Weeknight Korean Beef Bowls (with Crispy Caramelized Bits)

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I have made this multiple times and LOVE ❤️ it. The flavors are amazing! Thank you for the great addition to our “go to” recipes.

Jen

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Why this works

Most ground beef recipes ask you to brown the meat, dump in seasoning, and call it done. The flavor is fine but flat. The trick with this one is letting the seasoned beef cook on medium-high heat in the pan long enough that the bottom layer starts to caramelize and stick to the pan. Those crispy, browned bits are what give the dish its actual Korean BBQ flavor, the kind you’d get from a grill at a restaurant. If you stir constantly or cook on too low a heat, you skip the best part.

Optional: a 2-ingredient spicy mayo on top, mayo plus hot sauce, that takes about 30 seconds to mix together.

Ingredient notes

Fresh ginger: Grated, not powdered. Powdered ginger doesn’t have the same punch of flavor. A microplane works perfectly.

Shallot: Finely diced. Half a small yellow onion works as a substitute, but shallot is the go-to for balance in this dish.

Red pepper flakes: Brings the heat. Cut back to taste if you’re cooking for kids or anyone heat-shy.

How to make Korean-inspired ground beef bowls

Looking for more? Here are all of our quick + easy recipes!

What to serve with Korean beef bowls

• Over white rice or jasmine rice for a classic bowl
• Over cauliflower rice if you want to keep it lighter
• With sautéed greens (spinach, bok choy, or cabbage) for extra veggies
• With shredded carrots, cucumber slices, and green onions for crunch and freshness
• With a fried egg on top, the runny yolk mixes into the beef and rice
• In lettuce wraps for a no-rice option that’s still filling

What worked (and what didn’t)

Medium-high heat is non-negotiable. We tested this on lower heat to see if the recipe would still work. It does, but the beef texture is just “meh” and you lose the crispy bits that make the dish taste like Korean takeout instead of just seasoned ground beef. Get the pan hot, leave the beef alone for 30 to 60 seconds at a time, let the caramelization happen.

Cooking the beef in the sauce at the end is the move. Let the coconut aminos and fish sauce cook down with the beef. The sauce caramelizes onto the meat instead of just sitting on top.

Cauliflower rice tip: If you’re going the lower-carb route, cauliflower rice mixed with the beef and the spicy mayo is genuinely good. Cook the cauliflower rice dry first so it doesn’t water down the bowl.

4.61 from 513 ratings

Get the Recipe:

Weeknight Korean Beef Bowls (with Crispy Caramelized Bits)

Prep: 5 minutes mins

Cook: 15 minutes mins

Total: 20 minutes mins

Servings: 6

The crispy caramelized bits at the bottom of the pan are what make this recipe. Most ground beef recipes have you stir constantly while it browns, which is fine but you end up with seasoned crumbles. The trick here is to let the beef sit undisturbed in a hot pan long enough for the bottom layer to crisp up in the caramelized sauce, that's where all the extra flavor lives. Add the ginger, shallot, and red pepper, top with an optional spicy mayo, and you've got dinner in 20 minutes that tastes like it took a lot longer.

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Ingredients

½1x2x3x

• 1 shallot, diced
• 2 inches fresh ginger, peeled and grated on a microplane
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 2 pounds ground beef, (see notes)
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, (omit if you don't want it spicy)
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 cup coconut aminos, (can sub 2-3 tbsp soy sauce)
• 2 tbsp fish sauce, (see notes)
• 4 cups cooked rice

Optional sauce:

• 1/4 cup mayo
• 1 tbsp hot sauce, (adjust to taste)

Optional toppings:

• chopped green onions
• sliced avocado

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Instructions

 

• Start by preparing rice to have it ready.
  4 cups cooked rice
• Dice shallot and grate ginger to have it ready.
  1 shallot, diced, 2 inches fresh ginger, peeled and grated on a microplane
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add sesame oil. Once hot, add in ground beef. Break the beef up into small bits.
  1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil, 2 pounds ground beef
• Add the shallot, ginger, red pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder and mix with the beef. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the meat is browned and developing some crispy bits, about 8 minutes.
  1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder
• Add the coconut aminos and fish sauce and cook for another 3-5 minutes, until the liquid evaporates and the beef develops crispy, caramelized bits on the bottom.
  1/2 cup coconut aminos, 2 tbsp fish sauce
• If you are making the optional sauce, mix the mayo and hot sauce in a small bowl. 
  1/4 cup mayo, 1 tbsp hot sauce
• Serve beef in a bowl over rice. Top with optional sauce and any other desired toppings and enjoy.
  chopped green onions, sliced avocado

Last Step:

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Notes

• Nutrition estimates are per serving and estimate provided for reader benefit. Estimates do not include optional toppings or sauce for this recipe. See our full nutrition information disclosure here.  
• The coconut aminos linked to in the recipe are the aminos we use (Coconut Secret coconut aminos). Braggs brand aminos are NOT the same thing. Braggs liquid aminos are a soy-based and much saltier than coconut aminos. If you use Braggs aminos, we suggest using only 2-3 tbsp to start and adjusting to taste. 
• As an alternative to coconut aminos, you can make your own using our DIY coconut aminos substitute recipe. 
• If you wish to omit the fish sauce, you can replace it with more coconut aminos. Since fish sauce is salty, you may need to add salt to suit your taste.

Calories: 572kcal, Carbohydrates: 36g, Protein: 29g, Fat: 33g

Course: Main Course

Author: Erica Winn

Cuisine: Korean

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