A healthy ground beef recipe made of lean ground beef that’s stir fried with ginger, garlic, sesame oil, a touch of honey, and plenty of green onions, this Asian-inspired dinner is perfect for serving with vegetables and rice for a fast, wholesome meal. And by “fast” I mean lightening (just like my Egg Roll in a Bowl). Start to finish, this Korean beef bowl with veggies is ready in about 20 minutes. Meal prep your vegetables the day before, and you’ll have it ready even sooner! This recipe is super-duper loosely based on Deb’s Crispy Rice Bowls, which have been one of our favorite easy dinner recipes we’ve tried lately. You’ll find a number of major differences between them (particularly the ground beef), but the two recipes are wildly delicious, quick-and-easy, and take inspiration from Korean cooking. Neither claims authenticity. I hope you’ll try them both. I love Deb’s idea of topping the Korean bowls with shredded carrots and thinly sliced cucumbers. If you have time, let the vegetables sit in a mix of rice vinegar, sugar, and water to lightly pickle—the time the beef needs to brown will be enough, and you’ll adore yourself for making this upgrade. We served our sautéed Korean ground beef over steamed brown rice the first time I made this recipe and with quinoa the second; we were highly pleased with how they both tasted. If you have a few extra minutes and feel so inclined, I imagine the bowls would be delicious if you crisped the rice on the stove first, the way Deb does. As with most of my healthy ground beef recipes (like this Healthy Beef Taco Skillet), you also can trade out the vegetables here for just about any you prefer or have around. I love the combination of beef and broccoli in Asian recipes (looking at you, Crockpot Beef and Broccoli, Instant Pot Beef and Broccoli, and Healthy Beef and Broccoli), so making this Korean beef bowl with broccoli is next on my list.
How to Make a Korean Beef Bowl
If you regularly cook stir fries, you probably have these ingredients around. If you don’t, I enthusiastically encourage you to pick them up! You can find all of them at an average grocery store, the investment is nominal, and they will open you up to a whole new genre of tasty dinners, including all of these wonderful healthy stir fry recipes.
The Ingredients
Ground Beef. Lean ground beef (I used 93% lean) keeps this recipe light without sacrificing on flavor.Soy Sauce. Coats every morsel of the beef and gives it a delightfully salty, umami flavor. I recommend using low-sodium soy sauce to ensure your beef bowl doesn’t become too salty.Garlic + Ginger. Tiny but mighty! Both garlic and ginger pack intense flavors that complement almost any stir fry recipe.Rice Vinegar. For a touch of acidity.Honey. Adding honey gives the dish a subtle, balanced sweetness without using any refined sugars.Red Pepper Flakes. For a pinch of heat. If you like your stir fry extra spicy, feel free to add more red pepper flakes to take it up a notch.Sesame Oil. Brings an unmistakeable, lightly toasted flavor to this dish. Don’t skip this ingredient! Sesame oil is typically located in the Asian or international aisle of most grocery stores.For Serving. See below for tips on what to serve with this dish.
The Directions
What to Serve with Your Korean Beef Bowl
Rice. A classic and crowd-pleasing base for this beef bowl. We like brown rice for its whole grain benefits.Quinoa. For a boost in protein content, serve your beef bowl on top of cooked quinoa.Cauliflower Rice. Make this a low-carb Korean beef bowl by serving it with cauliflower rice.Broccoli. Korean ground beef and broccoli is a winning combination. Use steamed fresh broccoli, pickled broccoli slaw, or this Roasted Frozen Broccoli.Noodles. If you’re a fan of noodles with your stir fries, try this beef bowl with cooked soba, rice, or udon noodles.
Meal Prep and Storage Tips
This Korean beef rice bowl is ideal for meal prep.
To Meal Prep. Prep your vegetables in advance, and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Portion out your rice into storage containers, top with your desired serving size of the beef mixture, and finish with the vegetables. Store all the containers in the refrigerator, and grab for quick lunches or dinners throughout the week.To Store. Place leftovers in an airtight storage container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.To Reheat. Gently rewarm leftovers in a large skillet over medium-low heat on the stove. You can also reheat this dish in the microwave.To Freeze. Store the beef mixture and vegetables in an airtight, freezer-safe storage container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Recommend Tools to Make this Recipe
Glass Food Storage Containers. Ideal for Korean beef bowl meal prep.Skillet. An invaluable kitchen tool for making stir fries, browning meat, and so much more! This option is also great.Measuring Spoons. Measure your beef bowl ingredients with this double-sided spoons for less cleanup.
If you try this recipe, please take a moment to let me know how it turned out. Your 5-star ratings and reviews are so important to my blog, and they help others out too!
