Korean Beef Bowl Gochujang (Printable)

Seasoned ground beef in spicy gochujang sauce over rice with pickled vegetables and kimchi

# Components:

→ For the Beef

01 - 1 lb lean ground beef
02 - 2 tbsp vegetable oil
03 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
05 - 3 tbsp gochujang
06 - 2 tbsp soy sauce
07 - 1 tbsp brown sugar
08 - 1 tbsp rice vinegar
09 - 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
10 - 2 green onions, thinly sliced

→ For the Pickled Vegetables

11 - 1/2 cup carrot, julienned
12 - 1/2 cup daikon radish, julienned
13 - 1/2 cup rice vinegar
14 - 1 tbsp sugar
15 - 1/2 tsp salt

→ For Serving

16 - 4 cups cooked white rice
17 - 1 cup cucumber, thinly sliced
18 - 1/2 cup radish, thinly sliced
19 - 1 cup kimchi, chopped
20 - 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

# Directions:

01 - In a small bowl, combine rice vinegar, sugar, and salt. Stir until dissolved. Add julienned carrot and daikon radish, mix thoroughly, and set aside to pickle while preparing remaining components.
02 - Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add minced garlic and grated ginger, sauté for 1 minute until fragrant. Add ground beef and cook, breaking it apart with a spoon, until browned and cooked through, approximately 5-6 minutes. Drain excess fat if necessary.
03 - Stir gochujang, soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, and sesame oil into the cooked beef. Simmer for 2-3 minutes, allowing the sauce to thicken and evenly coat the beef. Remove from heat and fold in half of the sliced green onions.
04 - Divide cooked rice equally among 4 serving bowls. Top each portion with generous amount of seasoned beef mixture. Arrange pickled vegetables, cucumber slices, radish slices, and chopped kimchi decoratively around the beef. Garnish with remaining green onions and toasted sesame seeds.
05 - Serve immediately while components are at optimal temperature.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Everything comes together in one skillet while the rice cooks, so you're not stuck cleaning a mountain of dishes.
  • The pickled vegetables add a sharp, bright crunch that cuts through the richness of the beef in the most satisfying way.
  • It tastes like you spent an hour cooking, but you'll be sitting down to eat in half that time.
  • You can adjust the heat level without losing any of the deep, savory flavor that makes this bowl so addictive.
02 -
  • Don't skip draining the beef after browning, even lean beef releases enough fat to make the sauce greasy if you leave it in.
  • Let the pickled vegetables sit for at least 10 minutes, they need time to soften and absorb the vinegar's tang.
  • Taste your gochujang before adding it, some brands are much spicier than others, and you can always add more but you can't take it back.
03 -
  • Toast your sesame seeds in a dry skillet for 2 minutes before sprinkling them on top, the extra nuttiness makes a noticeable difference.
  • If your gochujang is too thick to stir in easily, mix it with a tablespoon of warm water first to loosen it up.
  • Use a mandoline to julienne the carrot and daikon if you have one, it makes the job faster and the vegetables more uniform.
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