Korean Beef Bowl

These Korean Beef Bowls are filling and so flavorful! This 30-minute meal is a total crowd pleaser, caramelized beef, rice, shredded cabbage, avocado and carrots are served in a big bowl, topped with a fried egg and drizzled with spicy mayo, it’s so so tasty!  

Why You Will Love These Korean Beef Bowls

• These easy Korean beef rice bowls are quick to make. Although this korean ground beef recipe has quite a few components, don’t be intimidated by the length of the recipe, the entire thing takes just 30 minutes to prepare! They are a great meal to make on busy weeknights that the whole family will enjoy. 
• They are hearty! This is one very filling bowl of food. Between the rich meat, sliced avocado and optional fried egg, this bowl will leave you feeling satisfied for hours. 
• The ground beef is the best part of these korean ground beef bowls. It is coated in a simple 5 ingredient sauce which gives it a wonderful combination of sweet, spicy and umami flavour. Once the meat is coated in the sauce, turning the heat up to high and allowing the beef to brown and become caramelized really elevates the flavour and texture.  
• They’ve got so much flavor! Sweet, umami, salty, spicy, crunchy, creamy and tender…..your taste buds will be in heaven.
• It’s an easy recipe to prepare and then let everyone assemble their own bowls at the dinner table. That way picky eaters can add the ingredients they like, and everyone can control the spiciness level, from a hint of spice to lip tingling spicy depending on how much spicy mayo is added. 

Ingredients You Need To Make These Korean Beef Bowl

• Ground Beef: Feel free to use any type of ground beef that you prefer, I find that regular (30% fat) is a slightly more flavorful ground beef while lean ground beef (17% fat) is slightly dryer and more crumbly in consistency. 
• Coconut Aminos: feel free to replace the coconut aminos in this recipe with tamari or soy sauce. Low sodium soy sauce is also a great option if you prefer a less salty dish. 
• Ginger and Garlic: I am a total sucker for fresh ginger, so I like to double the amount listed in the recipe for an extra gingery kick. I highly recommend using fresh ginger root  and fresh garlic rather than jarred which I find has a much milder flavor. 
• Red Chili: I find that a red fresno pepper has the perfect amount of spice but a birds eye chili (which is much spicier) can also be used. 
• Red Onion: Make sure that the red onion is very finely diced so that it blends into the ground beef once cooked.
• Lime Juice: lime juice adds a nice acidity to the spicy sauce and cabbage. If you do not have lime juice I recommend using rice vinegar as a substitute. 
• Rice: Brown rice, jasmine rice or cauliflower rice can all be used in these bowls. 
• Carrots: I like the crunch that thinly cut carrots add to the bowls. You can cut them using a julienne peeler or alternatively for finer shredded carrot use a box grater. 
• Red Cabbage: I prefer finely shredded red cabbage, but to save time you can substitute it for a coleslaw mix. 
• Eggs: I am a total sucker for a runny egg yolk so I love topping these bowls with fried eggs. I like to ensure the egg yolk is runny so that is mixes with the ground beef and rice when broken with a fork. 
• Avocado: I love the creamy texture that sliced avocado adds to the bowls. 
• Scallions: Chopped scallions (aka green onions) are a fresh garnish that are sprinkled over the assembled bowls right before serving
• Kimchi: Not required, but a great addition to the bowls, kimchi is my favorite korean condiment that adds a wonderful acidic spiciness. Use any type of your favorite store bought kimchi 

How To Make This Korean Beef Bowl

1. Start by making the sauce for the delicious Korean ground beef. I recommend blending everything in a blender so that the sauce has a smooth consistency. Saute some red onion in a large skillet and then add in the ground beef. Break it up with a wooden spoon into a crumbly consistency and then pour the sauce overtop and leave it to cook on high heat until all the sauce has evaporated and the meat becomes browned and caramelized. 
2. Make the spicy sauce by combining the sauce ingredients in a blender and blending until smooth. Set aside
3. To make the cabbage, shred the red cabbage and add it to a small bowl along with the lime juice, sesame seeds and a little bit of sesame oil. 
4. Prepare the rice (cauliflower rice, white rice or brown rice), cut an avocado into thin slices, julienne a carrot and fry two eggs. 
5. To assemble the bowls start with a bed of rice, add in the ground beef and shredded cabbage, along with the carrot and avocado. Top each bowl with a fried egg and garnish with sesame seeds and chopped green onions. Finally drizzle that delicious spicy mayo all over top and enjoy!
   (You can find full instructions in the recipe card below)

Could I Use A Different Meat?

