Korean Ground Beef Bowl (Printable Version)

Savory seasoned beef over rice with quick pickled vegetables for a satisfying Korean-inspired meal.

# Ingredient List:

→ 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

# Directions:

01 - In a mixing bowl, combine rice vinegar, sugar, and salt. Stir until dissolved. Add julienned carrot, sliced cucumber, and sliced radish. Toss to coat evenly. Let sit for at least 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
02 - Prepare jasmine rice or cauliflower rice according to package directions. Keep warm until serving.
03 - Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and cook, breaking up 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 minutes until fragrant and saucy.
05 - Remove from heat and stir in sliced green onions and sesame seeds.
06 - Divide cooked rice among serving bowls. Top each portion with seasoned beef and a generous handful of pickled vegetables.
07 - Garnish with additional green onions and sesame seeds. Serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Everything cooks in one skillet and comes together in under 40 minutes, perfect for weeknights when you're running on fumes.
  • The pickled vegetables add a bright, tangy crunch that cuts through the richness of the beef in the most satisfying way.
  • You can swap regular rice for cauliflower rice without losing any of the flavor, making it work for low-carb goals.
  • It reheats beautifully, so leftovers actually taste better the next day when the flavors have melded together.
02 -
  • Don't skip draining the beef if there's a lot of fat, or your sauce will end up greasy instead of glossy and flavorful.
  • Let the pickled vegetables sit for the full 15 minutes, the longer they marinate, the more tangy and crisp they become.
  • Use freshly grated ginger instead of jarred or powdered, the flavor difference is night and day and it only takes a minute.
03 -
  • Toast your sesame seeds in a dry skillet for a minute before adding them, it deepens their flavor and makes them even more fragrant.
  • If your gochujang is really thick, mix it with a teaspoon of water before adding it to the beef so it distributes evenly.
  • For the crispiest pickled vegetables, slice them as thinly as possible using a mandoline or a sharp knife.
Go Back