• Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram
Easy Family Recipes
Free Recipe Club
  • New? Start here
  • âś± Recipe Index
  • Meal Plans
  • Chicken
  • Dinners
  • 🍲 One Dish Recipes
  • Home
  • New? Start Here
  • Recipe Index
  • Meal Plans
  • Chicken
  • Dinners
  • 🍲 One Dish Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    • Dessert
    • Salad
    • Soup
    • Side Dish
    • Dairy Free
    • Gluten Free
    • Low Carb
    • Vegetarian
    • Chicken
    • Beef
    • Ground Turkey
    • Pork
    • Pasta
    • Rice
    • Crock Pot
    • Grill
    • Instant Pot
    • Oven
    • Stove top
    • Casserole
    • One Dish
  • About
  • Press
  • Contact
  • Terms of Use
  • Terms of Use – Disclosure Policy
Search
Home / Recipes / Ingredient / Beef / Korean Beef Bowls

Korean Beef Bowls

Jump to Recipe
DF

Author:

Kimber Matherne

Updated:

October 29, 2024

This site runs ads and generates income from affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

These homemade Korean Beef Bowls are a family favorite! Filled with flavorful ground beef in a rich asian sweet and savory sauce, rice, cabbage blend, and cucumbers, this bowl is as hearty as it is delicious. It is a crowd pleaser and perfect for picky eaters since each bowl can be customized to personal preference.

Korean Ground Beef Bowl made as a fast dinner recipe. this Recipe

Table of contents

Toggle
  • Korean Beef Bowls – The EASY Way!
  • Recipe Notes
  • Recipe Step by Step
  • Recipe Tips
  • Recipe Short Cuts
  • Recipe Variations
  • What to Serve with a Korean Ground Beef Bowl
  • Korean Ground Beef and Rice Bowl Leftovers
  • More Easy Bowl and Skillet Recipes
  • Korean Beef Bowls Recipe

Korean Beef Bowls – The EASY Way!

If you have a pound of ground beef in the fridge, you are on your way to a great family dinner. I use our Korean Beef recipe in many ways, but this one is a family favorite. My kids love that they can pick toppings and make their bowl just as they like it. This Korean Beef Bowl is so tasty and has all the classic Asian flavors like garlic, ginger, and soy sauce. It even makes great meal prep.

Why I LOVE this recipe!

  • Quick – If you are making everything in this recipe from scratch, it still only takes 15 minutes to put together. So, super quick and super tasty!
  • Customizable – Like I have said, bowls are truly the best because everyone gets to pick a little of what they like. This makes dinner inclusive and fun.
  • Good For Leftovers or Fresh – These Korean ground beef and rice bowls are just as tasty with leftovers as they are with fresh items. You can use leftover Korean Beef and Asian Cucumber Salad for an even faster dinner.

Recipe Notes

This Korean Beef Rice Bowl recipe is as simple as promised! Just 20 minutes for a family friendly meal.

In this section I am going to go through a few tips and tricks I use when making this recipe to get the absolute best and most delicious results.

Make sure to scroll to the bottom for the FULL recipe card.

Ingredients + Substitutions

  • Ground Beef – I prefer to use a leaner ground beef, like 93% or higher ground beef to minimize the fat. However, use whatever you have and simply drain any excess fat.
  • Onion – Cooking the ground beef with a yellow or white onion is a great way to pack in more flavor!

Sauce

  • Soy Sauce – Soy sauce adds a salty and umami element without having to add salt. It is a staple of many Asian-inspired dished. I use normal soy sauce, but you could use low sodium or coconut aminos if needed.
  • Brown Sugar – A little sweetness is another signature flavor of a Korean BBQ beef bowl. It adds a lovely caramelization.
  • Ginger and Garlic – Fresh is best! Fresh ginger and garlic impart so much flavor into the sauce for this beef. In a pinch, you can use pre-minced garlic or ginger (found in the refrigerated produce section).
  • Sesame Oil – Sesame oil is a nutty and very pungent oil that is awesome for sauces. It adds warmth with only a small amount of oil added.
  • Garlic and Onion Powder – You can never have enough garlic and onion!
  • Red Pepper Flakes – These can be left over if you or your family do not like spice, but I highly recommend trying it with the red pepper flakes.
  • Cornstarch – We use a little cornstarch to thicken the sauce and encourage that slightly sticky texture that most Korean beef has.
  • Water – The water is used to thin the sauce out a little bit and ensure it can fully coat the ground beef.

