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Korean Beef Rice Bowls takes about 20 minutes to whip up, so quick and easy, loaded with flavor for under 400 calories!
I came up with this Korean beef rice bowl the other night and they tasted so DANG good I knew I had to share. Â I used to work 2 blocks away from Koreatown when I worked full-time in Manhattan and loved having lunch with co-workers in nearby restaurants. Since then, Korean food is becoming really popular with Korean restaurants popping up everywhere. Unfortunately not as popular here in Long Island (yet) so if I don’t want to travel all the way to Manhattan I cook it myself.
One essential ingredient you will need is Gochujang sauce. It’s a Korean condiment that’s a little spicy and sweet, and has very distinct flavor only found in Korean cuisine. It also comes in a paste which requires you to thin it down. I use Annie Chun’s Gochujang Sauce since it’s available in my local supermarket and it’s ready-to-use, or buy it on Amazon!
And I’m obsessed with frozen brown rice from Trader Joe’s! It takes 3 minutes to heat up and the texture is perfect! If you live near a TJ’s, it’s a must!
Korean Beef Rice Bowls
These Korean Beef Rice Bowls make a quick and easy meal, loaded with flavor for under 400 calories!
Yield: 4 servings
Serving Size: 1 /4
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce*
- 2 teaspoons light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- cooking spray
- 1 pound 93% lean ground beef
- 1/4 cup chopped yellow onion
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
- 3 cups cooked brown rice
- 1 small sliced cucumber, skin on
- 2 tablespoons Gochujang, or more if desired*
- 1/2 tablespoon sesame seeds
- 2 sliced scallions, white and green parts
- *check labels for gluten-free
Instructions
- Combine the soy sauce, 2 tablespoons water, brown sugar, sesame oil and red pepper flakes in a small bowl.
- Heat a large deep nonstick skillet over high heat, spray with oil and add the ground beef. Cook, breaking the meat up with a wooden spoon until cooked through, about 5 minutes.
- Add the onion, garlic and ginger and cook 1 minute.
- Pour the sauce over the beef, cover and simmer on low heat 10 minutes.
- To assemble the bowls, place 3/4 cup rice in each bowl, top with scant 2/3 cup beef, cucumbers, Gochujong, sesame seeds and scallions.
Last Step:
Please leave a rating and comment letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business to thrive and continue providing free, high-quality recipes for you.Nutrition
Serving: 1 /4, Calories: 394 kcal, Carbohydrates: 47 g, Protein: 30 g, Fat: 9 g, Saturated Fat: 3 g, Cholesterol: 70 mg, Sodium: 807 mg, Fiber: 4 g, Sugar: 7 g
This was simple to make and my family loved it. I will make it again!
I just discovered you live on Long Island like me. Now I know that I should be able to find all your ingredients nearby. I’m going to try this soon.Â
This was delicious!
Highly recommend!!!!! We love this recipe!!! So delicious with the combination of spice and sweetness combined. Although I did change a few things by using chili piquing instead of the red pepper and I used thin beef steaks cut up and it was gone in seconds.! If u use the piquins then use less cause they are spicy! I roast my own and crush them into flakes for storage.
Now I get all the fanfare about this recipe. It was outstanding and will definitely be on my list of favorites!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Big fan of this dish. I usually add some steamed bok choy or spinach. Not labor intensive and very flavorful.
What a great idea. I will trey toe spinach that next time I make this.
Big fan of this dish. Usually add bok choy or spinach too. Not labor intensive and very flavorful.
This is a home run recipe! I’ve been seeing Skinnytaste Facebook group members rave about this recipe for so long I finally decided to try it. Now I have no idea why it took me so long! This is easily one of my top 3 favorite recipes of Ginas. I added roughly chopped mushrooms to give a little more volume and it turned out great. Will be making this for dinner often!
Does anyone or Gina have a recipe to pickle the cucumbers first and for how long? I’m excited to try this recipe because of all the rave reviews but I think pickled (instead of raw) cucumbers will take it the next level …. Thanks!Â
I add kimchi and don’t use the cucumber.Â
I either buy cucumber kimchi from a local Asian Grocery, or use this quick Kimchi recipe. It’s DELICIOUS! But I do use about 1/2 the fish sauce.  https://www.allergyfreealaska.com/quick-kimchi-cucumbers/
What would be a good substitute for apple sauce?
It tenderizes the chicken and makes it sweet, I guess you can omit
This is a phenomenal recipe. I didn’t have brown sugar, so I used coconut sugar. My eight-year-old grandson loved it.
Love this recipe. Note to self…add matchstick carrots!