Korean Ground Beef Bowl (Printable)

Savory seasoned beef over rice with tangy pickled vegetables

# What You 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 for heat
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:

01 - In a bowl, combine rice vinegar, sugar, and salt, stirring until dissolved. Add carrot, cucumber, and radish, tossing to coat evenly. 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, breaking it apart with a spoon while cooking 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 if using to the cooked beef. Stir thoroughly and cook for 2 to 3 additional minutes until fragrant and sauce coats the meat.
05 - Remove from heat and fold in sliced green onions and sesame seeds, stirring gently to combine.
06 - Divide cooked rice or cauliflower rice evenly among serving bowls. Top each portion with seasoned ground beef and a generous handful of pickled vegetables.
07 - Top each bowl with additional green onions and sesame seeds. Serve immediately while warm.

# Expert Hacks:

01 -
  • The whole thing comes together in 35 minutes, so weeknight dinners feel less like a chore and more like a small victory.
  • That tangy-savory balance between the seasoned beef and pickled vegetables is absolutely addictive, and honestly, it keeps you coming back for one more bite.
  • It adapts to whatever's in your fridge or your dietary needs without losing its soul.
02 -
  • If you cook the green onions and sesame seeds for more than a minute after adding them, they lose their brightness and crunch—add them at the very end and you'll taste the difference immediately.
  • The pickled vegetables need time to actually pickle, so don't skip that 15-minute rest period; they'll taste raw and sharp instead of that perfect balanced tang you're after.
03 -
  • Toast your sesame seeds in a dry pan for about a minute before using them—the difference in flavor is dramatic and takes almost no extra time.
  • Don't drain the fat from the beef completely if it's just a small amount; that's where flavor lives, so leave just enough to coat the pan and make the sauce cling to the meat.
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