Quick Korean Beef and Rice Recipe

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 that makes the best meal!

If you love Korean flavors as much as we do, you’ll love our Korean beef recipes such as Korean beef nachos, Korean beef bowls and Korean beef lettuce wraps which is a real crowd-pleaser. This basic quick ground beef recipe is also a favorite because it’s ready in 20 minutes!

An easy ground beef recipe that’s ready in no time!

We all have those busy days that are hectic and at the end of the day all we want is just a nice dinner on the table. This quick Korean beef recipe is perfect for those days as all you need is some ground beef and a few spices. Serve it with rice and you’re winning dinner! 

If you’re looking for a super easy ground beef recipe, this is it. It’s a lazy and quick version of the classic Korean dish bulgogi that uses ground beef instead of thinly sliced sirloin which makes it quicker as budget friendly. All those flavors combining and holding the ingredients together makes every bite a pleasant experience, especially because it’s made in less than 25 minutes.

Why this Korean beef recipe works

This is a quick and easy ground beef recipe that is super kid-friendly.  Because you’re using ground beef instead of sirloin, there is no marinating needed which would save time. You can make it in less than twenty-five minutes and it’s so easy to customize it. You can add different vegetables and serve with rice to make this into a dinner bowl which would taste much better than take-out, and it’s healthier, and of course, quicker.

How to make Korean Ground Beef Recipe

• Combine soy sauce, chili pepper flakes or red pepper flakes, brown sugar, garlic, ginger and corn starch in a small bowl.
• Cook the ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat until no longer pink. Using a large skillet will make the browning process quicker and easier. 
• Add the sauce to the ground beef mixture.
• Cook for another five to ten minutes until the sauce thickens.
• Top it with green onions and sesame seeds and serve with brown or white rice.

A small tip: If you like the ground beef to be even more flavorful, saute one onion in some vegetable oil before adding the beef. It’s a small step, but will add a lot of flavor to the dish. 

To make spicy Korean beef, add one teaspoon red pepper flakes to the sauce. It will give the dish a slight heat. 

What kind of beef should I use for this recipe?

As this is a quick version of a traditional Korean beef recipe, you need to use ground beef. You can use ground beef with any fat content though the leaner it is, the better it’ll taste. If using ground beef with any fat content higher than 7%, make sure to drain excess fat that’s been rendered otherwise the final dish will be too greasy. 

I used 93% lean ground beef to make this quick Korean beef and to make it even quicker, I served it with a boil-in-bag instant rice that is already portioned (no need to measure!) and ready in 10 minutes. Instant Jasmine rice is great with Asian-inspired recipes such as this easy Korean beef.

Side dishes for Korean ground beef

You can serve Korean beef with instant pot white rice, instant pot brown rice, steamed vegetables like broccoli and carrots, or even noodles. This recipe is so easy to modify and it tastes great with almost everything!

This quick Korean ground beef and rice recipe has a very pleasant flavor. The sauce has just enough flavor for us but you can add more soy sauce if you like it saltier.

What to do with the leftovers

This is one of those easy ground beef recipes that is 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 – that gives it a fresh flavor.

Looking for more ground beef recipes?

• Greek meatballs
• Italian stuffed peppers
• Greek eggplant moussaka
• Argentinian beef empanadas

Notes and tips to make Korean ground beef and rice

• 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.
• Use lean beef to make this ground beef recipe. If using any beef that has more than 7% fat, make sure to drain the excess fat.
• You can leave the sugar out and use two tablespoons honey instead.
• The key to a very tasty Korean beef 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. 

Tools and ingredients to make Korean Beef and Rice Recipe (affiliate links):

• Nonstick Skillet
• Spatula
• Organic Soy Sauce
• Sesame Seeds

5 from 7 votes

Print

Quick Korean Beef

This Korean Beef is so easy and quick to make. It's always a favorite! 

Course Main Course

Cuisine Asian

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Servings 6 Servings

Calories 317 kcal

Author Shadi HasanzadeNemati

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon chili pepper flakes
• 1 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger or 1/2 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

1. In a small bowl, mix soy sauce, pepper flakes, brown sugar, garlic, ginger and corn starch. Set aside.
2. 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.

3. Meanwhile, heat the rice.

4. Serve cooked Korean beef over Jasmine rice and top with green onions and sesame seeds.

Recipe Notes

• You can easily double and triple this recipe to feed a crowd. 
• 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. 
• Please use lean ground beef for this recipe. If the ground beef has a fat content higher than 7%, please discard the rendered fat after browning the beef.