Korean Ground Beef Bowl: Meal Prep

Bulgogi the easy way

If you are looking for a delicious and quick way to manage your weekly meals, this Korean Beef rice bowl will become your new go-to! It’s packed with umami flavor, high in protein, and balanced with refreshing fresh cucumbers. This recipe is a simplified take on the classic Korean bulgogi, but uses ground beef to keep things easy. You can also pair this with my Korean Potato Salad (Gamja Salad) and Soy Ginger Cucumber Salad to complete your meal prep. Punched with an umami flavor, high protein, and fresh veggies, this recipe is perfect for prepping in advance for your meals throughout the week.

Notes:

• Ground beef: I recommend using ground beef, but ground turkey and ground pork are great alternatives for this recipe.

• Gochujang: Gochujang is a Korean kitchen Staple – it’s a fermented chili paste that’s a little sweet, and a little spicy. It is like Korean hot sauce, it is similar to sriracha but a less spicy version of it with a hint of sweetness.

• Sauce: The sauce is a blend of sweet and salty, made with brown sugar, sesame oil soy sauce, and a touch a gochujang.

• Spice it up: If you prefer more heat, increase the gochujang or add a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes. For a milder version, you can omit the gochujang or use a smaller amount.

  

Tips & Tricks

• Drain the beef juices: After browning the ground beef, make sure to drain the juices. This helps the beef crisp up and get the sauce caramelized

• Simmer the sauce: Allow the sauce to simmer and stir frequently so the sauce thicken and carnalizes the ground beef

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup brown sugar

• ¼ cup soy sauce

• 2 tsp sesame oil

• 1 tsp gochujang (optional, adjust to taste)

• 1 inch piece fresh ginger, minced

• 4 garlic cloves, minced

• 2 stalks green onions, finely chopped

• 1 lb ground beef

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil

Instructions:

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, and gochujang.

2. Heat vegetable oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and ginger, cooking until fragrant (about 1 minute). Then add the ground beef and cook until browned (about 3-5 minutes), crumbling the beef as it cooks. Drain the excess fat.

3. Add the soy sauce mixture and green onions to the beef, stirring to combine. Let it simmer for about 2 minutes, or until the sauce thickens and caramelizes on the beef.

4. Serve over rice, and sprinkle with sesame seeds or furikake for extra flavor!

Meal Prep:

Reheating: Reheat the meal prep in the microwave in 30 seconds increments and stir in between.

Let me know if you make it!