Korean Ground Beef Bowls (41g Protein)

This is the recipe I point people to when they say they have no time to cook. Ground beef instead of sliced bulgogi means no marinating and no knife work beyond garlic and scallions. Cooking time is 15 minutes flat, and with the fried egg each bowl carries 41g of protein.

It is also close to perfect for meal prep, which I get into below.

Why this works

The single most common mistake with ground beef is stirring it constantly, which steams the meat in its own juices. Press it into the hot pan and walk away for two minutes. The browned crust that forms is doing the job the grill does in a Korean BBQ restaurant. The sauce goes in only after that crust exists, then reduces to a glaze instead of a puddle.

Ingredient notes

Gochujang is fermented chili paste and one tablespoon adds depth more than fire; spice cowards can halve it, chili lovers should double it. 90/10 beef is the sweet spot here: 80/20 leaves the glaze greasy, 95/5 turns rubbery on high heat. Sesame oil is a finishing oil. Adding it at the end keeps the aroma; frying with it kills it.

Korean Ground Beef Bowls

Caramelized soy-garlic beef in the style of bulgogi, minus the marinating. One pan, 15 minutes of cooking.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Servings: 4 bowls

Calories: 620

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

• 700 g lean ground beef 90/10, about 1.5 lb
• 4 tbsp soy sauce
• 1.5 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp gochujang more if you like heat
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 4 eggs for frying
• 4 scallions, sliced
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Method

 

1. Stir the soy sauce, brown sugar, and gochujang together in a small bowl.
2. Brown the beef in a wide pan over high heat. Spread it out and leave it alone for 2 to 3 minutes before breaking it up. That undisturbed contact is where the flavor comes from.
3. Add garlic and ginger, stir 1 minute, then pour in the sauce and let it bubble and reduce until it coats the meat, 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Kill the heat and stir through the sesame oil and most of the scallions.
5. Fry the eggs in a separate pan, keeping the yolks runny.
6. Serve the beef over rice, topped with an egg, the remaining scallions, and sesame seeds. Kimchi on the side if you have it.

Tips and storage

For meal prep, portion the beef over rice in containers and skip the egg until serving day; a fried egg microwaves into a sad gray thing. The beef keeps 4 days refrigerated and freezes for 3 months. It reheats best with a splash of water to bring the glaze back.