Korean Beef Bowls
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 599kcal
These Korean Beef Bowls, with easy homemade bulgogi sauce and chili garlic aioli, are assembled over rice and finished with an array of vibrant and cooling toppings. They're so good, you'll be coming back for more in no time!
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Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef lean
- 2 green onions thinly sliced
Bulgogi Sauce
- 1 bosc pear ripe, peeled, cored and roughly chopped
- ½ medium red onion peeled and rough chopped
- 2 cloves garlic peeled
- 1/2 Tablespoon fresh ginger grated on microplane or finely minced, the same size as about 1-2 garlic cloves
- 2 Tablespoons soy sauce
- 1½ Tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon mirin
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- Pinch red pepper flakes optional
Chili Garlic Aioli
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 lemon juiced
- 1 Tablespoon chili powder
- 2 cloves garlic grated with microplane, or very finely minced
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For Rice Bowl
- 1 cup kimchi roughly chopped (homemade or store-bought)
- 1 avocado thinly sliced
- 3 green onions chopped
- Sesame seeds to garnish
- Cucumbers
- Red Cabbage
- Shaved Carrots
- White Rice
Instructions
Bulgogi Sauce
- Add the 1 bosc pear, ½ medium red onion, 2 cloves garlic, 1/2 Tablespoon fresh ginger, 2 Tablespoons soy sauce, 1½ Tablespoons brown sugar, 1 Tablespoon mirin, 1 teaspoon sesame oil and Pinch red pepper flakes to a blender or food processor. Blend or pulse to combine well. Alternatively, you can use a box grater to finely grate the pear, onion, and garlic, then whisk with remaining ingredients in a large bowl.
Chili Garlic Aioli
- Mix ⅓ cup sour cream, ¼ cup mayonnaise, juice of 1 lemon, 1 Tablespoon chili powder, 2 cloves garlic, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, and ¼ teaspoon salt together until well combined. Refrigerate until ready to use. Can be made up to 3 days ahead of time.
Cook Beef
- Heat a large skillet over high heat. Once hot, add the 1 pound ground beef and cook, breaking it up, until browned. Add the bulgogi sauce, then let it simmer until thickened and beginning to caramelize, 4-6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Sprinkle with 2 green onions.
Assemble
- Spoon beef over rice, and top with your preferred toppings. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and green onion, and drizzle with chili garlic aioli. Enjoy!
Notes
Storage
- Store leftover beef bulgogi mixture (without fresh toppings) in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days. You can reheat it in the microwave or in a heated skillet until warmed through and add fresh toppings just before serving again over rice or another base of choice.
- Leftover chili garlic aioli sauce can be transferred to an airtight container or sealed jar and stored in the fridge for up to 1 week. Give it a good stir before using again.
- Freeze the beef bulgogi and rice in an airtight container or freezer-safe resealable bag for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge when ready to reheat and enjoy again.
- Make the kimchi at least 1 week ahead of time so it can properly ferment or use store bought kimchi instead. You can usually find it in the refrigerated section at most grocery stores.
- The chili garlic aioli can be made and kept in the fridge up to 3 days in advance. Give it a good stir before drizzling over the freshly assembled beef bowls.
- Cook the bulgogi ground beef mixture in a skillet large enough that it browns well with slight caramelization, otherwise work in batches if the skillet isn’t big enough.
- Cook the rice ahead so that these Korean beef bowls can be assembled as soon as the bulgogi beef is ready.
- Ground beef alternatives: Try swapping out the ground beef for ground pork, ground turkey or ground chicken instead. For a more traditional bulgogi beef recipe, use thinly sliced ribeye, top sirloin, or brisket.
- Low-carb and light: Load the bulgogi ground beef mixture into crisp lettuce leaves or over cauliflower rice for a lighter, low-carb option.
- Other cooling vegetables and sauces: Top these beef bowls with other cooling vegetables and sauces, like sliced radishes, slaw, mango salsa, pineapple salsa, or cilantro lime crema.
Nutrition
Calories: 599kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 46g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 19g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 98mg | Sodium: 1037mg | Potassium: 855mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 992IU | Vitamin C: 26mg | Calcium: 102mg | Iron: 5mg