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Looking for a quick, healthy meal prep recipe that’s packed with protein? This Easy Korean Beef Bowl with Garlic Edamame and Spicy Mayo is your new go-to! Made with seasoned ground beef, fluffy rice, and a drizzle of creamy heat, it’s the perfect high-protein beef and rice combo for busy weeknights or grab-and-go lunches. Simple to make and full of bold, satisfying flavor!
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I’ve never been to Korea or even a Korean restaurant, but that doesn’t stop me from indulging in Korean cuisine, and it shouldn’t stop you either!
This easy beef and rice bowl recipe is a simple twist on the classic Korean dish, bulgogi. Bulgogi is a dish made with thinly sliced and marinated beef (such as ribeye or tenderloin), often flavored with sesame oil, honey, or sugar, and typically accompanied by kimchi. By swapping the more expensive cut of beef with ground beef, you reduce cooking time and transform this classic dish into a quick weeknight dinner that everyone will love.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- This recipe is SUPER simple, making it the perfect weeknight dinner.
- It can be doubled for easy meal prep.
- It’s flavorful and versatile!
- It’s a fun way to get your family out of a dinner rut without being too much on sensitive palates.
- It’s kid-friendly- just go easy on the sriracha!
Ingredients for Korean Bowl Recipe
You probably have most of what you need to make this Korean beef bowl. The ingredients are simple and versatile, so you don’t have to worry about pricey components that will spoil in your refrigerator.
All you need is:
- Jasmine rice. Jasmine rice is a budget-friendly, easily digestible carb that is perfect for bowl recipes.
- Ground beef. Ground beef is a rich source of high-quality protein, which supports muscle growth and repair. It also provides essential nutrients, such as iron, zinc, and vitamin B12, which are crucial for energy, immune function, and the production of red blood cells. Plus, it’s more budget-friendly than other cuts of beef.
- Garlic, sesame oil, and honey. Include these simple ingredients for that authentic Korean bulgogi flavor.
- Green onions and sesame seeds: A classic Korean garnish.
- Braggs Liquid Aminos. Bragg’s Liquid Aminos is a gluten-free, lower-sodium alternative to soy sauce made from non-GMO soybeans, offering a clean, mildly savory flavor without added MSG or preservatives.
Optional Add-Ins and Swaps:
One of my favorite things about bowl recipes is their versatility. If one of the listed ingredients isn’t your preference or you don’t have it on hand, you can easily swap it for one of the following:
- Ground turkey or chicken. Easily swap the ground beef for turkey or chicken for a lean, high-protein bowl.
- Cauliflower rice or broccoli slaw is a simple swap for jasmine rice that will transform your dish into a low-carb, Keto, or Whole30-friendly option.
- Extra toppings: Avocado, kimchi, pickled carrots or onions, wasabi.
Tools You May Need
- Cutting board and sharp knife for chopping garlic and green onions
- Large skillet for browning ground beef
- Fine-mesh sieve for rinsing rice
- Medium-sized pot for cooking rice
- Baking sheet for cooking edamame
How to Make Korean Ground Beef Bowls
Step one: Make the Rice. In a fine mesh sieve, rinse the jasmine rice for about a minute, or until the water runs clear. Bring water or broth to a boil, then add the rice and cook for 12-15 minutes, or until the rice is tender and fluffy.
Step two: Cook the edamame. Place one cup of frozen shelled edamame on a baking sheet. Drizzle with sesame oil and sprinkle with garlic powder. Bake for 12-15 minutes until cooked through.
Step three: Cook the ground beef. Heat two tablespoons of sesame oil in a skillet and brown the ground beef. When the meat is almost cooked through, add two cloves of garlic, chopped. While the meat cooks, combine liquid aminos or soy sauce, vinegar, garlic powder, onion powder, and honey. Add the sauce to your beef and garlic mixture, reduce the heat to medium-low, and continue cooking for five minutes.
Step four: Make the spicy mayo. In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, garlic powder, liquid aminos or soy sauce, and sriracha.
Step five: Build your bowl. Fill the bottom of your bowl with rice. Top with ground beef and garlic mixture, edamame, matchstick cucumbers, green onions, sesame seeds, and spicy mayo. Enjoy!
Tips for Easy Meal Prep
Arguably, one of the best things about bowl recipes is they are perfect for meal prep!
For an easy Korean beef and rice bowl meal prep:
- Double the recipe for leftover lunches or a second dinner.
- Batch cook rice for multiple meals.
- Store rice and edamame in the same glass bowl, pan, or pot for quicker reheating
- Make sauces in advance to pull dinner together more quickly.
- Assemble multiple bowls (minus the toppings) in advance for quick work lunches. Put sauces and toppings in separate containers.
- Cut all your toppings at once and store them in separate containers.
Reheating Instructions
For a working lunch, reheat the bowl ingredients in the microwave in a glass dish.
For at-home or dinner reheating, heat the bowl elements separately on the stovetop. Add a couple of tablespoons of water to the rice and meat to prevent them from drying out.
Recipe FAQs
What goes with Korean beef bowl?
You don’t need to serve anything alongside this dish, but if you’d like an extra side, try sautéed or roasted vegetables like zucchini or spinach, a shredded cabbage salad, or kimchi.
Can I make this Korean beef bowl without sesame oil!
Yes! You can easily swap sesame oil for olive oil.
Korean Beef Bowl with Garlic Edamame and Spicy Mayo
Ingredients
For the Bowls
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 cup jasmine rice
- 2 cups bone broth, chicken broth, or water
- 1/4 cup Braggs Liquid Aminos or soy sauce
- 1 tsp honey
- 2 tsp garlic powder, divided
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 cup frozen edamame
- 3 tbsp sesame oil, divided (see note)
For the Spicy Mayo
- 1/2 cup avocado oil mayonnaise (see note)
- 1 tsp siracha (see note)
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp Braggs Liquid Aminos or soy sauce
Toppings
- cucumber (cut into matchsticks)
- sesame seeds
- chopped green onions
- siracha
- Braggs Liquid Aminos or Soy Sauce
Instructions
For the edamame:
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- On a baking sheet, drizzle the frozen edamame with one tablespoon of sesame oil and one teaspoon of garlic powder.
- Cook the edamame for 12-15 minutes, or until it is cooked through.
For the bowls:
- Rinse the jasmine rice in a fine-mesh sieve.
- Bring a medium-sized pot of broth or water to a boil. Add jasmine rice and cook for 12-15 minutes, until rice is soft and fluffy.
- While the rice is cooking, heat two tablespoons of sesame oil in a skillet.
- Brown the ground beef over medium-high heat.
- When the ground beef is almost cooked through, add chopped garlic and cook until fragrant.
- In a bowl, combine liquid aminos or soy sauce, one teaspoon of garlic powder, onion powder, honey, and vinegar (see note). Pour the sauce over the beef mixture, cover it, and continue cooking on medium-low heat for 5 minutes.
For the spicy mayo:
- Combine mayonnaise, siracha, garlic powder, and liquid aminos or soy sauce in a small bowl.
Build your bowl:
- Fill the bottom of your bowl with rice.
- Top with the beef and garlic mixture, edamame, green onions, matchstick cucumbers, sesame seeds, siracha mayo, and sesame seeds.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- You can also use olive oil in this recipe.
- Try my recipe for avocado oil mayonnaise!
- Start with 1/2 a teaspoon of sriracha and add more to fit your spice preference.
- This is NOT a thick stir-fry sauce. If you would like the sauce to be thicker, combine one tablespoon of water with one tablespoon of arrowroot powder or cornstarch and add to the sauce recipe.
Pantry Staples for This Recipe:
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