Bowls

  • Rice – Simply cook the rice as directed on the package. You can cook it in water or in chicken or beef broth for added flavor.
  • Coleslaw Mix – This is such a life saver! Tons of crunch with no work of cutting up cabbage. You of course can use and chop whole cabbage but I just don’t have it in me to do that on busy nights.
  • Carrots – shredded carrots are another great topping that add a fresh sweet element to these bowls.
  • Cucumbers – While you can use sliced cucumbers, another delicious option is to use my Asian Cucumber Salad recipe. It is made with a tangy ginger dressing that goes great with these easy Korean beef rice bowls!
  • Spicy Mayo or Yum Yum Sauce – I typically prefer spicy mayo but the kids always like Yum Yum sauce because it isn’t spicy. Use which ever your family prefers! You can also buy premade versions of these sauces if you are short on time.

Recipe Step by Step

I am going to highlight a few key steps in the recipe here, but make sure to jump down to the recipe card for comprehensive instructions on how to make Korean Ground Beef Bowls.

How to make Korean Beef Bowl Step 1: Brown the ground beef with onion.

Start by browning lean ground beef with chopped onion.

How to make Korean Beef Bowl Step 2: Make the Korean Beef Stir Fry Sauce.

Whisk together the Korean beef stir fry sauce.

How to make Korean Beef Bowl Step 3: Pour the stir fry sauce over the ground beef and simmer until thickened.

Combine the ground beef with the stir fry sauce and simmer until thickened.

How to make Korean Beef Bowl Step 4: Assemble the Korean Beef Bowl by combining rice, Korean ground beef, cucumber, carrots and cabbage.

Assemble the Korean Beef Bowls by topping rice with the Korean style ground beef, sliced cucumbers, cabbage, carrots, and green onions.

Recipe Tips

  1. Mix up the toppings – Toppings can be anything you like so don’t feel limited but the ingredients I list. Besides the toppings listed above, some other great veggie options are avocado, broccoli, zucchini, peppers, and brussels sprouts.
  2. Cook the rice in broth – By cooking rice in chicken or beef broth, you can add so much flavor into the rice itself. This doesn’t require any extra work but results is such a tasty meal!
  3. Make a cornstarch slurry – The cornstarch must be mixed with a little water to be turned into a slurry before adding to the hot pan. This ensures it does not turn clumpy upon hitting the heat. If you do end up with clumps, you may be able to salvage the texture (it won’t affect the flavor much), by removing from heat, draining the sauce to one side of the pan, and whisking vigorously to work out the lumps.

Recipe Short Cuts

If you need to make this recipe, but are extra short on time, here are a few ideas that can help make this recipe even faster!

  • Use leftovers – While this recipe details how to make 4 bowls with fresh Korean beef, you can speed up the process by using leftovers or making a large batch of the beef at once of Korean Beef Bowl meal prep.
  • Use pre-made where you can – This can mean Instant white rice or sticky rice, pre-chopped cucumbers and carrots, a bottle of Yum Yum sauce, coleslaw mix, etc. The options are unlimited when looking for premade components to build these bowls.

Recipe Variations

If you love this easy Korean beef bowl recipe as much as we do and want some quick ways to change it up for variety, these little tips will do the trick!

  • Korean Beef Bowls with Veggies– While this bowl has some veggies, you can also try adding roasted vegetables to the bowls. Roasted bell peppers and broccoli are my favorites!
  • Korean Beef Bowl with Egg– This is where we are really starting to feel like a restaurant! Top your bowl with an over-easy fried egg for a real treat and some extra protein. You could also scramble 4 eggs and mix with the rice for a fried rice base with eggs.
Overhead view of Korean Ground Beef Bowl with cucumbers , rice, cabbage and carrots.

What to Serve with a Korean Ground Beef Bowl

Since this dish has classic Asian flavors, it will pair well with many of your favorite Asian side dishes. There are both classic options and some healthy options to keep it light. I have also included some of our favorite toppings for ideas.

Side Dish Ideas

  • Spicy Asian Coleslaw
  • Asian Style Cucumber Salad
  • Easy Steak Fried Rice
  • Rolls
  • Seaweed wrap (for a sushi taco)

Topping Ideas

  • Shredded cabbage (or short cut use coleslaw mix)
  • Asian Cucumber Salad
  • Spicy Mayo
  • Fried Egg
  • Fried Jalapenos
  • Tempura Crunch
  • Sesame Seeds
  • Green Onions
  • Carrots
  • Pineapple
  • Pickled Jalapenos

You can choose one or add a few sides to make a wholesome, well rounded dinner. 

