I don’t know about you, but when supper rolls around on a weeknight, I’m looking to spend as little time as possible to get a delicious and nutritious meal on the table to feed my crew. These Korean Beef Bowls tick all the boxes and have become an absolute regular around here. This recipe is dead simple, comes together in about 20 minutes, and my whole family loves it! I think you’re going to love it too 🙂
I first came upon this popular recipe on Pinterest, from Damn Delicious, and fell in love it with it from the first time I made it. Now that it’s become a regular around here, I realized I’ve made quite a few tweaks to suit our preferences. So, instead of recommending a recipe to you guys and saying – sub this and cut this and add this and do that… I figured it was high time we made a permanent place on the blog for my own spin on Korean Beef Bowls! This recipe is gluten, dairy, and refined sugar free and could not be easier to make! Perfect for those busy weeknights, but also so delicious you can be confident serving it for company as well.
To serve:
The beef in this recipe comes out sticky, salty, sweet, with a hint of spice (totally customizable depending on how much red pepper flakes you use!). I love serving these Korean Beef Bowls with:
– a base of jasmine rice (you could substitute rice noodles, quinoa, cauliflower rice, etc.)
– Garnish with diced cucumbers (shoutout to my friend Jamie for this brilliant idea!!), fresh chives or cilantro, chia or sesame seeds, and a pinch more red pepper flakes (since my kids are spice wimps and I like me some heat!!).
The cucumbers and fresh herbs on top provide the perfect fresh crunchy contrast to the sweet/spicy beef mixture. It really takes these bowls up a notch! A drizzle of hoisin sauce or chipotle aioli on top is also magical, especially when serving leftovers. I firmly believe that so many meals go from blah to fresh and interesting simply by adding strategic garnishes. Don’t skip the garnish friends!!
I can’t wait to hear what you guys think of these Korean Beef Bowls – be sure to leave me a comment and rating letting me know what you thought about it and tag me on Instagram (@garnishathome) with your pics so I can see your creations! It’s so fun seeing you guys enjoying the recipes and putting your own spin on them. Talk soon 🙂
Korean Beef Bowls
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil or oil of choice
- 1 1/2 lbs ground beef
- 1/4 cup coconut or liquid aminos or soy sauce
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar or sweetener of choice
- 1/2 cup beef broth
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1/2 tsp dried ginger or 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- pinch red pepper flakes
Optional Garnish:
- handful green onions or chives, chopped cilantro works well too
- 1/2 cup cucumbers, diced
- 2 tbsp chia or sesame seeds
- pinch red pepper flakes if more heat is desired
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet with olive oil. Add the ground beef and cook until browned, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as you go. Drain any excess fat once browned (my beef is very lean so I never need to do this).
- While the beef is browning, combine the remaining ingredients (except garnish) in a bowl or jar and whisk or shake to combine.
- Add the sauce to the browned beef and cook for another 5-10 minutes, until the sauce has reduced down a bit and the beef is darker in colour and starting to get nice and crispy/sticky. Cover and remove from heat.
- Serve beef over rice (or cauliflower rice for low carb) and top with optional garnishes if desired. I like to serve this with Garlic Butter Green Beans but it would also be delicious with any roasted or sautéed green vegetable.
Featured in This Post:
This post includes affiliate links, meaning I made a small commission at no extra cost to you, should you decide to click through the links and purchase anything. These are my honest opinions and I would never recommend anything to you I didn’t absolutely love and use on a regular basis. Hope you find these lists helpful!
Coconut Aminos – This is an excellent healthy substitute for soy sauce. It is gluten free, soy free, much lower in sodium than soy sauce, and packed with amino acids and active enzymes. And it tastes delicious – very similar to soy sauce, but packed with added health benefits!
Organic Black Chia Seeds– I have fallen in love with these seeds for their nutritional benefits. They are packed with protein, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals, and antioxidants. If you want to learn more about them, here’s a great article. They also provide a beautiful pop of colour and pleasing crunch which makes them one of my go to garnishes. I love to load them up in my super seed bars and they’re also great in smoothies. I buy the Kirkland brand at Costco. Now you can also get it on Amazon if you do not live near Costco (I encourage you to check the prices to see which one is a better deal, it’s always changing!)!
