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This easy Korean beef recipe turns a pound of ground beef and a handful of pantry staples into a sweet, savory, garlicky dinner in about 25 minutes. It has all the flavor of Korean bulgogi with none of the slicing, marinating, or fuss. You just need a skillet, a bowl, and some rice.
My Favorite Weeknight Korean Ground Beef Recipe
This Korean beef is one of those dishes I go back to on autopilot when I don’t have the bandwidth to think too hard about dinner. It’s made with ground beef, so there’s no marinating and no fancy cuts of meat to track down, and the whole thing is done in the time it takes my rice to cook. If you’ve made my Korean bulgogi, think of this as its faster, more weeknight-friendly cousin. It’s not traditional, but it’s certainly delicious.
Toasted vs. Regular Sesame Oil
Toasted sesame oil is more flavorful than regular sesame oil, and it’s what I always reach for in this recipe. Look for it near the other Asian condiments at your grocery store. It’s usually in a small bottle, and it’s a bit darker in color. If you can’t find it, regular sesame oil will still give a great flavor.
How to Make Korean Beef
Mix the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl. Brown the beef in a sesame-oiled skillet set over medium-high heat, breaking it up as it cooks. Pour the sauce over the cooked beef, stir to combine, and let everything simmer for a few minutes until the sauce thickens slightly and coats the beef. Spoon over white rice and dig in!
Can I Make it In a Crockpot?
Yes. Brown the ground beef first in a pan—don’t skip this step; it adds tons of flavor! Transfer it to your slow cooker with the sauce ingredients, and cook on low for 2–3 hours. This is a great option if you want dinner ready and waiting when you walk in the door.
Swaps and Substitutions
Here are a few common ways to change up this dish:
- Protein: Ground pork or turkey both work well in place of beef. Sliced flank steak or sirloin will also work here—slice against the grain, sear, and serve.
- Veggies: Add sliced cremini or shiitake mushrooms alongside the beef for earthy depth.
- Aromatics: I prefer fresh ginger and garlic for the punchiest flavor, but ¼ teaspoon of dried ginger and ½ teaspoon of dried garlic will work in a pinch.
- Spice: Stir in a spoonful of gochujang or a squeeze of sriracha along with the sauce for a little extra kick.
- Make it vegan: Swap the ground beef for crumbled tofu or your favorite plant-based ground “meat.” Press the tofu well first so it browns.
Serving Suggestions
This Korean beef recipe is endlessly versatile. Here’s how I like to serve it:
- Spooned over a bowl of white or brown rice, optionally with a fried egg on top for a quick and easy version of my fav Korean Galbi Bowls
- Wrapped in butter lettuce cups for a lighter, low-carb dinner
- Tossed with cooked rice noodles and a little extra sauce for a quick noodle bowl
- On buns topped with kimchi and extra sauce for a Korean-style sloppy joe
Storage and Reheating Instructions
Store leftover Korean ground beef in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat in a skillet set over medium heat until warmed through, or microwave in 30-second increments, stirring between. This is a fantastic recipe for meal prep!
Korean Beef
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¼ cup (59 ml) low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons (24 g) packed dark brown sugar
- ½ yellow onion, diced
- ½ teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 pound (454 g) lean ground beef
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix the soy sauce, brown sugar, onion, ginger, garlic and red pepper flakes together.¼ cup (59 ml) low-sodium soy sauce, 2 tablespoons (24 g) packed dark brown sugar, 1/2 yellow onion, 1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, 3 cloves garlic, 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- In a skillet, on medium high, cook your ground beef with the sesame oil until well done.1 pound (454 g) lean ground beef, 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- Pour in the soy sauce mixture over the meat and combine together. Let it simmer for a few minutes.
- Serve over white rice.
Nutrition
Photographs by Eat Love Eat
Loved this recipe !!! It was super easy and I feel like the meat would be really versatile! My husband wants me to make this again but in taco form … so that’s on the list for next week for sure.
Thanks Julie for a great recipe !
This was so good..and super fast & easy. I substituted 1 tbsp of gochujang for the red pepper flakes. Can’t wait to make again. Thank u!!!!
Hi there I am making it now and after adding the sauce I just noticed I forgot to drain the beef…Will this ruin it?
it won’t
Delicious! I’ve made many of your recipes, but I think this one is my favorite. I served it with Jasmine rice and loved the sweet hot combination of flavors and ease of preparation.
Made the beef. It was great flavoring. Instead of rice, I put it in flour street taco tortillas with grilled red bell peppers and fresh spinach. It worked well as a Korean taco.
That sounds amazing!!
want to make this dish tonight! is this green onion and sesame seeds also on top? please, i just want everything pictured! thank you!
yep, green onions and sesame seeds on top for garnish! they’re optional
Curious about how many ca bs in a his recipe my wife on low carb diet
hi, you could plug the ingredient list into a google nutrition calculator to find out!
Just made this dish. It was indeed quite simple, well-flavored, and went together quick. I will be using it again. We had a salad with it—otherwise it was a one-dish meal, which thrills me. Thanks!
Made this tonight for dinner! Super yummy, but next time I will have to double it up. Family ate it all and wanted more
Family dubs it FANTASTIC!
I HATE cooking, and am terrible at it…. but this was easy & delicious. Thanks!