Go Back

25-Minute Korean Ground Beef Bowl

25-Minute Korean ground beef bowl with a savory-sweet soy and gochujang glaze, browned in a skillet and finished with toasted sesame. Served over hot white rice with crisp cucumber, shredded carrot, red cabbage, and fresh scallions.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Korean
Calories: 630
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

garlic, minced
  • 4 garlic minced
fresh ginger, minced
  • 1 tsp fresh ginger minced
soy sauce
  • 3 tbsp soy sauce
granulated sugar
  • 2 tbsp granulated sugar
water
  • 2 tbsp water
gochujang
  • 2 tsp gochujang
black pepper
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper
neutral oil
  • 1 tbsp neutral oil
lean ground beef
  • 1 lb lean ground beef
toasted sesame seeds
  • 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
toasted sesame oil
  • 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
hot cooked white rice
  • 4 cup hot cooked white rice
English cucumber, thinly sliced
  • 0.5 unit English cucumber thinly sliced
carrot, shredded
  • 1 unit carrot shredded
red cabbage, shredded
  • 0.25 unit red cabbage shredded
scallion, thinly sliced
  • 1 unit scallion thinly sliced

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Make the glaze
  1. Stir together the minced garlic, minced fresh ginger, soy sauce, granulated sugar, water, gochujang, and black pepper in a small bowl until smooth and uniform, about 1 minute with no visible sugar pockets.
Brown the beef
  1. Heat the neutral oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then add the lean ground beef and cook, breaking it into small pieces, until browned, about 6 minutes (glassy edges and no pink remain).
  2. Stir in the sauce and cook until it evenly coats the beef, about 1 minute, until the glaze looks glossy and clings to the meat.
  3. Turn off the heat and stir in the toasted sesame seeds and toasted sesame oil until fragrant and evenly mixed.
Build the bowls
  1. Divide the hot cooked white rice among bowls, keeping the rice steaming for the best texture.
  2. Top each bowl with the glazed beef so the sauce gathers at the base of the rice.
  3. Divide the thinly sliced English cucumber, shredded carrot, shredded red cabbage, and thinly sliced scallion among the bowls, layering on top for a fresh crunch.

Notes

For the fastest weeknight workflow, shred the carrot and cabbage and slice the scallions while the beef is browning. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; reheat the beef gently in a skillet over medium-low until hot, and assemble with fresh cucumber and scallion just before eating. Freezing is not recommended because the crunchy vegetables lose texture. For a lower-sodium option, use reduced-sodium soy sauce and keep gochujang the same.