Korean beef and rice is a family favorite that comes together in less than 20 minutes and tastes better than take out. Enjoy ground beef browned to perfection with a delicious homemade sauce!
If you love Korean flavors as much as we do, you'll love our Korean style recipes. If you haven't already, be sure to check out our Korean beef nachos, Korean beef bowls and Korean beef lettuce wraps - the nachos are a real crowd-pleaser!
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Why this recipe works
- Quick to make (only 20 minutes!): We all have those busy days that are so hectic that at the end of the day all we want is just a nice dinner on the table. Because you're using ground beef instead of sirloin, there is no marinating needed which saves a lot of time.
- Needs just a few ingredients: This quick Korean beef recipe calls for a few ingredients such as ground beef, soy sauce and a few spices. This is a budget-friendly version of the classic Korean dish bulgogi that uses ground beef instead of thinly sliced sirloin. Serve it with rice and you're winning weeknight dinner!
- Kid-friendly: Kids love this dish! This recipe is also highly customizable. You can even add different vegetables and serve with rice to make this into a dinner bowl that's healthier, quicker and tastier than take-out.
Ingredients
- Soy sauce: My preference is to use low-sodium soy sauce when possible, but regular soy sauce works too.
- Chili pepper flakes: It adds a little "kick" to the sauce. You can leave it out as it is optional.
- Brown sugar: To balance the saltiness of the soy sauce, we need some brown sugar. Granulated sugar won't work in this recipe., however, honey can be an alternative if you don't use sugar.
- Garlic and ginger: The amount of garlic and ginger added to this recipe depends on your preference. I'm pretty generous with both when it comes to making this dish.
- Cornstarch: To thicken the sauce and make the dish a bit sticky, we need some cornstarch.
- Ground beef: This is the key to our quick dinner, instead of classic sirloin that's used to make Korean beef, we are using ground beef which cooks in no time and is so flavorful when cooked with the sauce. It's best to use lean ground beef with 7% or less fat content.
The secret to perfectly browned ground beef
When it comes to browning ground beef, there is really one thing you should know: Use a large pan. Large pans offer enough space to the ground beef to be in one single layer and therefore brown better and faster. Let your pan heat completely before cooking the ground beef to get that nice brown color.
Also, don't stir constantly. Let the ground beef cook for a few minutes before stirring it. This would give the meat enough time to brown well.
Preparation instructions
- Combine soy sauce, chili pepper flakes, brown sugar, garlic, ginger and cornstarch in a small bowl.
- Heat the oil in a large pan. Cook the ground beef over medium heat until no longer pink, about 10 minutes.
- Add the sauce to the ground beef mixture.
- Cook for another five to ten minutes until the sauce thickens.
- Top with green onions and sesame seeds. Serve with brown or white rice.
Kitchen Tip: If you like your ground beef to be even more flavorful, sauté one onion in some vegetable oil before adding it to the beef. It's a small step, but will add a lot of flavor.
Side dishes to serve
You can serve this dish with instant pot white rice, instant pot brown rice, steamed vegetables like broccoli and carrots, noodles or cauliflower rice. This recipe is so easy to modify and it tastes great with almost everything!
What to do with the leftovers
This is one of those ground beef recipes that's perfect for meal prep. It keeps very well in the fridge and reheats well. Simply store the leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
To reheat, add one tablespoon of soy sauce before reheating to freshen up the flavor. It's best to reheat this dish in a pan over medium heat and avoid microwaving it.
Notes and tips
- Fresh garlic and fresh ginger always bring more flavor to dishes like this. If you don't have fresh ingredients, use powdered garlic and ginger according to your tastes.
- Use lean beef if possible. If using beef that has more than 7% fat, make sure to drain the excess fat otherwise your dish will be too oily.
- You can leave the sugar out and use two tablespoons of honey instead.
- What makes this dish super tasty is perfectly browned beef, so please don't skip this step and brown it all the way through (but make sure it's not dry!).
- Feeding a crowd? You can double and triple this recipe easily to feed more people.
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Step-by-Step Recipe
Quick Korean Beef
Ingredients
- ¼ cup soy sauce low sodium
- ¼ teaspoon chili pepper flakes
- 1 ½ tablespoon brown sugar
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger or ½ teaspoon powdered ginger
- 1 teaspoon corn starch
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 lb ground beef I used 93% lean
- 4 cups cooked rice
- 3 green onions chopped
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix soy sauce, pepper flakes, brown sugar, garlic, ginger and corn starch. Set aside.
- Heat vegetable oil in a pan over medium heat. Saute ground beef until brown and no pink left. Add the sauce and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat the rice.
- Serve cooked Korean beef over Jasmine rice and top with green onions and sesame seeds.
Notes
- The key to make a delicious Korean beef is making a good sauce. Please taste the sauce to make sure it has enough flavor.
- If you like this dish saltier, add one more tablespoon of soy sauce.
- Use lean ground beef for this recipe if available. If the ground beef has a fat content higher than 7%, please discard the rendered fat after browning the beef.
- Fresh garlic and fresh ginger always bring more flavor to dishes like this. If you don't have fresh ingredients, use powdered garlic and ginger to your taste.
- You can leave the sugar out and use two tablespoons honey instead.
- What makes this dish super tasty is perfectly browned beef, so please don't skip this step and brown it all the way through (but make sure it's not dry!).
- Feeding a crowd? You can double and triple this recipe easily to feed more people.
Vickie
I make this once a week or every other week! So easy to toss together! We like ours saucy so the rice gets a coating. I double or triple the soy/sugar blend sauce and throw in frozen peas and carrots and green onions. We don’t like ginger so I leave it out.
Harold Burton
this looks so delicious! My husband hates eggs, so I never make Frittata’s which is a shame. Have you tried freezing this or something similar. I’m thinking for my breakfast or lunch, I could make ahead. Let me know, much appreciated!
Harold Burton
Shadi HasanzadeNemati
This freezes very well!
Beth
This is the perfect recipe for me these days! Quick and a for sure family favorite! No leftovers with this dish!
Suzy
This is one of those meals we come back to time and time again. So tasty and so EASY to make!
Lisa Jackson
Loved it. Had ground pork instead of beef. Did onion first. As recommended. Also used double fresh ginger. Awsome
Shadi HasanzadeNemati
Glad you like this recipe!
Carolyn
Hello Shadi, I made this dish tonight, it was so good. Typically, I season my ground beef with black pepper, onion powder, Sazon, Italian seasoning and paprika for flavor, and adding the sauce made the beef absolutely delish! My 12-yr old daughter gave the meal 2-thumbs up! Will definitely make again.
Shadi HasanzadeNemati
Carolyn, thank you for your kind comment and review! We are happy to know you and your family loved this recipe!