Description
This Korean Beef Bulgogi Rice Bowls recipe offers a quick and flavorful way to enjoy classic bulgogi using ground beef. With a homemade bulgogi sauce featuring grated onion and apple for natural sweetness and tenderness, this dish combines caramelized beef with wilted spinach, fresh vegetables, and a savory drizzle sauce over steamed rice, creating a delicious and balanced meal perfect for weeknights.
Ingredients
Scale
Beef and Oil
- 500g / 1 lb beef mince (ground beef), any fat % you like
- 1 tbsp canola oil (or any other plain flavoured oil)
- 2 tsp canola oil (to wilt baby spinach)
Bulgogi Sauce
- 1 tbsp onion, finely grated (~1/4 onion)
- 3 tbsp red apple, finely grated (skin on is fine, ~1/2 apple)
- 3 garlic cloves, finely grated
- 1 tsp ginger, finely grated
- 2 1/2 tbsp soy sauce (all-purpose or light)
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp mirin (omit for no alcohol)
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
Rice Bowl Drizzle Sauce
- 2 tbsp soy sauce (all-purpose or light)
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 tsp brown sugar
- 2 tsp rice vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
Rice Bowl Toppings
- white rice (medium or short grain, if you can)
- 4 large handfuls baby spinach (or similar chopped leafy greens – cabbage, kale)
- 1 large carrot, peeled and julienned or grated
- 1 avocado, mashed
- 1/4 cup pickled ginger (preferably pink for color)
- 1 1/2 cups baby cos / romaine lettuce, torn into bite size pieces
- 1 tsp white sesame seeds
- 1 green onion, finely sliced
Instructions
- Mix Sauces: In two separate bowls, combine the ingredients for the Bulgogi sauce and for the rice bowl drizzle sauce to prepare the flavorful dressings.
- Wilt Spinach: Heat 2 teaspoons of canola oil in a large non-stick pan over high heat. Add half the spinach and toss with tongs until semi-wilted (~30 seconds), then add the rest and toss until fully wilted (~1 minute). Remove the spinach from the pan and set aside in a bowl.
- Cook Bulgogi Beef: Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the same pan over high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it up with a spatula, until no raw meat remains. Stir in the prepared Bulgogi sauce, letting the mixture simmer rapidly and stirring occasionally until the sauce mostly evaporates. Continue cooking and stirring until the beef caramelizes slightly while remaining moist with sauce.
- Assemble Bowls: Spoon cooked beef over cooked white rice in bowls. Arrange the wilted spinach and julienned carrot on the side. Add a dollop of mashed avocado and top with pickled ginger. Tuck baby cos or romaine lettuce alongside. Sprinkle the dish with white sesame seeds and sliced green onion. Serve with the rice bowl drizzle sauce to pour over the bowl just before eating.
Notes
- Apple and onion should be finely grated using a microplane or box grater to maximize flavor. The apple adds natural sweetness and tenderizes the beef subtly.
- For gluten-free option, substitute soy sauce with tamari. Avoid dark soy sauce or kecap manis, which can overwhelm the dish.
- Mirin can be replaced with Chinese cooking wine or cooking sake plus 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar, or omitted for no alcohol.
- Leftover cooked beef can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months. When reheating, add a splash of water to keep moist.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (including 1 cup cooked rice and toppings)
- Calories: 480 kcal
- Sugar: 9 g
- Sodium: 850 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 65 mg