Ways To Modify This Korean Beef Bowl

• Swap the meat: ground chicken or ground turkey can be used in place of the beef
• Add some tang: Place thinly sliced cucumber in a bowl with apple cider vinegar and leave to marinate for 20 minutes. The pickled sliced cucumber will add a nice tangy flavour to the bowl. 
• Sweeteners: For Whole30 use medjool dates in the beef sauce. Alternatively for those not on Whole30, the dates can be swapped for 2 tablespoons of honey or maple syrup
• Adjust the spice:  Add more or less red chili to the spicy mayo and beef sauce depending on your personal preference. You can also top the bowls with a sprinkle of red pepper flakes or a little hot sauce or chili paste. 
• Add more veggies: Feel free to add in more of your favorite veggies such as cucumber, sliced bell peppers, or sautéed broccoli.

Can I Make These Bowls In Advance?

This Korean beef recipe is a great make ahead dish. The beef and rice can be cooked 2 days in advance and the spicy sauce and cabbage can be made in advance too. Before serving all you need to do is reheat the meat and rice and assemble the bowls. This is also one of my go-to recipes for meal prep when I want something hearty to enjoy through the week. Keep all of the components stored separately in the fridge and assemble for quick meals. 

What About Leftovers?

Leftovers will last for 3 days in the fridge and can be reheated in the microwave or alternatively the meat and cauliflower rice (or brown or white rice) can be warmed in a pan on the stove top on medium heat. I find that the flavor of the ground beef seems to get richer the next day. You can enjoy leftovers assembled in a bowl, or turn them into lettuce wraps by serving everything in butter lettuce leaves. 

Here are a few more ground beef recipes…

• Mexican Beef Taco Salad
• Classic Beef Lasagna
• Mexican Meatballs
• Stuffed Pepper Soup
• Beef & Cauliflower Rice Mexican Casserole
• Spaghetti Bolognese Casserole

If you make this recipe let me know in the comment section below, I would love to hear what you think or take a photo and tag me (@everylastbite_) on Instagram, I love seeing your photos!

Korean Fried Rice

Every Last Bite

This easy Korean Beef Bowl is filling and so flavourful. Caramelized beef, cauliflower rice, shredded cabbage, avocado and carrots are served in a big bowl, topped with a fried egg and drizzled with spicy mayo, it's so so tasty!

5 from 7 votes

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Diets Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Grain Free, Nut Free, Paleo, Specific Carbohydrate Diet Legal, Whole30

Servings 2

Calories 675 kcal

Ingredients

  

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Korean Beef

• 1.5 lbs ground beef
• 1/4 cup coconut aminos (or tamari/soy sauce)
• 1 red fresno pepper
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 2-inch piece ginger
• 2 tbsp honey (or 4 medjool dates for Whole30)
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• 1/2 medium sized red onion finely diced

Spicy Sauce

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 red fresno pepper
• 2 tsp lime juice

Purple Cabbage

• 2 cups shredded red cabbage
• 2 tsp lime juice
• 1/2 tbsp sesame oil
• 2 tsp white sesame seeds

Other Bowl Items

• 1 carrot cut into matchstick sized pieces
• 2 cups cooked cauliflower rice, brown rice or white rice
• 1 avocado thinly sliced
• 2 fried eggs
• 2 tbsp white sesame seeds
• 1/4 cup chopped scallions
• 1/2 cup kimchi (optional)

Instructions

 

Korean Beef

• To start make the sauce for the beef. In a high speed blender combine the coconut aminos, chili pepper, garlic, ginger and honey and blend until smooth.
• Heat the sesame oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. Add in the diced red onion, cook for 2 minutes and then add the ground beef. Use a wooden spoon to break the beef up into a crumbly texture. After 5 minutes of cooking the beef should no longer be red, pour in the sauce, increase the heat to high and leave the meat to continue to cook for another 6-8 minutes, stirring frequently to ensure that it doesn't burn but rather develops a caramelized brown colour.

Spicy Sauce

• In a blender combine the mayonnaise, Fresno chili pepper and lime juice and blend until smooth.

Red Cabbage

• Combine the shredded cabbage, sesame oil, lime juice and sesame seeds in a bowl and stir until well mixed.

Assembly

• Divide the rice and ground beef mixture between two large bowls. Next add the cabbage, carrot and sliced avocado. If using a fried egg add one to the top of each bowl before garnishing each bowl with the chopped scallions and white sesame seeds and drizzling the spicy sauce overtop.

Nutrition

Calories: 675kcalCarbohydrates: 35gProtein: 60gFat: 30gCholesterol: 215mgFiber: 16gSugar: 15gCalcium: 285mgIron: 13mg

Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below and let us know how it was!