Korean Beef Bowls

A bowl of white rice topped with ground beef, sliced cucumber, avocado, kimchi, and a sunny-side-up egg, garnished with sesame seeds and red pepper flakes—perfectly paired with a refreshing watermelon feta salad for a vibrant and satisfying meal.

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Sticky, garlicky Korean beef spooned over rice with all that perfect pan saue, this is the bowl you mak when you wan dinner to taste like wa more effort than it was. This hits high protein, sweet, spicy and umami all at once.

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Korean

Servings: bowls

Calories: 519kcal

Author: Danielle Lima

Ingredients

For the Beef

1 lb. lean ground beef (93/7)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. fresh ginger, grated
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil
1-2 Tbsp. gochujang paste (start with 1)
1/2 tsp. black pepper
3 green onions, whites minced and greens sliced

For the Pickled Cucumber

1 whole cucumber (or 4 cukes), thinly sliced
3 Tbsp. rice vinegar
1 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
pinch of chili flakes, optional

For the Bowls

2 cups cooked rice, jasmine or short grain rice
1 cup kimchi, roughly chopped
4 whole fried sunny side up (strongly recommended) see notes for nutrition without
1 avocado, sliced
sesame seeds, garnish
Gochujang sauce (optional sweet & savory topping)

Instructions

Combine the sliced cucumber with rice vinegar, sugar, salt, and chili flakes if using. Toss and set aside to quick pickle while you cook everything else. Even 10 minutes makes a real difference.
Heat a large skillet over medium high heat, no oil needed since the beef has enough fat to render on its own. Add the ground beef and the green onions. Break the beef up as it cooks.
Once the beef is mostly browned, about 4 minutes in, add the garlic and ginger. Cook another minute until fragrant, don't let the garlic sit in there too long or it turns bitter.
Stir in the soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, gochujang, and black pepper. Cook for 3 to 4 more minutes, stirring often, until the liquid reduces and clings to the beef instead of pooling at the bottom of the pan. Don't rush it off the heat early. It will thicken as it sits.
While the beef finishes, fry your eggs in a separate pan to your preferred doneness. A runny yolk that breaks into the bowl is the move here though.
Divide the rice between 4 bowls. Top with the beef (115g), 1/4 cup of kimchi, 14 of the quick pickled cucumbers, and 1/4 sliced avocado.
Top each bowl with a fried egg and finish with and sesame seeds.
Note: these are fantastic for meal prep. If meal prepping just add the kimchi and avocado when you're ready to enjoy. I even meal prep with my egg on top.

Notes

Nutrition facts include rice, avocado and egg. To lower fat or carbs opt out of the egg and avocado and swap rice with cauli rice or a combo.
Nutrition facts without rice, egg & avocado so you can build what works: 262 calories: 26 grams protein, 13 grams carbs, 11 grams fat
Nutritional information is an estimate and will vary with substitutions.
Gochujang paste and gochujang sauce are two different products. The paste (thick, in a tub) goes into the beef. The sauce (thin, squeezable) is an optional drizzle at the end.
Start with 1 Tbsp of gochujang. Brands vary a lot in heat and you can always stir in more at the end.
Let the sauce reduce fully. If liquid runs back into the track your spatula makes, keep cooking.
Use unseasoned rice vinegar for the cucumbers. Seasoned already contains sugar and salt.
Storage: beef, rice, and pickled cucumbers keep separately in the fridge for up to 4 days. The beef mixture freezes for up to 3 months.

Nutrition