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If you need a new recipe for your fast dinner rotation… here it is! This Korean beef bowl recipe checks all of the healthy dinner check boxes. It’s quick and easy to make (just 20 minutes!) and super flavorful, thanks to a mouthwatering sauce with garlic, ginger, and sesame oil, plus satisfying ground beef that gets a little crispy from the stir fry sauce. Then, it’s served over a bed of rice (in this case, cauliflower rice!) for a healthy meal.
Just like a burger in a bowl, simple egg roll in a bowl, and Asian chicken lettuce wraps, using ground beef helps this recipe come together fast. Many traditional Korean beef bowl recipes use added sugar, but this version is totally sugar-free!
Why You’ll Love This Korean Beef Bowl Recipe
- Perfect balance of sweet and savory flavor
- Melt-in-your-mouth texture
- Made in one pan for easy cleanup
- Naturally gluten-free, low carb, and sugar-free
- Ready in just 20 minutes
- Perfect for busy weeknights

Ingredients & Substitutions
This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for a Korean ground beef bowl, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
Cauliflower Rice:
- Olive Oil – For sauteing. Avocado oil, or any neutral, high-heat cooking oil, would work as well.
- Cauliflower – You can use frozen or fresh cauliflower to make the cauliflower rice. Or, use leftover cooked cauliflower rice if you have some.
- Sea Salt & Black Pepper
If you prefer to use regular rice for your Korean beef rice bowl, you can cook it using your favorite method and use that as the base instead of cooking cauliflower rice.
Beef & Stir Fry Sauce:
- Olive Oil – For sauteing.
- Ground Beef – I made this a Korean ground beef bowl, but you can really use any type of ground meat that you have or that is your favorite, including ground turkey, ground chicken, or ground pork. I used 85/15 ground beef, but you can also use 90/10 lean ground beef or 80/20 that’s higher in fat (you might have to drain it if using 80/20). Another option would be to use thinly sliced flank steak or skirt steak instead.
- Sea Salt
- Garlic – I used fresh garlic for the best flavor, but you can use 2 teaspoons jarred minced garlic or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder for convenience.
- Coconut Aminos – Adds sweet and umami flavor to the sauce. This is a healthier soy sauce substitute, but feel free to use conventional low-sodium soy sauce instead.
- Beef Broth – Helps make the sauce. You can also use beef bone broth for an even richer sauce and more nutrition.
- Sesame Oil – Adds a nutty taste and aroma. I prefer toasted sesame oil, but regular also works.
- Ground Ginger – Ground ginger is convenient, but you can also use fresh if you have it. If you opt for fresh, use 1 tablespoon of fresh grated ginger and saute it at the same time as the garlic.
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes – Red pepper flakes add a bit of heat, feel free to omit if you don’t like it spicy.
SAUCE VARIATION: Make the sauce sweeter!
If you like it sweet, you can add 2-3 tablespoons of sweetener to the sauce before adding it to the beef. You can use brown sugar (or a sugar-free brown sugar replacement), powdered sugar (or powdered sugar substitute), or even honey (or sugar-free honey) depending on the flavor you like and your dietary preferences.
Garnish:
- Green Onions – Adds a fresh flavor and an extra layer of texture.
- Sesame Seeds – A sprinkle of sesame seeds adds a nutty flavor and crunchy texture.
- Cucumber – A sliced cucumber is totally optional, but I think it adds a delicious crunch to the dish. You can bulk up Korean beef bowls with veggies and add shredded carrots on top, too.
TOPPING VARIATION: Add a fried egg!
For an extra filling meal, finish the dish with a fried egg on top. Many versions of Korean beef bowls suggest a sunny side up egg, but cook yours however you like.

How To Make Korean Beef Bowls
This section shows how to make a healthy Korean beef bowl with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
- Cook the cauliflower rice. In a large wok (or large skillet) over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil. Add cauliflower rice. Season with sea salt and black pepper, if desired. Saute until cooked through. Transfer to a plate and cover to keep warm.

TIP: Stir fry cauliflower rice over medium-high heat.
This ensures that it fries instead of steaming, reduces any cauliflower smell, and makes for a better flavor.
- Make the sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together coconut aminos, beef broth, sesame oil, ground ginger, and red pepper flakes. Set aside.
- Brown the beef. Add the ground beef to the pan and cook over medium-high heat, until browned.
- Add garlic. Make a well in the beef and add the minced garlic. Saute until fragrant, then mix into the beef.
- Add the sauce. Pour the sauce over the beef. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer. After you add the Korean beef stir fry sauce to the pan, it will be liquid, but will thicken up and absorb into the meat if you simmer it for just a bit.


