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This delicious Korean Ground Beef recipe includes tender beef and a sweet and savory sauce. No need to marinate, just stir fry the beef right in the sauce!
Featured with this recipe
Once only available in your favorite Korean BBQ place, now available whenever you want, Korean Ground Beef is a sweet, savory, slightly spicy dish that is versatile and delicious. I love this easy recipe because it is so versatile – I can create bowls, wraps, rolls, and more. I also love this recipe for easy meal prep. Traditional Korean beef bulgogi is made with thin slices of beef in a marinade. Our version saves you marinating time, but doesn’t budge on flavor, leaving you with juicy and flavorful beef. This is a great recipe for beginners, it isn’t hard to make something that tastes amazing.
Ingredients in Korean Ground Beef
- Ground Beef – if you are staying away from red meat, you can use a different protein like ground turkey or ground chicken
- Brown Sugar
- Soy Sauce
- Sesame Oil
- Red Pepper Flakes
- Canola Oil
- Fresh Ginger – you can use ground ginger, but fresh ginger takes Korean Ground Beef to the next level!
- Garlic
- Green Onions
- Sesame Seeds
Serving Suggestions
Serve Korean Ground Beef a multitude of ways. Here is some inspiration:
- Korean Beef Rice Bowl- this is my favorite way to serve this beef – I serve it with rice, shredded carrots, thinly sliced cucumbers, sesame seeds, green onions, and spicy mayo for a delicious and healthy meal. Other ideas for Korean ground beef bowls are brown rice, cauliflower rice, broccoli, green beans, edamame, a fried egg and sriracha.
- Lettuce wraps- use large, green leafy lettuce as your base and fill them with the Korean beef and any stir fried vegetables you like.
- Fresh spring roll- make your own by getting rice paper wrappers, soaking them, and filling the wrappers with fresh ingredients and your Korean ground beef. These are great because you don’t have to fry them!
Add spice
- Sriracha sauce
- Gochujang paste
How to Make Korean Ground Beef
Typically, Korean beef is made with a sliced ribeye, a NY strip, or flank steak. These steaks are cut thinly and then they marinate for a long time to give them their signature flavor. I use ground beef because you don’t have to marinate it, it’s easier to cook, and the meal comes together faster. Not to mention, using ground beef saves money, too! This delicious Korean ground beef comes together in just a few simple steps:
- Whisk all the sauce ingredients together and set aside.
- Saute the aromatics in oil until they are golden and fragrant.
- Add the beef to the pan and break it up into small pieces. Cook over medium-high heat until browned all the way through.
- Drain excess grease and then pour the sauce over the beef and simmer to reduce.
Recipe Tip
Make sure to keep cooking the meat and sauce until the sauce is reduced and clinging to the meat.
Frequently Asked Questions
Rice is the classic, number one answer. Another delicious thing would be a spicy cucumber salad, or other veggies. Something to try that would also go well is kimchi, which is salted and fermented vegetables. Other ideas are mac and cheese or coleslaw. Enjoy!
Typically, Korean beef is made with a sliced rib eye, a NY strip, or flank steak. This easy Korean beef recipe is made with ground beef for a convenient twist!
Korean beef is super flavorful and has a delicious sauce with it.
Something special Koreans have also traditionally done is add grated Asian pear to their marinades. This really tenderizes the meat. Something to try!
Read Next: 35+ Easy Family Dinner Ideas
More Ground Beef Recipes
- How to Make Tacos with Ground Beef
- Easy Ground Beef Taco Salad
- Mexican Beef and Rice Skillet
- Pappardelle Bolognese
- Meat Sauce
- Instant Pot Meatballs
- Crockpot Vegetable Beef Soup
- White Castle Sliders Recipe
Korean Beef
Video
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 4 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 2 teaspoons fresh ginger
- 3 tablespoons minced garlic
- 2 pounds lean ground beef
- 3 green onions sliced
- sesame seeds for garnish
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil and red pepper flakes. Set aside.
- Heat canola oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add ginger and garlic and cook until golden brown and fragrant.
- Add ground beef and cook until browned. Drain excess grease.
- Add sauce and green onions and cook until the sauce has reduced a little and is clinging to the beef.
- Serve with rice, green onions, and sesame seeds.
Notes
- Add Sriracha or Gochujang paste to the sauce for extra spice.
- If you don’t have fresh ginger, you can replace it with ¼ teaspoon ground ginger.
- You can use thinly sliced sirloin steak instead of ground beef. Just marinate the beef in the sauce overnight before cooking to ensure tenderness.
