Korean beef is a quick, simple, and delicious dish that brings all the flavor of takeout while sticking to whole foods and real ingredients. Perfect for a weeknight dinner, this Korean beef recipe is one you’ll want on repeat.
Korean beef is a family favorite meal at the farmhouse. I love that the easy recipe is delicious, yet forgiving, that I can serve it over rice, add stir fry veggies, or make it as is with the savory sauce. Even my picky eaters love this recipe!
The savory-sweet sauce made from garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and a touch of brown sugar adds a depth of flavor that takes this Korean ground beef recipe to the next level.
It’s a quick meal that doesn’t skimp on flavor, and it makes a delicious filling for a Korean beef taco. Your taste buds will love it!
Customize the original recipe with veggies like snow peas, snap peas, or broccoli. Serve over short grain rice in rice bowls, use in lettuce wraps, pair with sticky rice, or even wrap in a flour tortilla.
Add your favorite toppings like peanuts, red pepper flakes, homemade kimchi, or a dash of chili garlic sauce. There are so many tasty ways to enjoy this dish.
Some other great recipes for busy nights include pork chops with apples (topped with pickled red onions!), a savory butternut squash pasta sauce over sourdough pasta, and delicious cabbage roll soup. These simple, flavor-packed meals are a great option for busy weeknights or even for meal prep.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Great flavors – Ditch store-bough sauces and make the delicious, savory yet sweet sauce in this recipe. It’s easy and beats the flavor of anything from the store!
20 minute meal – This Korean beef bowl recipe comes together in about 20 minutes, making it the perfect recipe to try next time you need dinner in a pinch! Serve over a bed of rice for quick Korean beef bowls.
Staple household recipe – The best part about this recipe is that is an easy staple – budget-friendly, family-approved, and tastes just as good (if not better) than takeout. Little effort with a big, bold flavor.
Ingredients
Soy sauce – I used regular soy sauce. You can use low sodium soy sauce or coconut aminos, too.
Ground beef – I prefer grass-fed beef. You can use whichever you like best.
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
How to Make Korean Beef
Step 1: Heat a large pan over medium to medium high heat on the stovetop. While the pan heats up, whisk together the soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, rice vinegar, and cornstarch in a small bowl until combined. Set aside.
Step 2: Add the ground beef to the heated skillet and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Break the ground beef up with a spatula and cook for about 5 – 7 minutes or until the beef is cooked all the way through and no pink remains. Drain any excess fat from the pan.
Step 3: Add the minced garlic and ginger to the pan. Sauté for another minute.
Step 4: Turn the heat to low and add the sauce to the pan, stirring frequently until the sauce has thickened up and is fully incorporated with the ground beef.
Step 5: Stir in the green onion. Serve and garnish as desired and enjoy!
Tips
- I like to use lean ground beef. You can easily substitute ground turkey or chicken or even do one pound of ground beef and one of turkey or chicken.
- Serve over a bed of fluffy rice for a delicious meal.
- You could add in cooked veggies to bulk up the recipe and add some fiber.
- Allow leftover beef to cool to room temperature, then store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Recipe FAQs
Korean-style beef is also called Korean bulgogi and is a thinly sliced beef marinated in ingredients such as soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, garlic, and ginger. This recipe takes the traditional Korean beef (Korean beef bulgogi) and makes it easier to cook quickly by using ground meat.
A Korean beef bowl takes Korean cuisine and makes it simple with ground meat, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, soy sauce, and green onions.
Your favorite rice recipe is a great side for Korean beef. The rice also helps soak up all the delicious Korean flavors in the sauce. You could also serve with pickled red onions, fermented peppers, or kimchi.
More Recipes from the Farmhouse
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Korean Beef
Ingredients
- ½ cup soy sauce
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 ½ teaspoons corn starch
- 2 pounds ground beef
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 ½ knob fresh ginger, peeled and finely minced
- ½ cup green onion, sliced
- sesame seeds , optional for garnish
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat on the stovetop.
- While the pan heats up, whisk together the soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, rice vinegar, and cornstarch in a small bowl until combined. Set aside.
- Add the ground beef to the heated skillet and season with a little bit of salt and pepper. Break the ground beef up with a spatula and cook for about 5 – 7 minutes or until the beef is cooked all the way through and no pink remains. Drain any excess fat from the pan.
- Add the minced garlic and ginger to the pan and sauté for another minute.
- Turn the heat to low and add the sauce to the pan, stirring frequently until the sauce has thickened up and is fully incorporated with the ground beef.
- Stir in the green onions.
- Serve and garnish as desired and enjoy!
Notes
- I like to use lean ground beef. You can easily substitute ground turkey or chicken or even use a meat mixture of one pound of ground beef and one of turkey or chicken.
- Serve over white rice, brown rice, or cauliflower rice for a delicious meal. We like jasmine rice.
- You could add in cooked veggies to bulk up the recipe and add some fiber.
- Please double check amounts when using the multiplying feature in the recipe card.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
