Quick Korean Beef Recipe (2024)

Published: · Modified: by Shadi HasanzadeNemati · This post may contain affiliate links .

Jump to Recipe

Korean beef and rice is a family favorite that comes together in less than 20 minutes and tastes better than take out. Enjoy ground beef browned to perfection with a delicious homemade sauce!

Quick Korean Beef Recipe (1)

If you love Korean flavors as much as we do, you'll love our Korean style recipes. If you haven't already, be sure to check out our Korean beef nachos, Korean beef bowls and Korean beef lettuce wraps - the nachos are a real crowd-pleaser!

Table Of Contents:
  • Why this recipe works
  • Ingredients
  • The secret to perfectly browned ground beef
  • Preparation instructions
  • Side dishes to serve
  • What to do with the leftovers
  • Notes and tips
  • Step-by-Step Recipe

Why this recipe works

  • Quick to make (only 20 minutes!): We all have those busy days that are so hectic that at the end of the day all we want is just a nice dinner on the table. Because you're using ground beef instead of sirloin, there is no marinating needed which saves a lot of time.
  • Needs just a few ingredients: This quick Korean beef recipe calls for a few ingredients such as ground beef, soy sauce and a few spices. This is a budget-friendly version of the classic Korean dish bulgogithat uses ground beef instead of thinly sliced sirloin. Serve it with rice and you're winning weeknight dinner!
  • Kid-friendly: Kids love this dish! This recipe is also highly customizable. You can even add different vegetables and serve with rice to make this into a dinner bowl that's healthier, quicker and tastier than take-out.

Ingredients

  • Soy sauce: My preference is to use low-sodium soy sauce when possible, but regular soy sauce works too.
  • Chili pepper flakes: It adds a little "kick" to the sauce. You can leave it out as it is optional.
  • Brown sugar: To balance the saltiness of the soy sauce, we need some brown sugar. Granulated sugar won't work in this recipe., however, honey can be an alternative if you don't use sugar.
  • Garlic and ginger: The amount of garlic and ginger added to this recipe depends on your preference. I'm pretty generous with both when it comes to making this dish.
  • Cornstarch: To thicken the sauce and make the dish a bit sticky, we need some cornstarch.
  • Ground beef: This is the key to our quick dinner, instead of classic sirloin that's used to make Korean beef, we are using ground beef which cooks in no time and is so flavorful when cooked with the sauce. It's best to use lean ground beef with 7% or less fat content.

The secret to perfectly browned ground beef

When it comes to browning ground beef, there is really one thing you should know: Use a large pan. Large pans offer enough space to the ground beef to be in one single layer and therefore brown better and faster. Let your pan heat completely before cooking the ground beef to get that nice brown color.

Also, don't stir constantly. Let the ground beef cook for a few minutes before stirring it. This would give the meat enough time to brown well.

Quick Korean Beef Recipe (2)

Preparation instructions

  • Combine soy sauce, chili pepper flakes, brown sugar, garlic, ginger and cornstarch in a small bowl.
  • Heat the oil in a large pan. Cook the ground beef over medium heat until no longer pink, about 10 minutes.
  • Add the sauce to the ground beef mixture.
  • Cook for another five to ten minutes until the sauce thickens.
  • Top with green onions and sesame seeds. Serve with brown or white rice.

Kitchen Tip:If you like your ground beef to be even more flavorful, sauté one onion in some vegetable oil before adding it to the beef. It's a small step, but will add a lot of flavor.

Quick Korean Beef Recipe (3)

Side dishes to serve

You can serve this dish with instant pot white rice, instant pot brown rice, steamed vegetables like broccoli and carrots, noodles or cauliflower rice. This recipe is so easy to modify and it tastes great with almost everything!

What to do with the leftovers

This is one of those ground beef recipes that's perfect for meal prep. It keeps very well in the fridge and reheats well. Simply store the leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.

To reheat, add one tablespoon of soy sauce before reheating to freshen up the flavor. It's best to reheat this dish in a pan over medium heat and avoid microwaving it.

