Korean beef bowls are a quick 15-minute dinner recipe that can be served over rice or wrapped in lettuce for delicious lettuce wraps. The ground beef simmers in a simple sweet and tangy sauce along with some snow peas for crunch and color. You will love this easy ground beef recipe!
Quick and easy recipes are the best, right? I love when we can pull together dinner in less time it takes to order take-out and this Korean beef bowl recipe is one of our favorites:
- The savory beef cures a take-out craving. It has similar flavors of some of our favorite dishes!
- It’s a snap to make in about 15 minutes
- You can serve it over rice or use the beef filling to make lettuce wraps for a lower-carb dinner
- It keeps well so it’s perfect for meal prep
Basically, these delicious beef bowls will save you on busy weeknights! Most of it is made with simple pantry ingredients making it easy to make it when it seems like there’s no time to cook.
Table of Contents
Korean Beef Recipe
- Ground beef
- Minced garlic
- Grated ginger
- Sesame oil
- Low sodium soy sauce
- Light brown sugar
- Red pepper flakes
- Rice vinegar
- Chopped sugar snap peas
Cook the ground beef in a skillet over medium heat. Break it up as it cooks and once it’s no longer pink, drain off the excess fat.
Add the garlic, ginger, sesame oil, and rice vinegar and cook them with the beef for a couple of minutes. Add the soy sauce, sugar, and red pepper flakes. Cook it all together for about five minutes.
Add the snap peas and cook them for one minute. At this point it’s ready to serve!
Different Ways to Serve It
Korean ground beef bowl: We love to spoon the savory beef over rice to make a delicious Korean beef bowl. Garnish it with sesame seeds and sliced green onions for extra flavor. For a healthy spin, try using cauliflower rice instead.
Beef lettuce wraps: If you want a low carb option, wrap the beef in lettuce for easy lettuce wraps. Drizzle a little extra sesame oil over the top of the beef for a boost of flavor.
Korean beef burritos: For a fun twist, wrap the Korean beef in tortillas with sesame seeds and green onions for a Korean-style burrito!
Make these Bowls Ahead for Easy Lunches and Dinners
One of the many things we love about this recipe is that you can easily make Korean beef rice bowls ahead for meals during the week.
- Make a batch of the Korean beef and then let it cool.
- Portion it into meal prep containers along with cooked rice and the sesame seed and green onion garnishes.
- Store them in the refrigerator and reheat in the microwave when you’re ready to eat. They will keep for three to four days!
If you want to make lettuce wraps for meal prep just keep the lettuce separate from the beef until you’re ready to eat. It will stay crisper longer this way.
Make this Dish Your Own with Variations
To switch things up try broccoli florets in place of the sugar snap peas. If you do, add the broccoli earlier so it has time to cook. I usually add it when I add the soy sauce and sugar.
Love some heat? Feel free to add more red pepper flakes. If you prefer it milder you can also reduce the amount or omit it.
Once you try this easy Korean beef bowl recipe, I know you’ll want to make it every week. It’s so easy, so good and you can serve it in so many ways. It’s definitely a keeper – enjoy!
Other Dinners You’ll Enjoy
Korean Beef Bowl Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon ginger grated
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 cup sugar snap peas chopped into bite sized pieces
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet to medium heat. Break ground beef into small pieces and cook until the pink is gone 4-6 minutes. Drain excess liquid
- Add garlic, ginger, sesame oil and rice vinegar. Cook for 2 minutes. Then add soy sauce, brown sugar and red pepper flakes. Cook for 4-6 minutes allowing the liquid to be absorbed into the meat. Add in the sugar snap peas and heat for 1 minute.
- Serve over brown rice and garnish with green onions and sesame seeds
Recipe Notes
- Use different vegetables like broccoli for a different taste and texture.
- Add another 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes if you like a strong bite of heat.
- If you want to make it healthier you can skip the rice and use lettuce for Korean lettuce wraps.
Recipe Nutrition
Korean beef bowls are a quick 15-minute dinner recipe that can be served over rice or wrapped in lettuce for delicious lettuce wraps. You will love this easy ground beef recipe!
This looks really good. I’m anxious to try it.
This was so easy to make and very flavorful!
Just made this tonight. I added broccoli, cut up small, instead of the snap peas. Turned out really, really good! Definitely something I’ll make again.
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