Korean Beef Rice Bowls

A complete dinner in just 20 minutes – no sides required!

If you’re like me, you’ll probably find your old friend minced (ground) meat making a constant appearance in the meal plan. But I no longer want to feel embarrassed about how much mince means to me. It makes my life so much easier, especially when I am nervously trying out exciting new flavours on the kids … it might be new, but if it involves mince it’s OK with them. But sometimes I need to shake things up a little … even my beloved mince.

Enter these Korean Beef Rice Bowls: a ridiculously easy, 20-minute dinner that delivers big on those exciting flavours while keeping things simple and containing Kid Approved Mince. This “meal-in-one-bowl” wonder – yay, no sides required; yay, minimal cleanup – involves just a handful of low-cost ingredients. Beef is stir-fried in a sweet, tangy and spicy sauce flavoured with garlic, ginger, soy and gochujang, then drizzled with a combination of mayo, sesame and gochujang, all served with fresh and crunchy carrot, cucumber and kimchi.

But if that doesn’t sound perfect enough, it’s completely customisable. This is lucky for me as when I serve this to my kids it’s “hold the spice, hold the kimchi” – basically just mince, rice and salad. But that’s OK as one day they’ll probably say “not enough spice, not enough kimchi”. Hubby and I, on the other hand, pile ours with enough spice and kimchi to scare off a cold.

Could it get better? Yes it could. This is one of those “cook once, eat twice” meals. Leftover beef can be stuffed into lettuce wraps, rolled into sushi, or thrown into a noodle stir-fry. So go ahead and celebrate mince and add this one to your weekly lineup – Future You will thank you!

Is this recipe kid-friendly?

Absolutely! Reduce or omit the gochujang, substituting it with tomato paste (concentrated puree) in the stir-fry for a milder option and omitting in the drizzle. I also omit the kimchi for my kids and it’s still delicious.

How spicy is gochujang paste and where can I get it?

Gochujang has a mild heat with a deep, savoury, slightly sweet flavour. It’s available in most major supermarkets or Asian grocery stores. If you’re unsure, start with just a teaspoon and adjust to taste!

What other toppings can I use?

Shredded cabbage, cooked mushrooms, pickled radish, fried eggs or fresh baby spinach make excellent additions.

Watch how to make Korean Beef Rice Bowls

If you enjoyed Korean Beef Rice Bowls, I think you’ll love:

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Korean Beef Rice Bowls

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5 from 2 reviews

Quick, bold, and satisfying Korean Beef Rice Bowls with a creamy gochujang mayo drizzle, served with tangy kimchi and optional fresh toppings. Perfect for a flavour-packed weeknight meal. It’s also customisable.

• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x

Ingredients

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STIR-FRY SAUCE

• 1 tsp freshly grated garlic
• 1 tsp freshly grated ginger
• 3 tbsp all-purpose soy sauce
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp gochujang (adjust for spice preference, see note 1 for substitutions)
• 1 tsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds, plus extra to garnish

FOR THE STIR-FRY

• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil or neutral oil
• 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) minced (ground) beef
• 2 spring onions (scallions), finely sliced, 1 tbsp reserved for garnish

FOR THE MAYO DRIZZLE

• 3 tbsp whole-egg mayonnaise
• 1 tsp gochujang
• ½ tsp sesame oil
• ½ tsp rice vinegar

TO SERVE

• 2 cups (370 g) cooked jasmine rice
• 1 cup (240 g) kimchi
• 1 carrot, julienned
• 1 Lebanese (short) cucumber, sliced into half moons

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Instructions

1. Make the stir-fry sauce – In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic, ginger, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, gochujang, rice vinegar and sesame seeds until combined. Set aside.
2. Cook the beef – Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium–high heat. Add the beef and cook until browned, breaking it up as it cooks. Pour in the stir-fry sauce and stir well to coat the beef. Simmer for 2–3 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly. Turn the heat off and stir through the spring onion.
3. Prepare the mayo drizzle – In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, gochujang, sesame oil and rice vinegar until smooth. Set aside.
4. Assemble the bowl – Divide the cooked jasmine rice among four bowls. Top with the Korean beef mixture and a generous serving of kimchi, carrot and cucumber. Drizzle the gochujang mayo over the top and garnish with extra sesame seeds and spring onion. Serve immediately!

Equipment

Large Wooden Spoon

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Tongs

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Notes

Note 1 – If you are new to gochujang, add 1 teaspoon initially and add more later to taste. If you would prefer no spice, swap it with tomato paste (concentrated puree) in the stir-fry and omit in the drizzle.

 

Make Ahead

Beef – Prepare the beef mixture up to 3 days in advance and store in an airtight container in the fridge. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave before serving.

Mayo drizzle – Mix the gochujang mayo up to 3 days in advance and store in the fridge in a covered container.

Toppings – Slice the cucumber and julienne the carrot up to 2 days in advance, then store them in airtight containers in the fridge.

Leftovers

Store leftovers in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3 days, keeping the toppings separate from the beef. Reheat the beef gently on the stove or microwave. Not suitable to freeze.

• Author: Nicole
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Category: Beef, Quick and Easy
• Method: Stove-Top
• Cuisine: Korean-Inspired