Notes and tips

  • Fresh garlic and fresh ginger always bring more flavor to dishes like this. If you don't have fresh ingredients, use powdered garlic and ginger according to your tastes.
  • Use lean beef if possible. If using beef that has more than 7% fat, make sure to drain the excess fat otherwise your dish will be too oily.
  • You can leave the sugar out and use two tablespoons of honey instead.
  • What makes this dish super tasty is perfectly browned beef, so please don't skip this step and brown it all the way through (but make sure it's not dry!).
  • Feeding a crowd? You can double and triple this recipe easily to feed more people.
Quick Korean Beef Recipe (4)

More Recipes

  • Korean Beef Nachos
  • Korean Beef Bowl Recipe
  • Easy Korean Beef Lettuce Wraps
  • Instant Pot White Rice Recipe

Did you make this recipe? I'd love to hear about it! Please comment and leave a 5-star🌟 rating below. You can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest or subscribe to our newsletter to get a free e-Cookbook!

Step-by-Step Recipe

Quick Korean Beef Recipe (9)

Quick Korean Beef

Shadi HasanzadeNemati

Korean beef and rice is a family favorite that comes together in less than 20 minutes and tastes better than take out. Enjoy ground beef browned to perfection with a delicious homemade sauce!

4.51 from 103 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup soy sauce low sodium
  • ¼ teaspoon chili pepper flakes
  • 1 ½ tablespoon brown sugar
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger or ½ teaspoon powdered ginger
  • 1 teaspoon corn starch
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 lb ground beef I used 93% lean
  • 4 cups cooked rice
  • 3 green onions chopped
  • 1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Instructions

  • In a small bowl, mix soy sauce, pepper flakes, brown sugar, garlic, ginger and corn starch. Set aside.

  • Heat vegetable oil in a pan over medium heat. Saute ground beef until brown and no pink left. Add the sauce and cook for an additional 5 minutes.

  • Meanwhile, heat the rice.

  • Serve cooked Korean beef over Jasmine rice and top with green onions and sesame seeds.

Notes

  • The key to make a delicious Korean beef is making a good sauce. Please taste the sauce to make sure it has enough flavor.
  • If you like this dish saltier, add one more tablespoon of soy sauce.
  • Use lean ground beef for this recipe if available. If the ground beef has a fat content higher than 7%, please discard the rendered fat after browning the beef.
  • Fresh garlic and fresh ginger always bring more flavor to dishes like this. If you don't have fresh ingredients, use powdered garlic and ginger to your taste.
  • You can leave the sugar out and use two tablespoons honey instead.
  • What makes this dish super tasty is perfectly browned beef, so please don't skip this step and brown it all the way through (but make sure it's not dry!).
  • Feeding a crowd? You can double and triple this recipe easily to feed more people.

Nutrition

Calories: 401kcalCarbohydrates: 35gProtein: 18gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 54mgSodium: 774mgPotassium: 297mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 60IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 49mgIron: 2mg

Did you make this recipe? Let us know how it was by leaving a comment and a 5-star review!

More Quick and Easy Dinner Recipes

  • Mediterranean Pasta with Artichokes and Olives
  • Sausage Pasta With Vegetables
  • Best Chicken Pesto Sandwich
  • Best Grilled Salmon Recipe

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Dolores Dougherty

    Quick Korean Beef Recipe (14)
    I made it for dinner it was very good!!!!

    Reply

  2. Amy O

    Quick Korean Beef Recipe (15)
    This recipe is amazing and simple to make. I’ll be adding this in my meal rotation . Thank you for sharing it.

    Reply

  3. Stephanie

    Quick Korean Beef Recipe (16)
    This was delicious! I ran out fresh garlic so I substituted for garlic powder, and it still came out delicious. This was quick and easy to make, and so full of flavor. I served it with white rice and steamed veggies (broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower).

    Reply

  4. Terri J

    Quick Korean Beef Recipe (17)
    This was so easy to make! And so delicious!

