Description
This Korean Beef Bowl is a quick and flavorful weeknight dinner featuring ground beef simmered in a savory, sweet, and slightly spicy sauce. Enhanced with garlic, ginger, and sesame oil, it’s a perfect bowl served over rice and garnished with green onions and sesame seeds.
Ingredients
Scale
Beef Mixture
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
Sauce
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes (or more to taste)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
Garnishes
- 2 green onions, sliced
- 1/4 teaspoon sesame seeds
Instructions
- Prepare the Sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, crushed red-pepper flakes, and ground ginger until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
- Sauté Garlic: Heat the vegetable oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the minced garlic and sauté for about 1 minute, stirring frequently, until it becomes fragrant but not browned.
- Cook Ground Beef: Add the ground beef to the skillet with the garlic. Break it apart with a spatula and cook for 3-5 minutes until the beef is fully browned and no pink remains. Drain off any excess fat if necessary.
- Combine Sauce and Beef: Pour the prepared sauce into the skillet with the beef. Stir in the sliced green onions, then reduce the heat to medium-low and let it simmer for about 2 minutes to let the flavors meld and the sauce thicken slightly.
- Serve: Remove from heat and serve immediately. Garnish each serving with a sprinkle of sesame seeds for added texture and flavor.
Notes
- For a complete meal, serve the Korean Beef Bowl over steamed white or brown rice.
- You can add steamed or sautéed vegetables like broccoli, carrots, or snap peas for more nutrition and color.
- Adjust the crushed red-pepper flakes according to your preferred spice level.
- Using reduced sodium soy sauce helps control the saltiness but feel free to adjust to taste.
- Ground turkey or chicken can be used as a lighter alternative to ground beef.
