Korean Beef Bowl (Printer view)

Spicy ground beef with gochujang, served over rice with pickled vegetables and kimchi.

# What You'll Need:

→ For the Beef

01 - 1 lb lean ground beef
02 - 2 tbsp vegetable oil
03 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
05 - 3 tbsp gochujang
06 - 2 tbsp soy sauce
07 - 1 tbsp brown sugar
08 - 1 tbsp rice vinegar
09 - 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
10 - 2 green onions, thinly sliced

→ For the Pickled Vegetables

11 - 1/2 cup carrot, julienned
12 - 1/2 cup daikon radish, julienned
13 - 1/2 cup rice vinegar
14 - 1 tbsp sugar
15 - 1/2 tsp salt

→ For Serving

16 - 4 cups cooked white rice
17 - 1 cup cucumber, thinly sliced
18 - 1/2 cup radish, thinly sliced
19 - 1 cup kimchi, chopped
20 - 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

# Directions:

01 - Combine rice vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small bowl, stirring until dissolved. Add julienned carrot and daikon radish, mix thoroughly, and set aside to pickle.
02 - Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add minced garlic and ginger, sautéing for 1 minute until fragrant. Add ground beef, breaking it up with a spoon, and cook until browned and cooked through, approximately 5-6 minutes. Drain excess fat if necessary.
03 - Stir in gochujang, soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, and sesame oil. Cook for 2-3 minutes, allowing the sauce to thicken and coat the beef evenly. Remove from heat and stir in half of the sliced green onions.
04 - Divide cooked rice among 4 bowls. Top each with a generous portion of seasoned beef mixture. Arrange pickled vegetables, cucumber slices, radish slices, and chopped kimchi around the beef. Garnish with remaining green onions and toasted sesame seeds.
05 - Present bowls immediately while beef is warm and rice is steaming.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It tastes like a Korean restaurant just landed in your kitchen, without the delivery wait or the bill that makes you wince.
  • The texture contrast between the soft beef, cool pickles, and crisp cucumber is genuinely addictive.
  • You can have dinner on the table in 35 minutes, which means weeknights feel less stressful.
02 -
  • Don't skip the pickling step thinking you'll just use raw vegetables, the vinegar brine transforms those vegetables into something that elevates the entire bowl.
  • Toasted sesame oil at the end is non-negotiable, regular sesame oil tastes bland by comparison and you'll feel the difference immediately.
03 -
  • Don't drain all the fat from the ground beef unless it's excessive, a little richness keeps the beef tender and the sauce silky instead of one-note spicy.
  • Prep all your vegetables before you turn on the stove, this recipe moves fast and you won't want to chop cucumbers while your beef is getting cold.
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