- Assemble the Korean beef bowls. Divide the cauliflower rice among bowls. Top with ground beef. Garnish with sliced green onions, sesame seeds, and cucumber slices.

Storage Instructions
- Store: Store your Korean ground beef and rice bowl in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Meal prep: Ground beef recipes like this one are great for meal prep in advance! These glass meal prep containers are the perfect size.
- Reheat: When you’re ready to eat leftovers, you can reheat them in the microwave or in a skillet, until hot.
- Freeze: If you want to freeze this easy Korean beef bowl, simply store the cauliflower rice and ground beef separately in the freezer for up to 4 months.
What To Serve With Korean Beef Bowls
This dish makes a one-pan meal, so you don’t have to make anything else for dinner. But if you want to add a little something, here are some great accompaniments to any Korean ground beef bowls meal:
- Vegetables – Veggies such as stir fry vegetables, fast sauteed broccoli, garlic roasted bok choy, or crispy roasted Brussels sprouts provide an extra layer of texture and flavor to your dinner.
- Asian Sides – Side dishes like sautéed mushrooms, pickled cucumbers (or smashed cucumber salad), or spicy kani salad perfectly balance the savory taste of this beef bowl.
More Healthy Asian Inspired Recipes
Discover more delicious and healthy Asian recipes that come together fast!
Recommended Tools
- Wok – This wok is great for cooking this Korean beef bowl recipe and there’s lots of surface area to easily and quickly brown the meat.
- Glass Meal Prep Containers – These glass containers are the perfect way to meal prep for the week.
- Stainless Chopsticks – Not required, of course, but I love these for all my Asian meals. They are shown in the pictures above.
Korean Beef Bowl Recipe
Korean Beef Bowl (Easy In 20 Minutes!)
You'll love this easy 20-minute Korean beef bowl recipe with ground beef, flavorful Asian sauce, cauliflower rice, cucumbers & green onions.
Recipe Video
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Ingredients
Tap underlined ingredients to see where to get them. Please turn Safari reader mode OFF to view ingredients.
Cauliflower Rice:
Beef:
Garnish:
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
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Heat 1 tablespoon (15 mL) olive oil in a large wok over medium-high heat. Add cauliflower rice. Season with sea salt and black pepper, if desired. Saute for 3-5 minutes, until cooked through.
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Remove the cauliflower rice from heat, set aside, and cover to keep warm.
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In a small bowl, whisk together the coconut aminos, beef broth, sesame oil, ground ginger, and red pepper flakes. Set the sauce aside.
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Turn heat back to medium-high. Add another tablespoon (15 mL) olive oil to the wok. Add the ground beef and season with sea salt. Cook for about 8-10 minutes, breaking up with a spatula and stirring occasionally, until browned.
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Make a well in the beef and add the minced garlic. Saute for about a minute, until fragrant, then mix into the beef.
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Pour the sauce over the beef. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat and simmer for 3-4 minutes, until the sauce is reduced and thickened. There won’t be much liquid left.
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Divide the cauliflower rice among plates.Top with ground beef. Garnish with sliced green onions, sesame seeds, and cucumber slices.
Last Step: Leave A Rating!
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Recipe Notes
Serving size: ~1/3 cup ground beef + 1 cup cauliflower rice
Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.
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131 Comments
Suzanne
0Easy, fast and delicious! Don’t hesitate to make this. I followed the recipe as written.
txgrandma
0This is an outstanding and simple recipe. We mixed the cauliflower rice together with the beef and served it on lettuce wraps. I also added about 3 tablespoons of allulose to make it a bit sweet. It’s definitely a keeper! Thanks for sharing.
Jen
0Easy and delicious! This is going in our regular rotation! I love the egg roll in a bowl recipe and have been making it awhile, but this one may be my new favorite. We almost got takeout due to a long day at work, but I decided to make this instead and was so glad! It took no more time than take out and was very easy to throw together. I love that it’s uncomplicated to make but not boring, healthy but still yummy. Thank you!
Julia
0I just came across this recipe and we are already so in love with it!! So delicious and the recipe is super easy to follow. I recommend it to everyone!!
Andie
0Seriously SO good! My husband has been asking for me to make this again for the last week! Thanks for the recipe!
Andie
0This was soooo good and totally quelched my take-out cravings!
Nickie
0This was so easy to make and so delicious! The only change I would make would be to add more ginger and crushed red pepper. Soooo good!
Jan N
0My husband and I love this recipe – it is so easy to make and so flavorful even my non-keto sister went back for seconds!!
Kim
0So good and easy to make.