Quick Korean-Inspired Beef Bowls are an easy, family-friendly recipe made with ground beef, veggies, and a glossy soy sauce glaze. Everything cooks in one pan and hits the table in under 30 minutes.
So easy to throw together after work and it tastes way better than takeout.
- Lauren P.
from my actual life
(feel free to skip to the beef bowls)
I’m going to level with you. This is not the best Korean beef bowl recipe to ever be written. In fact, I’m confident that it’s not even close. It’s also true that not one person in my family would rank this in a list of their favorite recipes.
And yet … I make it all the time.
It’s got all the hallmarks of a weeknight recipe. One pan, store-bought shortcuts, a simple ingredient list and most importantly, it’s really fast. Okay, maybe even more importantly (I fear I may have undersold this one), it’s good. Genuinely, it’s really good.
That’s my case.
So yes, there are absolutely dinners worth spending an hour or more in the kitchen for. In fact, my assumption is that a traditional Korean beef bowl would likely fall into that category. But this week, we aren’t doing that.
We are getting a respectable, well-rounded dinner on the table. And then, our family is going to eat it without melting down. Skip the peas if green things will ruin this premise.
Bailey
P.S. If you’re looking for another one-pot recipe that's really fast, check out this 20 minute sausage carbonara. It's a family favorite.
ingredients + substitutions
ground beef: Ground turkey or chicken can work here if you want a leaner option. You will need to add a little olive oil to the skillet before cooking.
carrots: Broccoli, thinly sliced bell pepper or zucchini are all good substitutions. If using broccoli, cut it into small florets so it can cook quickly with the beef.
garlic: Fresh garlic, garlic paste, frozen cubes … they all work.
frozen peas: I think frozen edamame would be delicious here.
brown sugar: Swap in about 1 tablespoon of honey for the brown sugar.
soy sauce: Tamari or liquid aminos can be subbed at a 1:1 ratio.
sesame oil: Any substitution here is going to really change the flavor. It’s best to include this one.
ginger: Fresh ginger, ginger paste, or frozen cubes. Use what you have.
red pepper flakes: These bring some heat. If you don’t want heat, leave them out.
white rice: Any prepared rice or grain works here. You could also serve it in lettuce wraps or on top of a sweet potato.
instructions
- We’re going to start by browning some ground beef and some thinly sliced carrots. Thin slices matter. We need the carrots to soften in roughly the same amount of time that it takes the beef to cook. So … no chunky carrots.
- While that’s happening, whisk together the sauce. It’s mostly a measure and dump situation. Soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, cornstarch, pepper and some water.
- Once the beef is browned and the carrots are tender, add the garlic (see worth knowing). Pour in the sauce and toss in some frozen peas, straight from the freezer. Give it 1–2 minutes to thicken and you're done.
- Pile some rice into a bowl (you already know frozen rice is what we’re doing) and if you feel up to it, garnish with green onions and sesame seeds if you have some on hand. If you don’t … skip it.
worth knowing
use the shortcut ginger. This recipe does call for fresh ginger, but I do not grate fresh ginger for weeknight dinners. Never. I use ginger paste (available at most grocery stores) or most often, frozen Dorot ginger cubes from Trader Joe’s.
same for the garlic. Obviously fresh garlic is fine, but like fresh ginger, it’s a pain. Frozen garlic cubes are the kind of shortcut this recipe is built from. Use them.
don’t cook the sauce too long. This recipe is super forgiving, but if you add the sauce too early (before the carrots have softened) you may lose a good amount of it to evaporation. Then, you’ve got dry rice. Once it goes into the skillet, you just need 1-2 minutes for the peas to heat through and the sauce to thicken slightly.
storage
refrigerate: Store the beef mixture and rice in separate airtight containers, if possible, for up to 4 days.
freeze: The beef mixture can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months. I’d freeze the rice separately.
reheat: Microwave the beef mixture until hot, stirring halfway through. If the sauce has tightened up in the fridge, add a small splash of water before reheating. Reheat the rice separately, then assemble the bowls.
related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
pairing
These recipes pair well with Korean-Inspired Beef Bowls.
Recipe
Quick Korean Beef Bowls
Quick Korean Inspired Beef Bowls are an easy, family-friendly recipe made with ground beef, veggies, and a glossy soy sauce glaze. Everything cooks in one pan and hits the table in just under 30 minutes.
- Total Time25 minutes
- Yield4 servings 1x
Ingredients
-
1 lb ground beef
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1 cup (about 120g) carrots, very thinly sliced into about ⅛-inch rounds
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4 cloves garlic, minced
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¼ teaspoon table salt
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1 cup (140g) frozen peas
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1½ tablespoons brown sugar
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⅓ cup (80g) reduced-sodium soy sauce
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¼ cup water
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1 tablespoon rice vinegar
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2 teaspoons sesame oil
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1 teaspoon fresh ginger, ginger paste, or frozen ginger cubes
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2 teaspoons cornstarch
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¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
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¼ teaspoon black pepper
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4 cups prepared white rice
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green onions and sesame seeds, for serving
Instructions
- cook the beef and carrots: Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef (1 lb), carrots (1 cup), and table salt (¼ teaspoon). Let the beef cook 2-3 minutes before you break it apart so it can brown. Continue cooking until the beef is no longer pink and the carrots are tender. Add the garlic (4 cloves) during the last minute of cooking.
- make a quick sauce: While the beef cooks, add the brown sugar (1½ tablespoons), soy sauce (⅓ cup), water (¼ cup), rice vinegar (1 tablespoon), sesame oil (2 teaspoons), ginger (1 teaspoon), cornstarch (2 teaspoons), red pepper flakes (¼ teaspoon), and black pepper (¼ teaspoon) to a bowl and whisk it all together.
- bring it all together: Pour the prepared sauce into the skillet with the cooked meat and softened carrots. Add the frozen peas (1 cup). Stir well. Simmer everything for 1-2 minutes, or until the frozen peas are heated through and the sauce has thickened slightly.
- serve: Divide the prepared white rice (4 cups) among bowls and spoon the beef mixture and extra sauce over top. Finish with green onions and sesame seeds (or don’t).
Notes
vegetables: Slice the carrots into thin medallions so they cook quickly. Swap in broccoli florets, zucchini, or bell peppers if that’s what you have.
rice shortcut: Use frozen rice packets or leftover rice from the fridge to keep this a true weeknight dinner.
refrigerate: Store the beef mixture and rice in separate airtight containers, if possible, for up to 4 days.
freeze: The beef mixture can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months. I’d freeze the rice separately.
reheat: Microwave the beef mixture until hot, stirring halfway through. If the sauce has tightened up in the fridge, add a small splash of water before reheating. Reheat the rice separately, then assemble the bowls.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Korean Inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 beef bowl
- Calories: 506
- Sugar: 8.4 g
- Sodium: 1053 mg
- Fat: 14.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 60.9 g
- Fiber: 3.5 g
- Protein: 30.9 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg
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