This website may contain affiliate links and advertising so that we can provide recipes to you. Read my disclosure policy.
Korean Ground Beef and Rice Bowls are so incredibly easy to make and will become a family favorite! This makes the perfect weeknight meal.
Such a simple meal with all the flavor! Try these different variations of Korean beef in these recipes: Korean Beef Noodles, Korean Ground Beef Stir Fry, or Slow Cooker Korean Beef.
Korean Ground Beef and Rice Bowls
This right here is my boy’s favorite weeknight meal. They beg me to make it every week. Since we have been so busy with Lacrosse, we have been having it every week. It requires minimal ingredients and little effort to make.
With minimal ingredients and big flavor, my kids devour it every time. The ground beef browns in minutes but still brings that classic Korean taste with brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, and ginger. I always have these simple ingredients on hand, so all I need is a pound of ground beef to make it happen. Serve it over rice, toss in some veggies, and top with sesame seeds and green onions for a quick, delicious dinner you’ll make again and again. If you love these flavors, try my Slow Cooker Korean BBQ Chicken next!
How do you make Korean Ground Beef and Rice Bowls?
- In a large skillet cook the ground beef and garlic breaking it into crumbles over medium heat until no longer pink. Drain the grease.
- In a small bowl whisk brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, red pepper flakes and pepper. Pour over the ground beef and let simmer for another minute or two.
- Serve over hot rice and garnish with green onions and sesame seeds.
What temperature should ground beef be cooked to?
The interior of a raw hamburger usually does contain bacteria, and is safest if cooked well done.The USDA sets the minimum safe temperature for ground beef at 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
Can you make this with chicken?
Yes! This is a great chicken flavor as well. Sauté your chicken with all the ingredients. Cook until it is no longer pink.
What is the best rice to use?
- White rice
- Brown rice
- Jasmine rice
Looking for more simple ground beef recipes?! Here you go!
- Salsa Verde Beef and Mushroom Enchiladas
- Beefy Baked Tacos
- Tater Tot Nachos
- Cheesy Baked Ziti
- Classic Baked Spaghetti
Pin this now to find it later
Pin It
Korean Ground Beef and Rice Bowls
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef 90% lean
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 2 cups hot cooked white or brown rice
- sliced green onions and sesame seeds for garnish
Instructions
- In a large skillet cook the ground beef and garlic breaking it into crumbles over medium heat until no longer pink. Drain the grease.
- In a small bowl whisk brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, red pepper flakes and pepper. Pour over the ground beef and let simmer for another minute or two.
- Serve over hot rice and garnish with green onions and sesame seeds.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This was DELISH! Whole family loved it!
So happy that it was a success! Thank you so much for sharing that.
Should I drain the grease off of the beef?
Yes, if you have excess grease, then it would be best to drain it.
Wow this actually came out so tasty! I didn’t think I was going to like it as much I did! I’ll be making it for the second time now lol DELICIOUS!
YAY! Good job!
This is an easy and delicious meal! I added zucchini & cabbage during the simmer time after adding the sauce. Adding a teaspoon of sriracha to the sauce is also good if you like a little heat.
Love this recipe. It’s perfect. Always tastes amazing. I usually serve with steamed broccoli or snow peas. Thanks Alyssa!
Thank you for sharing! That is great to hear!
This is a great recipe! We’ve made it a few times now. Tonight our daughter had a friend over who is a very, very picky eater. She had 2 helpings! I served it with jasmine rice, potstickers and roasted sugar snap peas.
Really delicious recipe! I wanted some veggies in it so I added chuncks of bell pepper, onion, shredded carrots and topped it with green onions and cilantro. Turned out really good. will be added to my recipe rotation and so easy to make!
Delcious and quick!
Made this tonight..kids loved it!
Did 1 lb of beef & 1lb of turkey, then doubled the liquid
the only complaint I had was it was a little sweet..next time I will do less brown sugar
(we have food allergies in the house, so I used GF sauce/tamari)
next time will add some veggies to plate to make it a balanced meal
oh I would give this recipe 5 stars which i forgot to do
OMG NOM. Made this last night and it was a huge hit. I scaled back the red pepper just a hair and added cornstarch & water to bulk up the sauce and served it over leftover rice w/a steamed broccoli on the side. Perfection. This dish is cheap, easy & delicious – you hit the Trifecta, girl.
I was looking at this recipe but the ginger and red pepper has me a bit nervous. Is this spicy?
This has a bit of a kick but you are welcome to leave out the red pepper flakes. I tend to do that when I am cooking for kiddos.
Reduce sugar to 2.5 TBS, remove crushed red pepper, and add a lot of freshly ground pepper after cook is done. This way, the taste is much more authentic and closer to what my mom in Korea cooked me.
Bulgogi’s main taste profile is savory not sweetness. Although recipe above is still tasty, if you want to try the authentic version, try this modified recipe.
I don’t have sesame seed oil or seeds, so is there a substitute for either or will the flavor be totally off?
It will have a different flavor but will still be okay. I would recommend getting the oil just for the flavoring.
Please mum can I have some more
This was so yummy, my husband kept on saying “wow” while eating LOL. I sauteed yellow onion instead of green onions, and then added chopped spinach after turning off the heat. Also put some sriracha on top. I doubled the batch and it tasted even better the next day!!!
I made this for dinner tonight, and my son called me the “Chef Master.”
Thanks!
That is awesome! Way to go Chef Master! I am so happy that you impressed your family! Thanks for sharing!
Instead of rice make an extra batch of sauce for a dipping sauce and make lettuce wraps like P.F. Chang.
Really a great recipe! Perfect for a weeknight or when ingredients are slim. Make sure to really brown that beef! I cut the red pepper flakes and 1/4 of the soy sauce and replaced it with a tablespoon of gochujang which I think really turned out well! Served over jasmine rice. Definitely a keeper!
This recipe was quick, easy and delicious! Adding a fried egg on top as suggested by another reviewer took the dish to another level. I even snuck in some baby spinach, and my son who doesn’t like anything green ate the entire thing. Thank you for sharing the recipe!
I don’t eat sugar or artificial sweeteners. Wonder if it would still be good if I omitted the brown sugar…
You definitely need some sort of sweetener. When I make true Korean beef (bulgogi), I sometimes finely grate fresh Asian pear to use as the sweetener. You could also put it in the blender or food processor instead. Honey would work, but the flavor would be slightly altered.