Korean Ground Beef Bulgogi Bowls

Bulgogi, Korean for fire meat, traditionally features thinly sliced beef kissed by the grill. This weeknight bowl swaps in savory ground beef simmered in a sweet-soy gochujang glaze, piled over rice with crisp cucumber and carrots.

Serves 4 · 12 min prep · 15 min cook

Estimate for one serving

• 540 cal
• 28g protein
• 58g carbs
• 20g fat
• 5g fiber

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Ingredients

• 1 lb lean ground beef (90/10)
• 4 cups cooked short-grain white rice
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 3 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
• 1 tbsp gochujang
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 4 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1 English cucumber, thinly sliced
• 1 cup carrots, shredded
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
• 1 tsp neutral oil
• 1 cup kimchi for serving (optional)

Instructions

1. 1In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, minced garlic, grated ginger, gochujang, and rice vinegar until the sugar dissolves. Set the bulgogi-style sauce aside.
2. 2Heat a large 12-inch nonstick skillet or cast-iron pan over medium-high heat. Add neutral oil, then the ground beef. Break it into small crumbles and cook until no pink remains and edges start to brown, 6–8 minutes. Drain excess fat if needed.
3. 3Pour the prepared sauce over the cooked beef and stir to coat every crumble. Simmer, stirring often, until the sauce thickens, turns glossy, and clings to the meat, about 3–4 minutes. Taste and add a pinch more gochujang if you want extra heat.
4. 4While the beef simmers, quickly pickle the cucumber: toss the thin slices with a splash of rice vinegar and salt in a small bowl and let sit 5 minutes for a bright crunch.
5. 5Warm the cooked rice if needed so it’s steaming hot. Divide rice among four bowls as the base.
6. 6Spoon the sticky bulgogi beef generously over each rice portion. Arrange shredded carrots and the quick-pickled cucumber on the side of each bowl for color and texture.
7. 7Sprinkle sliced green onions and toasted sesame seeds over the beef. Add a spoonful of kimchi on the side if using for extra tang and spice.
8. 8Serve immediately while the beef is hot and the vegetables stay crisp. Encourage diners to mix everything together so the sauce seasons the rice.