Description
This Korean Beef Bowl features lean ground beef cooked with savory soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and a touch of sweetness from honey. Served over your choice of brown rice, quinoa, or cauliflower rice and topped with crunchy pickled carrots, fresh cucumbers, and toasted sesame seeds, this dish offers a perfect balance of bold and fresh flavors for a quick and satisfying meal.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
For the Beef
- 1 pound lean ground beef (93% lean)
- 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce plus additional to taste, divided
- 1 1/4 cups minced scallions (both green and white parts)
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 3 cloves)
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons minced or finely grated fresh ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes plus additional to taste
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil plus additional to taste
For Serving
- Cooked brown rice, quinoa, or cauliflower rice
- 1 1/2 cups shredded carrots (see notes for pickling)
- Thinly sliced seedless cucumbers (Persian-style or English/hot house)
- Toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Pickle Vegetables: Place shredded carrots and cucumbers in a medium bowl. Add 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, 2 tablespoons water, ½ teaspoon sugar, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Toss to coat and let marinate gently while preparing the beef. Drain before serving.
- Cook Beef: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and cook, breaking it into small pieces, until browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes. When beef is halfway cooked, add 1 tablespoon soy sauce and 2/3 of the minced scallions. Stir occasionally.
- Add Garlic: Once beef is fully cooked and browned, stir in minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Make Sauce: In a small bowl, mix together the rice vinegar, honey, grated ginger, red pepper flakes, and remaining soy sauce.
- Combine Sauce and Beef: Pour the sauce over the beef and stir to combine. Cook for 2 more minutes to blend flavors.
- Finish: Remove the skillet from heat and stir in sesame oil. Sprinkle the remaining scallions on top. Taste the beef mixture and add more soy sauce or red pepper flakes as desired.
- Serve: Serve the beef hot over cooked brown rice, quinoa, or cauliflower rice. Top generously with pickled carrots, cucumbers, and toasted sesame seeds.
Notes
- To pickle the carrots and cucumbers, let them marinate in vinegar mixture while cooking the beef, then drain before serving for a nice tangy crunch.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Reheat leftovers gently in a skillet over medium-low heat or use a microwave for convenience.
- For freezing, store beef and vegetables separately in freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 400 kcal
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg
