Korean Ground Beef Bowl
Sweet, savory, gently spicy Korean-style beef over rice with cool quick-pickled cucumbers. Extra-lean ground beef in a gochujang and soy sauce that tastes like it simmered all afternoon, done in 20 minutes. A meal-prep classic for a reason.
Method
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Toss the sliced cucumber with the vinegar and salt and set aside while you cook.
💡 Tip: Five minutes is enough. They soften slightly and pick up a bright pickle edge. -
Brown the beef in a hot skillet, breaking it up, for 5 to 6 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger for the final minute.
💡 Tip: With 96% lean beef there is little fat to drain, which is the point. -
Stir together the gochujang, soy sauce, honey, and sesame oil, pour over the beef, and simmer for 2 minutes until glossy and clinging.
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Serve over rice, topped with the cucumbers, scallions, and sesame seeds.
💡 Tip: A fried egg on top adds another 6g of protein if you want it.
Notes
96% lean ground beef keeps this genuinely lean. Drain the skillet if your beef runs fattier.
Gochujang is the flavor anchor, fermented, sweet-spicy depth you cannot fake with hot sauce. Most grocery stores carry it now.
The quick cucumbers take 5 minutes and cut through the rich beef. Do not skip them.
Nutrition includes the rice, this is the complete bowl.
Nutrition Information
| Calories | 420kcal |
| Total Fat | 9g |
| Total Carbohydrates | 48g |
| Protein | 33g |
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is gochujang and can I substitute it?
A Korean fermented chili paste, sweet, savory, and moderately spicy all at once. Sriracha plus a half teaspoon of miso gets you somewhere close in a pinch, but the real thing is worth buying and keeps for months.
How spicy is this?
Mild-medium as written. Gochujang brings warmth rather than fire. Add red pepper flakes or fresh chili for more heat, or halve the gochujang for kids.
What else works in the bowl?
Steamed broccoli, shredded carrots, kimchi, or a fried egg are all classic. Cauliflower rice drops the carbs significantly if you need it.
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