Name: Korean Ground Beef Bowls
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1/2 Cup Low-Sodium Beef Broth; 3/4 Cup Low-Sodium Soy Sauce; 1/4 Cup Brown Sugar (packed); 1 Tbsp Sriracha; 1/2 Tbsp Sesame Oil; 1/2 Tsp Ground Ginger; 1/4 Tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes; 1 Tbsp Cornstarch; 3 Garlic Cloves, finely minced; 1 1/2 Lbs Ground Beef; To Serve (optional): Cooked white rice, sliced cucumbers, shredded carrots, toasted sesame seeds, sliced green onion

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For the last few years, I’ve really been trying to make a conscience effort to experience the food of different cultures. And by that, I mean more than the typical American-ized versions of Chinese, Mexican, and Italian food. Unless you live in a big melting-pot-type of city, it might be hard to experience true, authentic food from other cultures. I mean, if you’re looking for authentic Italian food, you wouldn’t go to Olive Garden. And side note, I belong to a few Italian cooking groups and, my goodness, they are protective over what people call authentic Italian food. For example, Alfredo sauce doesn’t exist in Italy. Okay, now let me course-correct… After researching and testing recipes a number of times, these Korean Ground Beef Bowls turned out incredibly. They are so delicious and so easy. You’ve got to try this one out.

There are a large number of Korean beef bowl recipes out there. There are even some of those recipes out there that are made with ground beef. Let me tell you about the difference between those recipes and this one. Sauce. That’s it, one word- Sauce. All you have to do is take a look at the pictures and see that the beef looks dry as a bone and then it is somehow serve over rice. I don’t know about you, but if I’m serving something over rice, I want it to have a sauce that the rice is soaking up, making it even more delicious. So with this Korean Ground Beef Bowl recipe, one thing that I can promise you is a beautiful, saucy beef for a final product.

Let’s talk about Korean beef first.

Korean beef has been around FOREVER. And by forever, I mean that it originated sometime in the Goguryeo era between 37 BCE and 668 CE. You may or may not already know that the technical name for Korean beef is bulgogi (pronounced “buul-GOH-ghee”) and translates to “fire meat.” Typically, bulgogi is made from a thinly sliced ribeye due to its tenderness. Because ribeye is more of an expensive meat, bulgogi was usually only enjoyed by the wealthy. Using ground beef in this recipe really cuts down on the cost of the dish, but still delivers the flavors of traditional bulgogi. Authentic bulgogi flavors include soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and scallions. Sometimes puréed fruit such as plums, pineapple, or pears are added to the sauce that the beef marinades in as well. For this recipe, instead of marinating the beef (which you really can’t do with ground beef), the beef simmers in the sauce, allowing the flavor to penetrate the beef.

Ingredients that you’ll need for Korean Ground Beef Bowls

Ground Beef– I use a lean ground beef for this recipe (like a 90/10). You can use a fattier beef, but drain the excess fat. You could also use beef stew meat or even a ground beef (vegetarian) substitute.

Low-Sodium Beef Broth

Low-Sodium Soy Sauce

Brown Sugar– light or dark will work

Sriracha– can substitute with a hot sauce that you like

Sesame Oil

Ground Ginger– I use ground ginger in this recipe to make it more pantry-friendly, but you could totally substitute with fresh (grated) ginger and it would give the recipe an extra zing.

Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

Fresh Garlic

Cornstarch

Optional: With this recipe, I serve the Korean Ground Beef over rice alongside sliced cucumbers and shredded carrots. I also top the bowl with sliced green onions and sesame seeds (and a little extra sriracha).

Let me show you how to make these Korean Ground Beef Bowls 👇🏻

Begin by combining the ingredients for the sauce in a medium bowl. Add together 1/2 cup beef broth, 3/4 cup soy sauce, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1 Tbsp sriracha, 1/2 tbsp sesame oil, 1/2 tsp ground ginger, 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, 3 minced garlic cloves, and 1 tbsp of cornstarch. Whisk together until combined and set aside.

Now add 1 1/2 lbs ground beef to a large skillet over high heat. Break up the beef as it cooks, and cook until the beef is completely cooked through and no longer pink.

Once the beef is cooked, add the sauce to the skillet.

Reduce the heat to medium and let the beef simmer in the sauce until it has reduced slightly and thickened, about 15-20 minutes.

To assemble the Korean Ground Beef Bowls, I enjoy serving the beef over a bowl of rice. Add shredded carrots and sliced cucumbers to the bowl and then top with toasted sesame seeds and sliced green onions. If you’re feeling a little extra fiery, top the bowl with an extra squirt of sriracha.

Feel free to add whatever veggies you like. Make it your own. Personally, I think that this delicious, saucy, Korean beef would go with just about anything and be total perfection.

Enjoy!!

These are the recommended products that I used to make this delicious recipe. These are not only products that I use, but products that I love.

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