Korean Beef

Making an Asian-style beef bowl has never been easier than with this Korean beef recipe that is full of tangy flavors that will make your taste buds happy.

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This Korean beef recipe is so simple and appetizing and features a tender beef bursting with flavor that tastes just like Koren BBQ. With just a handful of ingredients needed and five-step instructions, you won’t believe how quick and easy it can be to make this delicious recipe and get it on the dinner table. 

Korean Beef Ingredients

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Known for being succulent, juicy, and savory, Korean beef has a distinct flavor that sets it apart from other varieties of meat.

Korean beef is usually marinated in a savory blend of spices that further enhances its flavor and aroma.

You’ll need: 

• 1 pound of lean ground beef (90%)
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon of sesame oil, divided
• 1 teaspoon of garlic paste
• ½ teaspoon of ginger paste
• ½ cup of soy sauce, light
• ½ cup of light brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons of green onions, finely sliced, plus more for garnish
• 1 tablespoon of toasted sesame seeds, optional garnish
• 2 cups of cooked white rice, for serving

Substitutions And Additions

TOPPINGS: A couple of optional toppings include sprinkling the beef with a few toasted sesame seeds or finely sliced green onions as a garnish.

RICE: This great recipe is best served over rice. Any type of white or brown rice would work!

GARLIC & GINGER PASTE: You can substitute fresh garlic cloves or fresh ginger for the paste. The paste tends to dissolve really easily, so it blends well with the other ingredients.

MEAT: Any ground meat would work in this recipe, change it up and try ground pork, ground turkey, or ground chicken.

How To Make This Korean Beef Recipe

Our directions below will walk you through making this flavorful and delicious beef dish.

STEP ONE: In a large skillet, brown ground beef and 1 tablespoon of sesame oil over medium-high heat until the meat is no longer pink and is cooked through. Do not drain the grease unless you have more than 2-3 tablespoons in the pan.

STEP TWO: Add the garlic paste to the skillet and brown for an additional minute.

STEP THREE: Add ginger paste, soy sauce, brown sugar, red pepper flakes, 2 tablespoons of sliced green onions, and the remaining 1 teaspoon of sesame oil to the skillet. Sauté until the sauce is bubbly and the cooked beef is evenly seasoned with the sauce.

STEP FOUR: Garnish with additional green onions and sesame seeds, if desired.

STEP FIVE: Serve the beef mixture immediately over rice.

How To Serve

There are plenty of ideas to serve this simple recipe. The classic option would be over hot rice (white rice or jasmine rice would be perfect) or even cauliflower rice.

Add green beans or a salad on the side, and you are all set. You could also create Korean beef bowls with other vegetables along with the beef. Or, you could serve the beef in lettuce wraps.

Can’t get enough Asian flavors and cuisine in your life? Neither can we. Here are a few more easy recipes that we recommend you try out. Our Mongolian beef, chicken lo mein, Asian chicken lettuce wrap, or honey garlic chicken are all easy meals that will definitely hit the spot.

MORE BEEF RECIPES

Beef Dinner Ideas

Homemade Mongolian Beef

Soups & Stews

Instant Pot Beef Stew

Storing This Korean Ground Beef

Here’s how to store this savory Korean beef for a meal later.

IN THE FRIDGE: Store leftover Korean ground beef in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.

IN THE FREEZER: Leftover beef also makes a great freezer item. Place in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let thaw in the refrigerator before reheating and serving over rice.

This dish is as easy as mixing up ground beef with sauce and spices to give it an irresistible flavor, then serving it over a steaming bowl of white rice. This Korean beef recipe is the perfect dinner item for busy weeknights and will instantly become a family favorite.

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Korean Beef

5 from 4 votes

Making an Asian-style beef bowl has never been easier than with this Korean beef recipe that is full of tangy flavors that will make your taste buds happy.

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 4

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Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 pound ground beef (90%)
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon garlic paste
• ½ teaspoon ginger paste
• ½ cup soy sauce, light
• ½ cup light brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons green onions, finely sliced, plus more for garnish

Optional Toppings

• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
• 2 cups cooked white rice, for serving

Instructions

 

• In a 12-inch skillet, brown ground beef and 1 tablespoon of sesame oil until the meat is no longer pink and is cooked through. Do not drain the grease unless you have more than 2-3 tablespoons in the pan.
• Add garlic paste to the skillet and brown for an additional minute.
• Add ginger paste, soy sauce, brown sugar, red pepper flakes, 2 tablespoons of sliced green onions, and the remaining 1 teaspoon of sesame oil to the skillet. Saute until sauce is bubbly and meat is evenly seasoned with the sauce.
• Garnish with additional green onions and sesame seeds, if desired.
• Serve immediately over rice.

Notes

• We recommend using 90% lean ground beef. If you are using less lean beef (70%-80%), you may find you have more grease in the pan. If you do, you will want to drain the grease, leaving only 2-3 tablespoons.
• If you are planning to serve this over rice, start cooking the rice before you start browning the beef because this recipe cooks very fast.
• This is a great recipe to make ahead of time. You can either prep all of the ingredients and store them in the fridge in separate containers to make later in the week, or you can make the recipe and freeze it for later.

Nutrition

Calories: 570kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 81mg | Sodium: 1711mg | Potassium: 476mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 164IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 86mg | Iron: 4mg

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