Free: Healthy 5-Ingredient Meals Ebook
Get It NowIf 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, a simple egg roll in a bowl with coleslaw mix, 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 or frozen 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 (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.
Ingredients
Tap underlined ingredients to see where to get them.
Cauliflower Rice:
Beef:
Garnish:
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
-
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.
-
Remove the cauliflower rice from heat, set aside, and cover to keep warm.
-
In a small bowl, whisk together the coconut aminos, beef broth, sesame oil, ground ginger, and red pepper flakes. Set the sauce aside.
-
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.
-
Make a well in the beef and add the minced garlic. Saute for about a minute, until fragrant, then mix into the beef.
-
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.
-
Divide the cauliflower rice among plates.Top with ground beef. Garnish with sliced green onions, sesame seeds, and cucumber slices.
Did You Like It?
Leave a rating to help other readers, or get the recipe sent to your inbox.
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.
© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead. 🙂
136 Comments
Melissa S
0This was fantastic! I made it for the first time exactly as the recipe stated and hubby was an instant fan and went back for seconds. The only thing I would do differently is to double the recipe or triple! I can see freezing the meat for future meals and it would be great in a pinch!
Tammy
0This has become a favorite at our house! My husband likes it heavy on the garlic and ginger (I try to keep fresh on hand and he’s chopping my veggies so he always almost over does it)! I also stir fry the rice with some veggies and the eggs, and always make extra sauce so I can add a bit of it to the rice before it is done. Made it tonight with diced chicken and substituted chicken broth instead of beef. It was marvelous! After we were done eating.
Gregg
0Hi, did you strain the beef before adding in the sauce?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Gregg, No, I don’t, but you can if you want to.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Gregg, I use 85/15 ground beef and cooking it at a high enough heat, don’t find it necessary to drain, but you can if you like.
Kary Gomez
0This is delicious! I am trying to get back in the low-carb groove and this recipe just went into my food rotation. Thank you so much!
Elizabeth Fitch
0I made this tonight. It was easy to make, fast, and delicious.
Mary
0This was a quick and easy meal, which will make it a staple in my kitchen! My only comment would be that it’s not as savory as I would prefer – will be trying this again with keto friendly teriyaki.
Iris Davidson
0We love this simple, quick, delicious recipe.
Felicia
0This has become a staple in our house. . . absolutely love this recipe and so do guests that I serve it to.
Shannon
0One of our favorite recipes! Easy to make, and everyone always wants more!
Ariel Baker
0How lean of a ground beef do you use? I’m debating between using either a 93/7 or 80/20.
Thanks!
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Ariel, I usually use 85/15.
Elizabeth
0So easy, and so tasty! I subbed fresh grated ginger for the powdered and *highly* recommend doing so. (If you keep fresh ginger root in your freezer, it grates up quick and easy.) Also used Tabasco instead of red pepper flakes, and added mushrooms with the beef. Served with steamed broccoli. It was a hit with the whole family!
Colleen
0I made this today and YUM! I also stir fried the cauliflower rice and that turned out delicious! I added a little chili garlic sauce to give it a little kick. This is definitely going in the “to be made again” recipe file. Thank you for sharing!
Mary Penza
0Mmm…mmmm…mmm! So good! And quick and easy! I made a few changes cuz just I always do…. first of all I used ground venison instead of beef plus coconut oil cuz the venison is so lean, I also used fresh ginger, lots of fresh chopped garlic, and jalapeños in my Saute of the cauliflower and the meat. Deglazed meat with dry sherry, used chicken stock (I didn’t have beef), served with a topping of very finely julienned radish & carrot & some cilantro & gochugaru. Added a big dollop of homemade kimchee. Would definitely make it again. Thanks! Hubby loved it too! Keeper!
Tammy
0Made this tonight. Super easy and very good. We did add some veggies in the mix. We will be making this again!
