Korean Ground Beef Bowls
Lean ground beef browned with garlic and green onion and simmered in a sweet soy, sesame and ginger sauce with a little heat, spooned over hot rice. Dinner in 25 minutes; serves 4.
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This is the Korean-inspired dinner to make when there is a pound of ground beef in the refrigerator and no plan. The sauce is brown sugar, soy sauce and toasted sesame oil with ground ginger and crushed red pepper, and it comes together in the time it takes the beef to brown.
We cook the white parts of the green onions with the garlic so they soften into the beef, and save the green tops to scatter over the bowls at the end. Serve it over steamed rice with a side of cucumber salad or steamed broccoli.
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced, white and green parts kept separate
- 4 cups hot cooked white rice, for serving
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Mix the sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger and red pepper flakes until the sugar dissolves. Use 1/2 teaspoon of pepper flakes for mild heat or a full teaspoon for more.
- Brown the beef. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, breaking it into small crumbles, until no pink remains. Ground beef is done at 160°F. Drain off any fat.
- Add the aromatics. Stir the garlic and the white parts of the green onions into the beef and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Simmer in the sauce. Pour in the sauce and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring, until the beef is glossy and most of the liquid has cooked into it.
- Serve. Spoon the beef over bowls of hot rice and top with the green onion tops and sesame seeds.
Tips
- Lean beef (90 percent or higher) keeps the sauce from turning greasy. If you use a fattier blend, drain it well before adding the garlic.
- Leftovers keep for 4 days in the refrigerator and reheat well in a skillet or microwave.
- Add a fried egg on top, or stir a handful of shredded carrots or chopped spinach into the beef with the sauce.
Questions about this recipe
- Can I use ground turkey instead of beef?
- Yes. Ground turkey works the same way; cook it to 165°F and add a teaspoon of oil to the pan first, since it is very lean.
- Is Korean ground beef spicy?
- Only a little. The red pepper flakes give it a gentle warmth that you can adjust from 1/2 to 1 teaspoon, or leave out entirely.
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