If you need a dinner that is fast, inexpensive, and a little different from the usual ground beef rotation, these Korean-Inspired Ground Beef Bowls are such a good one.
The ground beef cooks in a sweet and savory sauce made with soy sauce, brown sugar, honey, garlic, and a little sesame oil. Then everything gets piled over warm rice with crunchy cucumber, shredded carrots, and green onions.
It’s simple, flavorful, and comes together in about 20 minutes, which makes it perfect for a busy weeknight.
These bowls are:
I also love that the rice and vegetables help stretch just 1 pound of ground beef into a full family dinner.
Prepare enough rice to make 3 cups cooked rice according to the package directions.
Keep it warm while you make the beef.
Add 1 pound ground beef to a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Cook for about 5–7 minutes, breaking it into small crumbles as it cooks.
Once the beef is browned and cooked through, drain any excess grease if needed.
Add 3 cloves minced garlic to the skillet.
Cook for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly, just until fragrant.
In a small bowl, stir together:
Pour the sauce over the cooked beef.
Reduce the heat to medium and cook for another 2–3 minutes, stirring frequently, until the beef is coated and the sauce has slightly thickened.
Divide the 3 cups cooked rice between bowls.
Top with the Korean-inspired ground beef, sliced cucumber, shredded carrots, and green onions.
Serve warm.
Not unless you want it to be.
The crushed red pepper flakes are completely optional, so you can leave them out for a mild, family-friendly dinner.
If anyone wants extra heat, add sriracha, chili crisp, or red pepper flakes to individual bowls.
Absolutely.
Sesame oil adds a little extra flavor, but the recipe will still taste good without it.
If you don’t already have sesame oil in the pantry and you’re trying to keep the grocery bill down, I wouldn’t buy a whole bottle just for this dinner.
No cucumber? Skip it or use another crunchy vegetable.
No shredded carrots? Thinly slice or grate whole carrots.
Want more vegetables? Add steamed broccoli, bell peppers, snap peas, or cabbage.
Want to stretch the beef further? Add extra rice and vegetables or stir a little finely chopped cabbage into the beef.
Don’t have ground beef? Ground turkey or ground chicken can work too.
This is one of my favorite types of dinner for stretching a package of ground beef.
Instead of needing two pounds of meat for the family, we’re using 1 pound of beef and turning it into a filling meal with inexpensive rice and vegetables.
Store-brand soy sauce, brown sugar, and rice all work perfectly here, too.
And if you’re following one of my weekly dinner plans, ingredients like soy sauce, garlic, rice, carrots, and green onions can easily be used in another meal later in the week.
These bowls already make a pretty complete dinner, but you could also serve them with:
Yes!
The beef mixture reheats really well, which makes this a good option for meal prep.
Store the cooked beef and rice in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator and keep the fresh vegetables separate until you’re ready to serve.
Store leftover beef in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days.
Reheat the beef and rice until hot, then add the cucumber, carrots, and green onions after reheating so they stay fresh and crunchy.
These easy Korean-inspired ground beef bowls are made with a sweet and savory beef mixture, rice, cucumber, and carrots for a quick and budget-friendly family dinner.
This is one of my favorite types of dinner for stretching a package of ground beef.
Instead of needing two pounds of meat for the family, we’re using 1 pound of beef and turning it into a filling meal with inexpensive rice and vegetables.
Store-brand soy sauce, brown sugar, and rice all work perfectly here, too.
And if you’re following one of my weekly dinner plans, ingredients like soy sauce, garlic, rice, carrots, and green onions can easily be used in another meal later in the week.