Rae Ann Woodrow
0I’ve made this dish twice, exactly to recipe specifications, and both times it has turned out excellent. My husband and I both love it. I did drain the ground beef before adding the sauce, and I also added 3 T Lakanto powdered monkfruit to the sauce. I decided to run the numbers on my own cooking of the recipe and came up with a lower carb count of 4.6 per serving, not 9, as stated in your calculations. Not sure why, other than perhaps we used different brands of cauli rice and condiments. I figured every single ingredient into the tally. Thanks so much for a winner recipe. I use your site regularly for no-fail yummy dishes and desserts!
Jan
0Lovely, lovely meal 😋 quick and easy to make and so much flavour. Thank you 😊
Sarah
0Was a lovely quick dinner! I doubled everything, used minced ginger because I had it, and we’ll eat what’s left tomorrow with roasted broccoli. Oh and I added a generous pat of butter with the cauliflower rice, I love how it tastes with butter.
Mrs Hoadley
0This is SO good! I have made it a few times and it’s definitely part of my regular rotation. I don’t make any substitutions, it’s delicious as it’s written. Thank you for sharing Maya!!
Mel K
0Can you make the sauce in larger quantities and keep in the fridge like store bought sauces?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Mel, You could make the sauce ahead of time but it would only last a few days in the refrigerator.
Vicky
0Very delicious recipe. I doubled the recipe and I don’t see anywhere where it says to drain the beef? I had a ton of liquid from the beef. So I drained the beef added in my doubled sauce and let it simmer down for much longer than the time you stated but it was very delicious. I also used low sodium soy sauce – I love that stuff.
Carri
0Just made this for my hubs. He absolutely loves it!! Great recipe! Saved to my keto folder. Will definitely make it again. Thank You for sharing this recipe
Nicole
0Absolutely delicious! I will definitely be making this again. I didn’t have beef broth so I used some vegetable stock instead, otherwise, that is the only change I made and it turned out fantastic! I served the meal with cauliflower rice, garlicky collard greens, and red cabbage coleslaw. My partner said I nailed the meal right on the head! Yummy!
Irene
0Delish!!! And easy!!
Janet
0We found this recipe too sweet and too bland. The second time I made it, I subbed 2 T low sodium soy and 1 T gochujang (3 gr carb per T for the container in my fridge) for the coconut amino, and 2 T grated fresh ginger for the 1/4 tsp dried. For the broth, I used jarred lower-sodium beef broth concentrate–1/4th tsp for 1/4 c water. Because my husband dislikes cauliflower, I served over shirataki noodles, in rice form for 0 carbs. I found both gochujang and shirataki noodles in my small town NC supermarket, although both are less expensive at Asian markets. I also added 1 T chopped cilantro to the garnish. The substitutions made a huge difference to hubs, and we will be making this frequently. While not on strict Keto diets, I use Keto recipes to help him maintain a low carb diet for Type 2 diabetes management–and as long as I watch the fat, they help me keep weight down, too. Thank you so much for making my life easier!!!
Charli Prather-Levinson
0Easy and delicious
Rach
0So good! Had to make little adjustments for the ingredients that I have. Frozen cauli rice from costco, salted butter instead of olive oil, half a beef bullion dissolved in 1/4c hot water, added 2 tsp monkfruit, added way more chili flakes. Yum!
Az
0This is SO GOOD! I used Organic Soy sauce instead of Coconut Aminos (it’s all I had) and I also seasoned the cauliflower rice with Organic Soy Sauce, Sesame Oil, garlic and ginger…letting it marinade for an hour or so before sauteeing it as my coconut Rice. My goodness. SO MUCH FLAVOUR! Will definitely make this again.
Lisa Davisson
0Absolutely delicious!! We all love this and it’s definitely going into rotation!! I am curious where the 9 net carbs are from? The cauliflower? Well anyway, I think this is my new favorite dish!
Also loved the tip about frying the cauliflower! Made such a difference!
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Lisa, Yes, most of the carbs from the cauliflower in this dish. Enjoy!
Claudine
0This recipe is awesome! I had a real craving for Korean beef, and this really hit the spot!
