Korean Ground Beef Bowl (Printable)

Savory gochujang beef over rice with fresh vegetables and kimchi

# What You'll Need:

→ For the Beef

01 - 1 pound lean ground beef
02 - 2 tablespoons gochujang
03 - 2 tablespoons soy sauce
04 - 1 tablespoon brown sugar
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
07 - 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
08 - 2 green onions, thinly sliced

→ For the Bowl

09 - 4 cups cooked short-grain rice
10 - 1 cup cooked edamame
11 - 1 cup cucumber, thinly sliced
12 - 1 cup carrot, julienned
13 - 1 cup kimchi, chopped
14 - 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

# How-To Steps:

01 - Heat sesame oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté garlic and ginger for 1 minute until fragrant.
02 - Add ground beef and cook, breaking up with a spatula, until fully browned and cooked through, approximately 5 to 6 minutes.
03 - Stir in gochujang, soy sauce, and brown sugar. Continue cooking for 2 to 3 minutes until sauce thickens and evenly coats the beef.
04 - Remove from heat and stir in half of the sliced green onions.
05 - Divide rice equally among 4 serving bowls. Top each with seasoned beef, edamame, cucumber, carrot, and kimchi.
06 - Sprinkle remaining green onions and toasted sesame seeds over each bowl. Serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The whole bowl comes together in 30 minutes, which means weeknight dinner actually tastes like you tried.
  • Gochujang gives you that addictive savory-spicy depth without needing a dozen ingredients or techniques.
  • Every element can be prepped ahead, so assembly becomes almost meditative.
02 -
  • Don't skip the browning step for the beef; it only takes a few minutes but gives the meat a deeper flavor and better texture than rushing.
  • Gochujang is thick and pasty, so stir it in thoroughly or you'll end up with pockets of intense spice in some bites and none in others.
  • If your kimchi is very liquid-heavy, drain it briefly before adding to the bowl or everything gets soggy.
03 -
  • If you find your gochujang sauce is too thin after 2-3 minutes, bump the heat up slightly for another minute—it will thicken and become more cohesive.
  • Room-temperature rice works too if you're using leftovers, and the warm beef will warm it just enough without making everything mushy.
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