    Reply

  5. Becky

    Quick Korean Beef Recipe (18)
    made this and it came out just fine . everyone loved it.

    Reply

  6. Natty

    Quick Korean Beef Recipe (19)
    Delicious, my teenagers love it!!

    Reply

  7. Vickie

    Quick Korean Beef Recipe (20)
    I make this once a week or every other week! So easy to toss together! We like ours saucy so the rice gets a coating. I double or triple the soy/sugar blend sauce and throw in frozen peas and carrots and green onions. We don’t like ginger so I leave it out.

    Reply

  8. Harold Burton

    this looks so delicious! My husband hates eggs, so I never make Frittata’s which is a shame. Have you tried freezing this or something similar. I’m thinking for my breakfast or lunch, I could make ahead. Let me know, much appreciated!

    Harold Burton

    Reply

    • Shadi HasanzadeNemati

      This freezes very well!

      Reply

  9. Beth

    Quick Korean Beef Recipe (21)
    This is the perfect recipe for me these days! Quick and a for sure family favorite! No leftovers with this dish!

    Reply

  10. Suzy

    Quick Korean Beef Recipe (22)
    This is one of those meals we come back to time and time again. So tasty and so EASY to make!

    Reply

  11. Lisa Jackson

    Quick Korean Beef Recipe (23)
    Loved it. Had ground pork instead of beef. Did onion first. As recommended. Also used double fresh ginger. Awsome

    Reply

    • Shadi HasanzadeNemati

      Glad you like this recipe!

      Reply

  12. Carolyn

    Quick Korean Beef Recipe (24)
    Hello Shadi, I made this dish tonight, it was so good. Typically, I season my ground beef with black pepper, onion powder, Sazon, Italian seasoning and paprika for flavor, and adding the sauce made the beef absolutely delish! My 12-yr old daughter gave the meal 2-thumbs up! Will definitely make again.

    Reply

    • Shadi HasanzadeNemati

      Carolyn, thank you for your kind comment and review! We are happy to know you and your family loved this recipe!

      Reply

« Older Comments

Leave a Reply

Quick Korean Beef Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is bulgogi sauce made of? ›

It typically consists of soy sauce, sugar, mirin (sweet rice wine), sesame oil, garlic, and green onions, along with other ingredients such as ginger, pear juice, or rice wine vinegar. The sauce is used to flavor and tenderize thinly sliced beef that is then grilled, pan-fried, or stir-fried.

What cut of beef is used for bulgogi? ›

Bulgogi is typically made with almost paper-thin slices of the most tender cuts of beef. Rib-eye is the most common cut of beef with top sirloin coming in a close second. That being said, I have used both rib-eye and flank steak for this Beef Bulgogi recipe and honestly, I could barely tell a difference!

What goes well with Korean beef? ›

Serving Suggestions:

We love to build these Korean beef bowls using veggies like cucumbers, carrots, radishes, and greens. Put your beef and veggies over rice with a fried egg and some additional sriracha! YUM! Other optional yummy additions are avocado, cilantro, mint, and sesame seeds.

What is the best beef in Korea? ›

In South Korea, locally bred Hanwoo is the meat of choice – and it's priced accordingly. It's more expensive than wagyu of comparable quality, but not as expensive as Kobe (bred in Japan's Hyogo prefecture), and it's double the price of a comparable cut of US or Australian beef.

Is bulgogi sauce same as BBQ sauce? ›

It is sweet and savory and adds a vibrant flavor to any dish. Meishi Bulgogi sauce is a Korean style BBQ sauce for BBQs and grilling. Its an Ideal addition to your marinades or stir-fry's and makes a superb dipping sauce for burger and nuggets.

What is the difference between teriyaki and bulgogi sauce? ›

Bulgogi is a sweet, salty beef dish that is comparable to teriyaki but much more rich and flavorful. Whereas teriyaki is solely sweetened with sugar, bulgogi relies also on fruit sugar to add an extra depth of flavor.