Korean Ground Beef and Rice Bowl Leftovers

If you have leftovers after making these Korean Beef Bowls, then it is your lucky day! They save and reheat well, and can make the start of another delicious dish.

To save leftovers, separate into meal sized portions and then place in an airtight container and store:

  • in the refrigerator for 3-4 days
  • in the freezer up to a month

More Easy Bowl and Skillet Recipes

If you enjoyed this recipe, I really hope you will take a moment to grab a few more easy recipes for another busy night!

You can check out all of my Asian-Inspired recipes here, or see a few of our readers favorite recipes below.

  • Carnitas Bowl
  • Hibachi Chicken
  • Chicken Burrito Bowl
  • Taco Skillet Dinner
  • Big Mac Skillet
  • Turkey Teriyaki Stir Fry
Completed korean beef bowl with rice, cucumbers, beef, and carrots.

Korean Beef Bowls

By: Kimber Matherne
5 from 8 votes
Enjoy these super easy Korean Beef Bowls with the whole family. Customize to whatever toppings you like and have dinner on the table in 20 minutes.
Prep Time: 5 minutes mins
Cook Time: 15 minutes mins
Total Time: 20 minutes mins
8 servings
Rate this Recipe Print SaveSaved!

Ingredients 

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1/2 medium onion, diced

For the Korean sauce

  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 cloves garlic, pressed
  • 1/2 tablespoon minced ginger
  • 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 2 teaspoons corn starch
  • 2 teaspoons water

For the Bowls

  • 1 cup rice
  • 16 ounces tricolor coleslaw mix
  • 1 cup shredded carrots
  • 1 cucumber, thinly sliced, or Asian cucumber salad
  • 1/4 cup spicy mayo
  • yum yum sauce

Instructions 

To prepare the Korean Ground Beef

  • Prepare the Korean sauce by combining the soy sauce, brown sugar, fresh garlic, ginger, sesame oil, garlic powder, onion powder, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Whisk until combined.
    In a separate bowl, mix the cornstarch and water until it becomes a thin paste. Then stir it into the Korean sauce.
  • In a large skillet, brown the ground beef and onion over medium high heat, breaking the meat up with the spoon as it cooks, until no longer pink.
  • Add the Korean sauce to the beef and bring to a simmer. Cook about 5 more minutes or until the sauce begins to thicken.

To assemble the bowls

  • Cook rice per package directions
  • Place 1/4 of the rice in the bottom of each bowl. Top with 1/4 of the korean beef, coleslaw mix, shredded carrots, and cucumber salad. Drizzle with your choice of spicy mayo or yum yum sauce.
  • Optional: Cook the cabbage down in a skillet to soften it if you want less crunch. Leave it raw if you enjoy the crunch (our preference!)
Last step!Share a picture on Instagram and tag me at @easyfamilyrecipes!

Recipe Notes

The best part of these bowls is that they can be customized to what you have on hand and what your family likes.  Here are a few topping ideas that we like:
  • Asian Cucumber Salad
  • Fried Egg
  • Fried Jalapenos
  • Tempura Crunch
  • Sesame Seeds
  • Green Onions
  • Carrots
  • Pineapple
  • Pickled Jalapeños
Substitutions:
  • Onion – Cooking the ground beef with a yellow or white onion is a great way to pack in more flavor!
  • Soy Sauce – You can use low sodium or coconut aminos.
  • Ginger and Garlic – Fresh is best! Fresh ginger and garlic impart so much flavor into the sauce for this beef. In a pinch, you can use pre-minced garlic or ginger (found in the refrigerated produce section).
  • Red Pepper Flakes – These can be left over if you or your family do not like spice, but I highly recommend trying it with the red pepper flakes.
 
How to Store: To save leftovers, separate into meal sized portions and then place in an airtight container and store:
  • in the refrigerator for 3-4 days
  • in the freezer up to a month
How to Reheat: This can be reheated in the microwave in 30 second increments, or cover with tin foil and place into the oven to reheat.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1bowl, Calories: 331kcal (17%), Carbohydrates: 29g (10%), Protein: 13g (26%), Fat: 18g (28%), Saturated Fat: 5g (31%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 43mg (14%), Sodium: 515mg (22%), Potassium: 405mg (12%), Fiber: 3g (13%), Sugar: 7g (8%), Vitamin A: 2312IU (46%), Vitamin C: 23mg (28%), Calcium: 58mg (6%), Iron: 2mg (11%)

Loved this recipe?

Spread the love. It helps support my website and makes my day!

Email to a Friend Rate Recipe

Sign up to join our free recipe club & receive new recipes each week!

