This post was updated with some recipe adjustments and new photos on August 29, 2023.
Korean Ground Beef with Rice is an Asian inspired meal that everyone will love! This Korean Beef made with ground beef is a fast and easy meal you will love!
The ingredients are simple for Korean Ground Beef with rice. This dish is easy to make, and is budget friendly, using ground beef for the meat. Serve it over warm rice and top it with green onions for a dish that is delicious.
The Sauce for Korean Ground Beef with Rice
The sauce for this ground beef dish are made with ingredients you probably have in your kitchen!
Brown sugar, soy sauce (regular or low sodium), garlic, ground ginger, Cider vinegar (any kind of vinegar will work), sesame seed oil/sesame oil, red pepper flakes and salt and pepper.
I make my sauce in a glass measuring cup, but a small bowl will work great too.
Measure your brown sugar, and then add your soy sauce.
NOTE: If you use low sodium soy sauce it will be more sweet. If you use regular soy sauce the sauce will be more salty. Use which you prefer.
Next, add the minced garlic.
You can use fresh minced garlic or jarred/bottled minced garlic. I am lazy and usually go for the bottle. This is the brand I use. The recipe below will tell you the amount it use of each one depending on what your using.
Next add the rest of the seasonings. You can taste the sauce and adjust any of the ingredients to your liking.
Sesame seed oil is sold with other Asian ingredients at your grocery store. It should be easy to find. I use the kind below, but they are all pretty much the same.
If you want the sauce a bit spicier, add more red pepper flakes. Add less (or none) if you don’t want it spicy.
Stir/whisk the sauce together and adjust the flavor to your liking.
The Meat for Korean Ground Beef with Rice
I use ground beef for this dish and it makes it so fast and easy. Not to mention it is budget friendly! Just brown the meat, drain it and then add in your sauce.
One Pot Dish-Making Korean Ground Beef and Rice
After you have browned the ground beef, keep it in the same pan/skillet and add your sauce. Heat it over medium heat.
There will be some extra sauce in the pan. Once it is heated, Cook lower the temperature to medium-low heat and let it keep cooking and the sauce will cook down a bit.
Once the sauce has cooked down a bit it is time to serve!
Top with chopped green onions if desired!
I love my Mongolian Beef with Broccoli (click HERE for the recipe), but it does take a little bit more to make the dish, so this Korean Beef using ground beef is perfect for busy weeknights!
If you love Asian inspired dishes, try my Orange Chicken, Mongolian Chicken, my Firecracker Chicken, Mongolian Beef and Broccoli , or my Chicken Broccoli Ramen Stir Fry!
If you liked this recipe please take the time to leave a comment and a star rating below! Also, don’t forget to follow me on Pinterest, Facebook and Instagram!
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Easy Korean Ground Beef with Rice
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs. lean ground beef *see notes
- Cooked Rice, for serving see notes – rice not included in nutritional calculations
- Bunch of green onions, chopped for serving
THE SAUCE
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup soy sauce (use regular if you prefer it salty, low sodium if you prefer it sweeter)
- 3 tsp bottled, minced garlic or 6 fresh garlic cloves, minced *more or less to taste – see notes
- 1/2 Tbsp cider vinegar *or any vinegar
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 2 tsp sesame seed oil
- 1/2 tsp pinch of red pepper flakes *more or less to taste (this is optional)
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Start cooking your rice before you start making the Korean Beef to make sure the rice is done on time!
- Brown your ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat. Drain and rinse (optional).
- While your meat is browning, mix all of the sauce ingredients together and mix well. Set aside while your meat is browning.
- After your ground beef has browned, add the sauce to your meat. Mix well. Let the sauce simmer and reduce for 10-15 minutes. (I let mine simmer on a medium-low setting, adjust the heat as needed).
- Serve over rice and top with chopped green onions.
Notes
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should only be used as an approximation.
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