Korean Beef Bowls (in this case, I subbed mine for turkey) are absolutely delicious. These can be made and prepped for lunch or dinner in less than an hour. It's become a weekend lunch go-to for me.
Ground beef or turkey is browned, then coated in a homemade Korean-inspired sauce, served with jasmine rice and an Asian pickled slaw, and topped with green onions and sesame seeds.
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Tips for Making the Best Korean Beef Bowls:
- Drain the beef (or other ground meat) before adding the sauce. Not only does this significantly reduce the grease, but it ensures a flavorful sauce. Grease left in the pan=diluted sauce.
- Use ground beef, ground turkey, or ground pork in this recipe to change it up!
- For best results, allow the Asian pickled slaw to sit for two or more hours before serving. Even better, let it sit overnight! You can add more rice vinegar to your liking if it isn't tart enough.
Ingredients for Korean Beef Bowls:
For the Bowls:
- Ground beef, turkey, or pork
- Jasmine rice
- Sesame seeds
- Green onion
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Cooking oil
For the Sauce:
- Soy sauce or tamari. Be sure to use gluten-free soy sauce if dining GF.
- Honey
- Sesame oil
- Rice wine vinegar
- Ginger. I like to peel and zest fresh ginger for the most flavor.
- Garlic, minced
- Green onions
- Cornstarch slurry (organic cornstarch + water) to thicken the sauce
For the Asian Pickled Slaw:
- Cucumber, sliced
- Carrots, sliced or matchsticks
- Neutral oil, such as vegetable oil, avocado oil, etc.
- Rice wine vinegar
- Sesame oil
- Honey
- Soy sauce or tamari. Be sure to use gluten-free soy sauce if dining GF.
- Ground ginger, or additional fresh
- Crushed red pepper flakes
- Sesame seeds
- Cilantro
Recipe for Korean Beef Bowls:
For the Asian Pickled Slaw:
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, add the oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, ginger, crushed red pepper flakes, minced cilantro, and sesame seeds. Whisk until well-combined.
- Slice the cucumber into thin slices and julienne the carrots; place into the mixing bowl.
- Toss to combine, completely coating the cucumber and carrots in the dressing.
- Cover and chill for at-least 30 minutes, or preferably between two hours-to-overnight to allow the flavors to meld.
For the Korean Beef:
- Add all of the ingredients for the sauce to a small bowl; whisk until combined. Set aside.
- Prepare rice according to package directions.
- Meanwhile, heat a Dutch oven or large nonstick wok over medium-high heat along with one tablespoon of oil. Once the oil is shiny, add the ground beef. Salt and pepper it lightly. Brown the meat, stirring and breaking it up frequently, until there is no longer any pink. Using a slotted spoon, remove the ground beef from the pot and set onto a plate lined with paper towels. Drain the grease, and then return the ground beef to the pot over medium-low.
- Add the sauce ingredients to the pot with the beef, and stir until well distributed. Cook until the sauce bubbles and thickens, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Serve the ground beef hot over top of the rice with a side of the Asian pickled slaw. Top with additional sliced green onion and sesame seeds.
- Enjoy!
Equipment
You only need basic kitchen tools to make Korean Beef Bowls. I recommend:
- A dutch oven or wok to cook the Korean Beef in.
How to Store Korean Beef Bowls:
You can meal prep these bowls for lunch or dinner. Simply store the Asian slaw in a separate container (to remain cold) from the Korean beef and rice (to be reheated in the microwave). For best results, enjoy within three days.
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Korean Beef Bowls | Lunch Bowls | Easy Dinner
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Equipment
- Dutch oven or
Ingredients
For the Korean Beef Bowls:
(bowls)
- 2 lbs ground beef, turkey, or pork
- 2 cups uncooked jasmine rice
- 1 tablespoon neutral cooking oil such as vegetable oil, avocado oil, etc.
- sliced green onions
- sprinkle of sesame seeds
(sauce)
- ½ cup soy sauce or tamari Be sure it's gluten-free if dining GF
- ⅓ cup honey
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 4 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon fresh ginger peeled and zested
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 green onions sliced
- (cornstarch slurry: 1 tablespoon cornstarch + 2 tablespoon water)
For the Asian Pickled Slaw:
- 1 large cucumber thinly sliced
- 3 carrots julienned
- 3 tablespoon fresh cilantro minced
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger or additional fresh minced ginger
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- 4 teaspoon soy sauce or tamari
- 1 tablespoon neutral flavored oil like vegetable oil, avocado oil, etc.
- 2 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 teaspoon sesame seeds
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
For the Asian Pickled Slaw:
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, add the oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, ginger, crushed red pepper flakes, minced cilantro, and sesame seeds. Whisk until well-combined.
- Slice the cucumber into thin slices and julienne the carrots; place into the mixing bowl.
- Toss to combine, completely coating the cucumber and carrots in the dressing.
- Cover and chill for at-least 30 minutes, or preferably between two hours-to-overnight to allow the flavors to meld.
For the Korean Ground Beef:
- Add all of the ingredients for the sauce to a small bowl; whisk until combined. Set aside.
- Prepare rice according to package directions.
- Meanwhile, heat a Dutch oven or large nonstick wok over medium-high heat along with one tablespoon of oil. Once the oil is shiny, add the ground beef. Salt and pepper it lightly.
- Brown the meat, stirring and breaking it up frequently, until there is no longer any pink. Using a slotted spoon, remove the ground beef from the pot and set onto a plate lined with paper towels. Drain the grease, and then return the ground beef to the pot over medium-low.
- Add the sauce ingredients to the pot with the beef, and stir until well distributed. Cook until the sauce bubbles and thickens, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Serve the ground beef hot over top of the rice with a side of the Asian pickled slaw. Top with additional sliced green onion and sesame seeds.
- Enjoy!
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