5 from 8 votes (3 ratings without comment)

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Did you make this recipe? Rate it:




9 responses

  1. marymiller
    October 31, 2024

    i made this, it was very yummy. and for me ,who doesnt always have ingredients, wasa very do-able. thank you.

    Reply
  2. Sheryl Bullock
    September 28, 2024

    5 stars
    My daughter made this for us when we visited her in Denver. We loved it so much that when we came home to CA we fixed it right away. We have 3 grandkids near us and they joined us for dinner. There wasn’t much left after doubling the recipe! We made the mayo/siracha dressing. Really yummy. Will definitely make this again.

    Reply
  3. Kelly
    September 23, 2024

    5 stars
    This was a total hit last night for dinner! Please oh please don’t ever stop making these weekly meal plans. I make just about every recipe you put up and have loved every single one!

    Reply
    1. Kimber Matherne
      September 23, 2024

      Thank you so much for your kind words! I am so glad it is making a difference in your home. That brings me so much joy!

      Reply
  4. Anna King
    September 11, 2024

    5 stars
    It was delicious! I sent it to my kids who are away in college. Instead of cooked onions I added crispy onion chips. It was simple to make and delicious.

    Reply
  5. Jen
    November 3, 2023

    5 stars
    My whole family loves this! Thank you!

    Reply
  6. Wanda Friesen
    July 9, 2023

    Can I use left over shredded roast beef, instead of ground beef?

    Reply
    1. Kimber Matherne
      July 10, 2023

      I think if the beef was neutrally flavored it should still turn out well with the sauce. Let me know how it goes if you try it!

      Reply
  7. Chelsey C.
    February 8, 2023

    5 stars
    This was delicious! Love love love it. Made the suggested spicy sauce to go on top and it was the perfect addition. Will make again!

    Reply
Kimber Easy Family Recipes Headshot

Hey there!

I’m Kimber. Mom of 3 and home cook.

Learn More

Need a done-for-you meal plan?

Free Meal Plan

Recipe Key

LC Low Carb IP Instant Pot DF Dairy Free D Dessert GF Gluten Free S Soup V Vegetarian CA Casserole CP Crock Pot A Appetizers

Sign up to join our free recipe club & receive new recipes each week!

Popular Posts

  • Million Dollar Chicken Bake

    Million Dollar Chicken Bake

  • Cheeseburger Pasta

    Cheeseburger Pasta

  • Million Dollar Baked Spaghetti

    Million Dollar Baked Spaghetti

  • Mexican Street Corn Casserole

    Mexican Street Corn Casserole

  • Crock Pot Tuscan Chicken

    Crock Pot Tuscan Chicken

  • Mexican Street Corn Chicken

    Mexican Street Corn Chicken

Fall Potluck Staples

  • Black Bean and Corn Salsa

    Black Bean and Corn Salsa

  • Jiffy Corn Casserole

    Jiffy Corn Casserole

  • Crock Pot Pork Carnitas

    Crock Pot Pork Carnitas

  • 3 Ingredient Crock Pot Shredded Chicken Tacos

    3 Ingredient Crock Pot Shredded Chicken Tacos

  • Chocolate Peanut Butter Ritz Cracker Cookies

    Chocolate Peanut Butter Ritz Cracker Cookies

  • White Chocolate Macadamia Cookies

    White Chocolate Macadamia Cookies

Browse by Course
Appetizer
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Dessert
Salad
Soup
Browse All Recipes

đź–¤

Reader Favorites

  • Ranch Chicken Bites
    Chicken

    Ranch Chicken Bites

  • Taco Skillet Dinner
    Beef

    Taco Skillet Dinner

  • Salsa Fresca Chicken
    Chicken

    Salsa Fresca Chicken

  • Crock Pot BBQ Chicken – 3 Ingredients!
    Chicken

    Crock Pot BBQ Chicken – 3 Ingredients!

Featured On

Free Recipe Club

Subscribe to email updates for new recipes delivered to your inbox!

Sign me up!

Psst! Looking for more
family-friendly recipes?

Check out our sister site over at:

ThePinningMama.com
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram
  • About
  • Press
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclosure Policy

© 2013-2024 · Site by MRD and OC

Process photos for how to make Korean Beef Bowls.
Process photos for how to make Korean Beef Bowls.
Korean Ground Beef in skillet and then a Korean Beef bowl prepared and ready to eat.
Ingredients for Korean Style Beef Bowl and then a prepared bowl.
Easy Korean Ground Beef Bowl garnished with green onions and carrots.
Korean Beef Bowl Recipe prepared and ready to serve.

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.