Alisa
0I want to make this but we have a sesame allergy. I figure I can skip the seeds but do you know of an oil I can sub for the sesame oil? Thanks! I love your recipes!
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Alisa, Avocado oil will work great here. Enjoy!
D
0We loved this! Making it again this week. What do you serve as side dishes? I’ve got hungry teenagers over here. (Gluten free please)
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi D, So glad you enjoyed it! Please check out the ‘Side Dishes’ section under the ‘Recipes’ heading at the top of the page. All recipes on this site are gluten-free, so you are good to go!
Helen Hoke
0Good. My non Keto husband loved it.
anita
0I tried this recipe tonight and thought it was delicious. I made it exactly like the recipe called for but I did add a little soy sauce once everything was done, (I like salt) I didn’t think that the stated portion size would be enough but it was the perfect amount. Thank you for sharing this recipe for a KETO nubee to have.
C
0Wow! This was sooooo good! I followed the recipe exactly and it was incredible. My wife was very happy. 5 stars!
JudytheBaker
0Maya, this is excellent! I was concerned that it would be too much like your 15 Minute Egg Roll in a Bowl in the cookbook. It’s totally different. It came together really fast, and I really appreciate that. For us, it makes three servings. I had to use up some mushrooms and GM green beans, and we had to with that instead of cauliflower.
Sarah Hendler
0I can’t find this recipe on the page any longer. I loved it! Can you repost it?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Sarah, The recipe is still there! Are you viewing the website with a new browser? Make sure you aren’t viewing the website in a Reader Mode or RSS feed, which could prevent parts of the recipe card from showing.
Roberta
0Could this recipe be cook in the IP (sauteing it first) ? About the option with sweetener, I personally find in this recipe it just ruins the heart of the recipe 🙁 but it could be good for someone else, no criticism 🙂
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Roberta, I think this could definitely be done in the Instant Pot. The sweetener is not required here, so feel free to omit it from the recipe!
Kitten48
0We love this satisfying delicious easy recipe. I make it with top round also.
Alison
0The whole family loved this recipe. Delicious and quick to make.
Carri
0I made this dish last night. I’ve made Bulgogi before and like it and thought maybe it would be similar. But this recipe was just too bland for us. It lacked any distinct flavor. It wasn’t terrible, but I won’t repeat it. I did NOT make cauliflower rice, as we had it the week before and I am not much of a fan of cauliflower in so many low carb pasta substitute dishes. But I did make a shirataki noodle lo mein side dish.
Ruth Martinson
0This was really quick and I loved it!!!
Jackie Rawlins
0I’ve just made this. It is completely delicious and very easy to make. Thank you.
Keichrese Thomas
0I really like the recipe. It was very healthy and easy to make. The ingredient added was very good added flavor. This was my first time trying Colliflower. Great combination for a healthy meal.
Thanks
Corina
0This was delish! I left out the red pepper flakes because I’ve got little ones who don’t appreciate the spice. But it was still so good and easy too. thanks for a quick and yummy recipe.
Ruth A
0I loved it! I didn’t have the garnishes, but it was good alone!
Melissa
0I tried it tonight and it’s delicious!! Thank you for another great recipe!
Elizabeth
0SOOO good! I added two tbsp of monk sweetener and 1.5 tbsp of sriracha to the sauce. For the beef, I sautéed a jalapeño and bell pepper with the garlic. So so so tasty. Thank you!
Megan
0This recipe will be on repeat! My kids loved it and so did the parents! Definitely easy 30 min dinner (less really!) I have a ton of ground pork frozen and will try it with that next.
Kelli
0I guess I’ve had too much real Korean food in my life—like the author pointed out, Korean food is a lot sweeter and I really missed that in this dish. It was pretty bland. I’d be willing to try it again but I’d definitely need to add something else.
JM
0Great recipe. I like it a bit more colorful so I add red or yellow pepper strips, pea pods, broccoli, or whatever I have on hand. It’s become a staple.