Korean Ground Beef Bowl (Printer-friendly)
Savory-sweet Korean-style ground beef over steamed rice with fresh vegetables and a touch of sesame.
# What you'll need:
→ Meat
01 - 1 lb lean ground beef
→ Sauce
02 - 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
03 - 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
04 - 2 tablespoons sesame oil
05 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
07 - 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
08 - 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
→ Vegetables & Garnish
09 - 4 spring onions, thinly sliced
10 - 1 medium carrot, julienned or shredded
11 - 1 cucumber, thinly sliced
12 - 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
→ Base
13 - 3 cups cooked white or brown rice
# Method:
01 - Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook until fully browned, breaking it apart with a spoon, about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain any excess fat if necessary.
02 - In a mixing bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, minced garlic, grated ginger, red pepper flakes, and rice vinegar until well combined.
03 - Pour the sauce mixture over the browned beef in the skillet. Stir thoroughly and let it simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, allowing the beef to absorb the flavors. Adjust seasoning to taste.
04 - Divide the cooked rice evenly among four serving bowls. Spoon the saucy Korean beef over each portion of rice.
05 - Arrange the shredded carrot, sliced cucumber, and spring onions over the beef. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds. Serve immediately with extra chili flakes or sriracha on the side if desired.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The sauce caramelizes onto the beef in minutes and makes you look like you tried way harder than you did.
- It reheats beautifully for lunch the next day, maybe even better than the first round.
02 -
- Do not walk away from the sauce while it simmers because it goes from glossy perfection to burnt sugar in about thirty seconds of inattention.
- Draining the beef fat before adding sauce seems like a hassle but makes the difference between a clean glaze and a greasy puddle.
03 -
- Double the sauce and freeze half in a jar for the next time you want this meal in fifteen minutes flat.
- Toasting sesame seeds in a dry pan for sixty seconds releases oils that make them taste like a completely different ingredient.