Assuming you have a hankering for a beef rice bowl, we’ve got the perfect recipe for you! Our ground beef bowl is packed with flavor and makes for a satisfying and hearty meal for all the family. Consisting of melt-in-your-mouth flavors, it’s sweet, spicy, and so totally delicious! Plus, you can have it on the table in as little as 30 minutes; trust me, you’ll want to give this beef bowl recipe a try!
My beef rice bowl recipe really couldn’t be any simpler! Once you’ve browned off your ground beef, you just have to whip up the simple sauce, serve with white rice, and voila! Dinner is served. And, because the beef and the sauce are all cooked in one pan, there’s very little washing up too – result!
The key to this recipe is in the sauce. It’s the perfect finishing touch to this already incredible dish. We’ve used a combination of mouth-watering soy sauce, warming ginger, and aromatic garlic to create a delicious sweet and slightly spicy glaze for the beef.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- You can use leftover meat. If you have some cooked beef leftover in your fridge or freezer, don’t be afraid to use it for this ground beef bowl! Not only are you being super resourceful, but you can cut your cooking time in half; win-win! Also, depending on what you’ve got in your kitchen, you can easily swap out the beef for pork. I have done this before, and it’s still super tasty!
- It’s freezer friendly. This recipe is perfect for batch cooking and freezing for those busy weeknights. Simply cook as per the recipe instructions, then portion into freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to eat, simply defrost and reheat. So easy!
- It’s a taste sensation! My beef bowl recipe is perfect for introducing little (and big!) taste buds to bold new flavors. Most of the ingredients are cupboard staples, but the flavor combination is still so warming and totally yummy! If you’re looking for a way to add some excitement to your weeknight dinners, this is it.
Ingredients
- Ground beef
- Sesame oil
- Onion
- Garlic
- Fresh ginger
- Beef broth
- Soy sauce
- Brown sugar
- Apple cider vinegar
- Rice vinegar
- Cornstarch
- Red pepper flakes
- Salt and pepper
The complete measurements and notes can be found in the recipe card below.
Instructions
- Brown the ground beef (or pork). Once browned, remove from the pan and drain all excess grease.
- Heat sesame oil in the pan until shimmering.
- Cook the onions until translucent, about 3 minutes.
- Cook garlic and ginger until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add soy sauce, brown sugar, and both vinegars to the pan.
- In a small bowl, combine the beef broth and cornstarch to make a slurry. Add the slurry to the pan, stirring constantly.
- Put the beef (or pork) back into the pan and simmer until thick and the flavors have melded, about 5 minutes.
- Serve over white rice and garnish with green onions, if desired.
Is this Beef Rice bowl a Yoshinoya or Bulgogi bowl?
My ground beef bowl is neither a Yoshinoya nor a Bulgogi bowl. Yoashinoya is a Japanese fast food chain, and a Yoashinoya beef rice bowl is traditionally made with thinly sliced beef and marinated in a sweet sauce. Bulgogi is a Korean BBQ dish that is made with thinly sliced beef that is usually cooked in a skillet or slow roasted.
While my beef rice bowl recipe includes similar ingredients like onions, soy sauce, and sugar, it is not to be compared to these traditional recipes. Those flavors inspire this beef bowl recipe, but it is not to be seen as an authentic dish.
More easy, ground beef recipes!
- Homemade Beef Stroganoff
- Ground Beef Nachos
- Ground Beef Tacos
- Ground Beef Enchilada Recipe
- Easy Ground Beef Dinner Ideas
- Homemade Meatloaf Recipe
Beef Rice Bowl
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef or pork
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1/2 medium onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger minced, see note
- 1/2 cup beef broth
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes see note
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Brown beef (or pork). Remove from pan and drain excess grease (if necessary).
- Heat sesame oil in pan until shimmering.
- Cook onions until translucent, about 3 minutes.
- Cook garlic and ginger until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add soy sauce, brown sugar and both vinegars.
- In a small bowl, combine beef broth and cornstarch to make a slurry. Add the slurry to the pan, stirring constantly.
- Put beef (or pork) back into the pan and simmer until thick and the flavors have melded, about 5 minutes.
- Serve over rice and garnish with green onions, if desired.
Melissa says
Delicious 🤤 thanks for the amazing recipe. Definitely adding this to the rotation.
Alli says
So glad you liked it, Melissa!
Kailey says
Wow. This is amazing!! I made the recipe just as described and then added about 1Tbs of gojuchang sauce in it to spice it up and WOW. waiting for this to have more reviews- because it’s absolutely delicious!!
Alli says
Thank you so much, Kailey! So glad you liked it.
Kim says
My kids and I read a cute picture book called Bee-Bim Bop! by Linda Sue Park (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003NE61R6/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1) from the library and that, combined with the most recent issue of a favorite magazine of theirs that also had a recipe for it, made us decide we needed to try it out. I opted for your recipe for the meat/sauce and used ideas from the magazine and book for toppings. They turned out something like a “Korean Haystack” because we added sauted spinach, mushrooms, carrots, eggs, sesame seeds, green onions, and cucumbers to the meat and rice. It was so yummy and so fun and they both gobbled it up! Just passing on the idea if you feel like trying something a bit different.
Heather says
This recipe checks all the boxes: quick, easy, delicious! Will definitely be making it again (and again).
Sammi Windley says
I never think of making ethnic food, mainly just because I’m scared I’ll mess it up, but I think this dish is something I could definitely make on my own!
Kris says
The “chopsticks in rice” custom is definitely true in Korean culture as well. I’ve also heard that in some families (maybe in older times?), if the oldest son did so it was a signal to his parents that he wants to marry. But I’m not too sure about the veracity of that statement.
Alli says
That is so interesting Kris! I’m glad you weighed in, thank you! I am definitely clearing asian-inspired food photo shoots with my husband before I take the pictures from now on. HA 🙂