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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
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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.
Made this for dinner tonight and we loved it. I steamed pre-shredded carrots and served them on the side. I also fried eggs (sunny side up) and served them on top of the bowls. The hot ingredients in the bowl cook the egg yolk when you mix everything together. Will make this one again!
Sounds delicious! I am so glad that you will make it again! Thanks so much for sharing! XOXO
This recipe is delicious!! I’ve made it a couple times and my family basically inhales it it’s so good!. I usually add more garlic than the recipe calls for because we really like garlic. I also usually add chopped onion and have added chopped broccoli or bell pepper as well. I don’t think you can really go wrong with this recipe!
This was seriously amazing. Like, I’m a picky eater but there’s not a single thing I didn’t enjoy. I added 2 eggs for a bit more gusto.. I also added twice the sauce because one portion didn’t give it enough flavour for my preferences.
YAY! I am so glad you enjoyed it all! That makes me so happy! XOXO
Great flavor. Next time, I’ll double the sauce and add a little cornstarch to thicken slightly.
Great idea!
Hey, nice name! 😉 Made this tonight for my family and we all LOVED it!! I added diced onion and carrot slivers and served it on real brown rice with a side of steamed fresh broccoli. So quick and easy! My mom, who is notorious for turning her nose at dishes with lots of flavor, kept saying how much she enjoyed it. WIN! Thank you for the recipe – will be making it again and again and again.
I LOVE your name too!! Sounds so good! Way to go! I love it! Thanks for sharing! XOXO
Hello Alyssa! I just stumbled upon your website when I found the Korean Ground Beef Rice Bowls. Wow, you are right — so tasty and easy! I’ve made it twice in one week, as my boys requested it again. I recipes like this that don’t use many ingredients and are simple to prepare. Thanks so much, and I’m looking forward to trying more recipes here.
I do have one question — do you drain the beef fat, even when using the 90% lean? I first used 85% lean and drained the fat. The second time, I did not drain the beef fat with the 90% lean. So please let me know what you do. Thank you!
-Amy
Hi Amy, Thanks so much for your wonderful comments! You are so sweet!! I am glad that you have found recipes that fit your family. When I make the bowls I usually drain the fat. It is a preference though, if you prefer to drain it or not is up to you! Hope that helps and you enjoy this recipe!! XOXO
Hi, sounds great and the reviews are excellent so thinking of making this in a few minutes, of you answer me quickly enough…?. Do you drain the ground beef once browned, before adding the sauce mixture??
Liz, you would only need to drain the ground beef if you use a higher fat ground beef. If you use 10% fat you should be fine. If you use a lower % of fat ground meat, you may need to add a little oil while cooking the meet to keep it from drying out while cooking.
Needed a meal that provided protein without sacrificing taste. Came out great. Never thought of using ground beef for a korean dish. Thanks and kudos.
OH YAY!! That is so great! I am so glad that it turned out and you loved it! Thanks so much for sharing! XOXO
Made it tonight, but substituted lean, shaved beef, which I had marinated 24 hours in 1/3 of the liquid. Sautéed chopped onion, shredded carrots and chopped (canned) straw mushrooms. Took veggies out of the pan and turned the heat on high. 2 minutes for the saved beef, then veggies back in and the rest of the liquid. Served it over brown rice and roasted asparagus on the side. My only complaint ? We wanted more. Excellent recipe that will go into frequent rotation . Might make more liquid next time to serve with the rice.
That sounds AMAZING! You are making me want some! I am so glad that you created it for your liking! Thanks so much for sharing! XOXO
We love the korean ground beef and rice bowl it is a family favorite.
YAY!! That is great to hear! XOXO
I live in Alaska and have TONs of moose burger. I am always looking for new recipes to use ground moose burger. Came across this one yesterday and tried it last night, it was AMAZING! I doubled the sauce and cooked my sweet onion and shredded carrots in a separate frying pan w sesame oil and half the sauce (I like them softer and needed to give them more time) then poured the veggies onto my cooked meat and added the rest of the sauce. It’s a perfect blend of sweet and spicy. I used pretty much the exact amount of brown sugar (a tad less) and the reduced sodium soy sauce. Thanks so much! I just know this is going to be a new favorite!!
OH WOW!! That is amazing! I LOVE Alaska! I would love to try it with moose burger! Great idea. I love that you made this recipe your own! Thanks so much for sharing! XOXO
I made a version of this tonight! I had to kinda work it- we’re out of brown sugar so I subbed white sugar and molasses, didn’t have sesame oil so I used good olive oil and then used a hefty amount of toasted sesame seeds at the end. I also added carrot, cabbage, celery and onion. This will definitely be happening once a week around here! My 18 month old son is still asking for more!
WOW!! That sounds great! I am so glad that you could improvise and make it work. I love all your changes! Thanks for sharing! XOXO
So super good. My husband’s favorite meal. It’s also the easiest!
That is always the best when the husband loves the meal! Way to go! XOXO
This recipe has become a household favorite! I added frozen sweet peas too.
Great idea! Peas are a great addition! Thanks so much for sharing! XOXO
I made this for my kids as a lunch over the weekend and they LOVED it. I love how quick and easy it was to make. They have requested it be added into their lunch rotation for school and I don’t mind at all. My eldest told me I absolutely had to come back to write a review and she has never insisted on that in her 13 years. LOL Thank you for a great meal!
That is AWESOME to hear! When the kids love a meal you have to pat yourself on the back! Way to go! I am so glad they loved it! Thanks for sharing! XOXO
This was really good, and super easy. It is like an instant bulgogi. I plan to use this, add some garlic and cut back on the sesame oil, add peanuts, and serve on soft tortillas. maybe some thinly sliced sirloin or ribeye would work well here, also. Thanks so much for sharing this.
That all sounds delicious! I love your changes! I am glad that you could make it your own! Thanks for sharing! XOXO