Korean Inspired Beef Bulgogi Bowl
This ground beef bulgogi bowl is served with crisp quick-pickled cucumbers, tender carrots, fluffy rice, and a delicious homemade bulgogi sauce infused into the beef. It falls somewhere between bulgogi and bibimbap. This recipe is gluten free with a plant based option.
Ingredients
Quick Pickled Cucumbers
- 2 cups sliced Persian or English cucumbers
- 1 ½ tablespoons rice vinegar same thing as rice wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon organic cane sugar
- pinch of kosher salt
Bulgogi Sauce
- 3 tablespoons coconut aminos or low sodium tamari or soy sauce
- ¼ cup grated pear should be ripe but firm
- 1 ½ tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 ½ teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- pinch of kosher salt only if using coconut aminos
- freshly ground black pepper
Bowls
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 2 carrots thinly sliced
- 2 green onions - white and green parts sliced
- 1 pound ground beef
- cooked rice for serving
- kimchi for serving (optional)
- kimchi mayo for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Add the sliced cucumber to a medium bowl along with granulated sugar and rice vinegar. Stir to combine and set aside.
- Add the sauce ingredients to a medium bowl. Stir to combine then mix in the ground beef with your hands until well combined.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat with half of the olive oil. Saute carrots until slightly softened then remove them from the skillet.
- Add the rest of the olive oil and the green onions. Cook for 1-2 minutes then add in the seasoned beef. Cook until no pink remains.
- Serve over a bed of rice with carrots, quick pickled cucumbers, spicy kimchi, toasted sesame seeds, and a drizzle of kimchi mayo.
Notes
See the blog post for helpful tips, storage, and FAQs.