This 15 minute Korean beef bowl is a delicious and quick weeknight meal. Ground beef bulgogi stir fried with a savory Korean sauce made with brown sugar and soy sauce. A delicious ground beef bulgogi bowl perfect for a quick Korean meal.
This 15 minute Korean beef bowl is the one of the fastest meals you can make that's still satisfying and delicious! This is one of my go to meals to make on busy weeknights when I'm craving Korean food.
I grew up eating this Korean beef bulgogi bowl and it's still one of my favorite Korean comfort foods. The ingredients are easy to find and accessible. Serve this Korean beef bowl with veggies, sesame broccoli, or kimchi on the side for texture and crunch.
Healthier Korean Beef Bowls:
- To make this low carb, use cauliflower rice or serve on a bed of spring mix or lettuce; omit the brown sugar and use liquid stevia if you prefer sweetness
- Substitute whole grains instead of white rice, i.e. brown rice, quinoa, amaranth
- use lean ground beef, I used 92% lean, 8% fat
What is Korean Beef?
Korean beef is called bulgogi or galbi depending on the cut of meat. Bulgogi 불고기, translated to "fire meat," is made with thinly sliced rib eye whereas galbi is made with beef short ribs.
This Korean ground beef bulgogi bowl recipe is a quick replacement for bulgogi by using ground beef instead of thinly sliced rib eye. Using ground beef is more accessible and affordable, it doesn't require marinating overnight, and only takes 15 minutes to make!
What is Bulgogi Sauce Made Of?
Bulgogi sauce is made with a 1 to 1 ratio of soy sauce to sugar with the addition of garlic, ginger, and sesame oil. Cooking wine can also be used to tenderize the meat. For this recipe, we'll be using bulgogi sauce to flavor our Korean ground beef bulgogi bowl.
What to Serve with Korean Beef Bowl?
Bulgogi bowls go well with broccoli or vegetables. You can also place an egg on top for extra protein. Here are some Asian sides to serve along with these Korean beef bowls:
- Korean Potato Side Dish - Gamja Jorim
- Spicy Asian Cucumber Salad
- Asian Style Dry Fried Garlic Green Beans
- Korean sesame broccoli side dish
- kimchi
How to Make 15 Minute Korean Beef Bowls - Bulgogi Bowls
Start by stir frying the ground beef and onions together until the beef is almost cooked through while breaking apart the beef into small pieces. Next, add in the bulgogi sauce and stir fry everything together.
If you'd like to make spicy Korean beef bowls, add in the optional gochujang and Korean red pepper flakes for a kick! Gochujang is a sweet and spicy Korean red pepper paste so if you plan to add more gochujang, reduce the brown sugar by a third.
Serve this with steamed rice or your choice of carbs. You can also lay the ground beef bulgogi on a bed of cauliflower rice or mixed greens. Add sesame broccoli and kimchi on the side to round out this meal!
Meal Prep Korean Beef Bowls
This recipe makes 4 servings of Korean beef bowls. Place the rice into 4 meal prep containers and spoon the ground beef bulgogi on top. Place the sesame broccoli on the side. Keep in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 1 month.
Reheating Leftovers
To reheat, place the bulgogi bowl in the microwave for about 2 minutes on high or until completely heated through. If frozen, microwave on high for 3 to 4 minutes.
I hope you enjoy this 15 minute Korean beef bowl! Please share, rate, and comment below. I’d love to hear from you!
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Want more? Check out these other recipes!
Asian Sesame Broccoli Salad 
Korean Potato Side Dish - Gamja Jorim 
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Yaki Udon | Stir Fried Udon Noodles
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Recipe
15 Minute Korean Beef Bowl
☑ Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- ¼ cup white onion - chopped
- 1 Tablespoon avocado oil
- 2 stalks scallions - chopped
- 2 cups sesame broccoli - or plain steamed broccoli
- kimchi - to serve on the side, optional
- sesame seeds - for garnish
- steamed rice
Sauce Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons brown sugar - packed tightly
- 2 Tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 1 Tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 1 Tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 cloves garlic - minced
- 1 teaspoon ginger - grated
- ½ Tablespoon Korean red pepper flakes - optional for spice
- ½ Tablespoon gochujang - Korean red pepper paste - optional for spice
Instructions
- Mix all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set it aside.
- Add the oil and ground beef to a hot pan and break it apart into small pieces while cooking the beef. When the beef is almost cooked through add in the chopped onions and the sauce. Continue to stir fry the beef with the sauce until it's completely cooked through, about 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and mix in the chopped scallions.
- Serve the Korean beef over steamed rice with sesame broccoli and kimchi. Garnish with sesame seeds on top. Serve immediately.
✎ Recipe Notes
- Gochujang is a sweet and spicy Korean red pepper paste so if you plan to add more than 1 Tablespoon of gochujang, reduce the brown sugar by a third.
- For meal prep: divide the Korean beef and rice into individual containers.
- Store in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month. This reheats well in the microwave.
Nutrition
*Nutritional information is an estimate, calculated using online tools.
Anne
This was so good! I'm wondering if the calories you listed are per serving? Does that include the rice? Thanks!
Sabrina
So yummy!
Hansika
Really good recipe.i doubled it.
Jamie
Thanks Hansika! So glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
Dana
This us a new family favourite - my husband and I both work long hours at our job and struggle to find the energy to cook dinner at night. We love the simplicity of this - and served it with some rice. Next time, we will try your cucumber salad with it! Also keen to try your pickled daikon. Thank you so much - really happy to have found your blog!
Alex
We make this all the time! So simple to put together, but so full of flavour.
Rosalind Gardner
Who knew bulgogi (one of my favorite dishes) could be SO easy! I'll definitely be making it again. Thank you!
Jamie
Thank you Rosalind! So glad you liked it! 🙂
Kathryn
Absolutely mouthwateringly delicious. Thank you!
Deanna
I'm always needing something quick and WOW. This meal was fast and delicious! Thank you, my hubby is already asking for it again.
Bob
Awesome , 15 minute dish and yes...I would make it with the egg on top!
Alexandra
This is a simple recipe, but it is PACKED full of flavour. A real delight, and family favourite!
Adriana
I absolutely love Korean cuisine flavors, love the idea of making a rice bowl with the beef on top. Perfect meal! Saving it for making it next week. Always looking for new ideas for weekly meals.
Hannah Healy
This looks amazing! I love how quick and easy it is to make!
Anita
I love quick and easy meal like this too, Jamie. I love that you are adding broccoli and kimchi to the rice bowl. Yummy. 🙂
Patty at Spoonabilities
This is an AMAZING recipe - it's fast, delicious, and um... never any leftovers! 🙂
Alison
I'm crazy for this sauce! It's so simple to make and really elevated this dish!