Korean Beef Bulgogi Rice Bowls - the easy way

5 from 15 votes

Korean Beef Bulgogi Rice Bowls - the easy way

Recipe video above. This has gone straight to the top of my favourite quick way to use beef mince! An easy version of Korean Beef Bulgogi, one of Korea's most famous food exports, made with ground beef rather than pricey steaks but using an authentic Bulgogi marinade so it takes a fraction of the effort and cost.

I’ve made rice bowls, there's many ways to serve this - noodles, rice wraps, burritos or tacos (so trendy!). See in post for list!

PS Don't skip the apple and grated onion. This is what sets bulgogi apart from generic soy + sugar + garlic "Asian" sauces!

Prep Time15

Cook Time10

Total Time25

Course: Dinner, Main

Cuisine: Asian, korean fusion

Keyword: bulgogi rice bowl, easy bulgogi, korean beef bowls, korean rice bowl

Servings: - 5

Calories: 543cal

Author: Nagi

Ingredients

500g / 1 lb beef mince (ground beef), any fat % you like
1 tbsp canola oil , or any other plain flavoured oil, + 2 tsp (to wilt baby spinach)

Bulgogi sauce (don't skip the onion & apple!):

1 tbsp onion , finely grated (~1/4 onion) (Note 1)
3 tbsp red apple , finely grated (skin on is fine, ~1/2 apple) (Note 1)
3 garlic cloves , finely grated
1 tsp ginger , finely grated
2 1/2 tbsp soy sauce - all-purpose or light (Note 2)
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp mirin , omit for no alcohol (Note 3)
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/8 tsp black pepper

Rice bowl drizzle sauce:

2 tbsp soy sauce - all-purpose or light (Note 2)
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 tsp brown sugar
2 tsp rice vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)

For rice bowl (very flexible!):

white rice (medium or short grain, if you can)
4 large handfuls baby spinach (or similar chopped leafy greens - cabbage, kale)
1 large carrot , peeled and julienned or grated using box grater (I use a julienne shredding tool)
1 avocado , mashed
1/4 cup pickled ginger , I like pink for colour
1 1/2 cups baby cos / romaine lettuce , torn into bite size pieces
1 tsp white sesame seeds
1 green onion , finely sliced

Instructions

Sauces - Mix the Bulgogi sauce in a bowl, and the rice bowl drizzle sauce in a separate bowl.
Wilt spinach - Heat the 2 teaspoons of oil in a large non-stick pan over high heat. Add half the spinach, toss with tongs until semi wilted (~30 sec), then add the rest. Toss until wilted (~ 1 minute) then remove into a bowl.
Cook Bulgogi beef - Add 1 tablespoon oil to the pan. Still on high heat, add the beef and cook, breaking it up as you go, until you no longer see raw beef. Add the Bulgogi sauce, then let it simmer rapidly, stirring every now and then, until the sauce is mostly evaporated. Then stir regularly until the beef gets a bit of lovely caramelisation on it, but is still moist from the sauce.
Assemble - Spoon beef over rice, place spinach and carrot. Top with pickled ginger and a dollop of mashed avocado. Tuck lettuce down the side. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and green onion. Serve with sauce for drizzling all over everything before jumbling it all up and digging in!

Notes

1. Apple and onion - Grate finely if you've got a microplane or similar, for maximum flavour impact, else even a box grater will suffice. Apple adds natural sweetness & flavour in a way regular sugar never can (it also tenderises beef slices, but that's not relevant here) and grated onion adds flavour in a way that diced onion never will! Genius Korean cooking technique.

2. Soy sauce - Can substitute with tamari for gluten free. Do not use dark soy sauce or kecap manis, too strong! They will overwhelm. Soy sauce 101 here.

3. Mirin - substitute with Chinese cooking wine or cooking sake + 1/2 tsp brown sugar, or omit for no alcohol. Not traditionally in Bulgogi but it adds a smidge extra flavour to compensate for not using $50/kg steaks, marinating 24 hrs and cooking over smokey charcoal. :)

Leftover cooked beef can be kept for 3 days in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer (add a splash of water to moisten if needed when reheating).

Nutrition per serving assuming 5 servings and 1 cup of rice per person with all listed toppings, and assuming all the sauce is consumed (it may not be).

Nutrition