Description
This Korean Beef Bowl offers a flavorful and quick-to-make meal featuring lean ground beef cooked with soy sauce, fresh ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes, served over your choice of brown rice, quinoa, or cauliflower rice. Topped with pickled shredded carrots, thinly sliced cucumbers, and toasted sesame seeds, this dish combines savory, sweet, and spicy notes with refreshing crunchy textures for a balanced and satisfying bowl.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
For the Beef:
- 1 pound lean ground beef (93% lean)
- 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce, divided
- 1 1/4 cups minced scallions (both green and white parts), divided
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 3 cloves)
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons minced or finely grated fresh ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, plus additional to taste
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil, plus additional to taste
For Serving:
- Cooked brown rice, quinoa, or cauliflower rice
- 1 1/2 cups shredded carrots (see notes for pickling option)
- Thinly sliced seedless cucumbers (Persian-style or English/hot house)
- Toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Pickle the Vegetables: If desired, place shredded carrots and sliced cucumbers in a medium bowl. Add 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, 2 tablespoons water, ½ teaspoon sugar, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt to coat. Let them marinate and gently pickle while preparing the other ingredients. Drain before serving.
- Cook the Beef: In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef, breaking it into small pieces, until about halfway cooked, around 3 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon soy sauce and 2/3 of the minced scallions. Continue cooking until beef is fully browned and cooked through, about 2 more minutes.
- Add Garlic and Flavorings: Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds to release its aroma.
- Prepare Sauce: In a small bowl, mix rice vinegar, honey, minced ginger, red pepper flakes, and remaining soy sauce until combined.
- Combine Sauce and Beef: Pour the sauce over the browned beef in the skillet. Stir well and cook for 2 minutes to meld the flavors together.
- Finish with Sesame Oil and Scallions: Remove skillet from heat, stir in sesame oil, and sprinkle the remaining scallions over the top. Adjust seasoning by adding additional soy sauce or red pepper flakes to taste.
- Assemble the Bowl: Serve the hot beef mixture over cooked rice, quinoa, or cauliflower rice. Top generously with pickled carrots, sliced cucumbers, and toasted sesame seeds.
Notes
- To pickle carrots and cucumbers, marinate them in rice vinegar, water, sugar, and kosher salt for at least 10 minutes to add a refreshing tang to the dish.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Reheat leftovers gently in a skillet over medium-low heat or in the microwave until warmed through.
- For longer storage, freeze the beef mixture and pickled vegetables separately in airtight containers for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
- Use lean ground beef to keep the dish lower in fat while maintaining flavor and texture.
- Adjust the amount of red pepper flakes to control the heat level based on preference.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 9 g
- Sodium: 550 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