What are the three types of bulgogi? ›

There are three types of bulgogi that are typically served at restaurants today – Gwangyang-style of South Jeolla Province, Eonyang-style of South Gyeongsang Province and last but not least, the Seoul-style.

Why is bulgogi so tender? ›

Yes! As meat marinates, the reason it becomes tender is because it's actually breaking down. It's possible to break down the meat too much by marinating it too long. I like to marinade beef bulgogi for 4 hours, but up to 8 hours is fine.

Why is Korean beef so good? ›

Hanwoo beef is highly nutritious, packed with protein, vitamins, and minerals. It is a breed of cattle that is native to Korea and is known for its high quality and flavor. Hanwoo beef is leaner than other types of beef and has less cholesterol and saturated fat.

What makes Korean beef special? ›

Hanwoo cattle are known for their high marbling, beefy flavour and slightly sweet aftertaste. The secret to its perfect balance lies in how the cattle are raised and fed. Hanwoo has all the flavor and juiciness of a Prime Beef without being overpowered by the excessive marbling and oily Wagyu aftertaste.

What is special about Korean beef? ›

Korean beef is an emerging luxury meat less fatty, more chewy and beefier than its Japanese counterpart. While France and China ranked third and fourth after Korea and Japan – where a sirloin steak costs US$100 per kg on average – the average price of French and Chinese beef was much lower at US$27 per kg.

Why is Korean beef so expensive? ›

There are a few reasons why Korean beef is so expensive to buy in Korea. Production costs: Korean beef is raised in a very specific way that is labor-intensive and expensive. The cows are fed a special diet of rice straw and other grains, and they are massaged daily to break up the fat and make the meat more tender.

Why do Koreans soak beef? ›

According to the 19th century cookbook Siuijeonseo (시의전서, 是議全書), thin slices of tender beef are soaked to remove blood before being finely shredded. The shredded beef is then marinated in a mixed sauce of chopped spring onion, minced garlic, pepper, oil, honey, pine nuts, sesame, and salt.

What is the expensive Korean beef called? ›

Despite its high price, Hanwoo beef is preferred in Korean cuisine, as it is typically fresher and of better quality than cheaper imported substitutes. Kim et al. (2001) noted, "Hanwoo is regarded as a premium beef because of its high palatability and desired chewiness".

What is bulgogi sauce taste like? ›

What does bulgogi sauce taste like? Bulgogi sauce is considered being the BBQ sauce of Asian and Korean cuisine. It's sweet, smoky, and slightly tangy, and has a subtle spice hit thanks to the chili sauce. In many Korean restaurants, they actually serve this as a dipping sauce too!

Is bulgogi sauce spicy hot? ›

The word bulgogi is derived from two Korean words; bul which means fire and gogi is the Korean term for meat. So a direct translation to bulgogi is fire meat. While this sauce can be made spicy and hot, the fire refers to the cooking method, as it's usually cooked over an open flame, or on a Korean Barbecue.

Is bulgogi sauce the same as marinade? ›

Korean bulgogi sauce is a great marinade for grilled beef. It's also absolutely awesome brushed on burgers, on chops or as a stir fry sauce. Or even just drizzled on rice.

What is special about bulgogi? ›

Bulgogi, or Korean beef barbecue, is undoubtedly one of the most quintessentially Korean dishes there are: gorgeously thin slices of ribeye, tenderloin, or sirloin marinated in a savory-sweet sauce and quickly cooked over flame.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Duane Harber

Last Updated:

Views: 6271

Rating: 4 / 5 (51 voted)

Reviews: 90% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Duane Harber

Birthday: 1999-10-17

Address: Apt. 404 9899 Magnolia Roads, Port Royceville, ID 78186

Phone: +186911129794335

Job: Human Hospitality Planner

Hobby: Listening to music, Orienteering, Knapping, Dance, Mountain biking, Fishing, Pottery

Introduction: My name is Duane Harber, I am a modern, clever, handsome, fair, agreeable, inexpensive, beautiful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.