack in fresh vegetables!
Serving Tip
These beef bowls are great for kids who don’t like their food touching each other because you can serve the components completely separate, or all together in a bowl. Totally up to you!
Main Ingredients Needed
We almost always have everything on hand in the fridge and pantry to make this easy dish. Here’s what you’ll need:
For the Ground Beef:
- Ground beef: whatever you have in the refrigerator or freezer.
- Green onions: flavor the beef.
For the Sauce:
- Gluten-free Tamari: or soy sauce if you’re not GF.
- Toasted sesame oil: a traditional flavor in bulgogi. A little goes a long way.
- Sugar: for a sweet contrast to the savory flavors.
- Rice vinegar: to balance out the sweetness.
- Ginger and garlic: for tons of craveable flavor.
For the Toppings:
This is the fun part! The toppings add pops of acidity, spiciness, and freshness to the savory-sweet ground beef base. Here are my favorites:
- Kimchi: I like Cleveland Kitchen brand, which is widely available at grocery stores.
- Pickled jalapenos: for tang and spice. I am LOVING Cleveland Hot Honey Pickled Jalapenos if you can find them!
- Spicy mayonnaise: made from mixing mayo and your desired amount of Sriracha hot sauce.
- Sliced cucumbers
- Quick-pickled carrots
- Chopped green onions
- Toasted sesame seeds
Try Easy Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry
How to Make Korean-Style Beef Bowls
- Step 1: Brown ground beef in a skillet with chopped green onions.
- Step 2: Add the sauce then saute for 1-2 minutes or until it’s nearly absorbed.
- Step 3: Scoop the ground beef over cooked rice then add all your favorite toppings and dig in.
I typically opt for exactly what you see here: kimchi, spicy mayo, cucumber, sliced green onions, and sesame seeds. YUM!
How to Store and Reheat
Like most ground beef dishes, this one reheats beautifully. It makes for a super quick and easy lunch!
- To store: pack the ground beef separate from the rice in airtight containers, then refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- To reheat: scoop the rice and beef into a microwave-safe bowl then cover and microwave until hot. Add the toppings, then enjoy!
Freezer Tip
The cooked ground beef freezes very well. Cool the beef, then add it to a freezer bag, remove the air, and freeze flat. Thaw in the refrigerator then reheat in a skillet over medium heat, or in the microwave in a microwave-safe container.
More Global-Inspired Gluten Free Recipes
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- black pepper
- 2 green onions, chopped
- Cooked white rice, for serving
For the sauce:
- 1/4 cup reduced-sodium gluten-free Tamari, or reduced-sodium soy sauce if not GF
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon water
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed or finely minced
For the toppings:
- Kimchi, Cleveland Kitchen brand recommended
- Hot Honey Pickled Jalapenos, Cleveland Kitchen brand recommended (or regular pickled jalapenos)
- Spicy mayonnaise, made from mixing mayo with Sriracha
- English cucumber, thinly sliced
- Quick-pickled carrots
- Chopped green onions
- Toasted sesame seeds
For the beef:
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Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat then add the ground beef, season with pepper, and brown until the beef is cooked halfway through. Add the green onions then continue to saute until the beef is fully cooked. Drain if necessary then return to the skillet.
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Turn the heat down slightly then pour the sauce into the skillet and stir to combine. Simmer until the beef has absorbed nearly all the sauce, 1 – 2 minutes, then turn off the heat.
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Scoop cooked rice into bowls then spoon the beef mixture on top. Add desired toppings then serve.
- Estimated nutritional information is for the ground beef portion only.
Calories: 142kcal, Carbohydrates: 5g, Protein: 17g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 47mg, Sodium: 591mg, Potassium: 300mg, Fiber: 0.3g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 40IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 17mg, Iron: 2mg
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
Photos by Ashley McLaughlin