Korean Ground Beef Bulgogi Rice Bowl Recipe

Craving something delicious, flavorful, and easy? This beef bulgogi rice bowl is just what you need to satisfy your hunger. This bulgogi bowl recipe will be your new favorite dish to date.

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Literally translates to "fire meat," this beef bulgogi rice bowl is a classic Korean BBQ dish typically made with thin slices of marinated beef cooked over medium heat until they’re nice and caramelized. I used ground beef for this recipe.

Anyone who loves Korean food will be familiar with this dish, but you're in for a treat for those who haven’t tried it yet!

This was inspired by my other recipes on this site, such as Easy Air Fryer Steak Bites with Cowboy Butter and Beef Noodle Stir Fry, and pairs well with this amazing side dish recipe: Sesame Cucumber Salad.

Jump to:

What is beef bulgogi?
Why you will love this recipe
What you need for Beef Bulgogi Rice Bowl
How to make Beef Bulgogi Rice Bowl
Substitutions
Variations
Equipment
How to store and reheat bulgogi bowl recipe
3 Top Tips for Success
Korean Ground Beef Bulgogi Rice Bowl - FAQ
Other Korean dishes you will like
What to serve with Beef Bulgogi Bowl
Korean Ground Beef Bulgogi Rice Bowl Recipe
Food safety

What is beef bulgogi?

Beef bulgogi is a traditional Korean dish made with thinly sliced beef or ground beef that’s marinated for a few hours in a sweet and savory sauce. The marinade is usually a combination of soy sauce, ginger, mirin, Asian or Korean pear for sweetness, and gochujang (a Korean chili paste) if you want it spicy.

The savory flavor of this Korean bulgogi bowl pairs perfectly with fluffy white rice, spicy kimchi, and green onions, creating an incredibly delicious dinner that doesn't take too long to make. Make it a complete meal by adding a fried egg to top off your bowl – this is an especially popular way to eat bulgogi in Korea!

Why you will love this recipe

Cheap: Ground beef is really affordable and easier to cook. You don’t need to worry about overcooking it compared to sliced beef.
Extremely easy: No need to marinade! Just blend your ingredients, add the ground beef or sliced beef, and cook.
Great make-ahead meal: A fantastic protein to keep in your fridge and make meals for the week. Assemble the bulgogi beef bowls in less than 20 minutes.
Savory bulgogi sauce: This sauce is super flavorful! The mixture of gochujang paste, soy sauce, mirin, and honey perfectly balances all the bold flavors.

What you need for Beef Bulgogi Rice Bowl

Extra-lean ground beef

Bulgogi Sauce

Gochujang paste

Asian pear

Onion

Green onions

Garlic cloves

Ginger

Sweetener (sugar or honey)

Low-sodium soy sauce

Mirin

Rice vinegar

See recipe card for quantities.

How to make Beef Bulgogi Rice Bowl

Making beef bulgogi is so easy. Blend all the marinade ingredients and mix in the beef and stir fry. No need to marinate.

blend bulgogi marinade

combine bulgogi marinade to ground beef

In a wok, heat up some grapeseed oil, add in the ground beef mixture, spread it out on the pan, and leave it alone for 3 minutes on medium-high heat.

Assemble beef bulgogi rice bowl

Marinade: Blend all the ingredients except ground beef.
In a large bowl, combine the blended sauce and the ground beef. Mix well. Set aside for a few minutes while you get the sides ready.
Sides: Prep your side dishes and make your rice. This cooks really fast, so it is really useful to have this all prepped and ready to go before you start cooking.
Spicy Beef Bulgogi: In a wok, heat up some grapeseed oil, add in the ground beef mixture, spread it out on the pan, and leave it alone for 3 minutes on medium-high heat.
Once the bottom of the beef has caramelization, color, and most of the liquid has evaporated, start sauteing. This step should take 6 minutes.
Cook the beef to your desired texture. I like mine crispy.
Serve and enjoy!

Substitutions

Ground beef: I stick to the ground beef version of this Korean bbq beef bowl for convenience, but you can also use thinly sliced rib eye or sirloin steak and even ground turkey.

Gochujang: Gochujang is a popular Korean chili paste available at most Asian grocery stores and online. If you don’t have gochujang, you can substitute it with sriracha sauce or red pepper flakes.

Pear: I used pear to add sweetness and tenderness to the bulgogi marinade. You can substitute it with apple or omit it altogether if you don’t have any on hand.

Soy sauce: If you’re looking for a gluten-free option, coconut aminos is a great substitution for soy sauce.

Sugar or honey: Use maple syrup as a sweetener instead of sugar or honey. It will add a touch of sweetness and depth of flavor to the dish.

Mirin: If you don't have mirin, you can use rice vinegar or dry sherry as substitutes to provide a similar sweet and tangy flavor to the dish.

Rice vinegar: Substitute rice vinegar with apple cider vinegar, which has a similar mild and slightly sweet flavor that will work well in this easy recipe.

Variations

NOT Spicy: Skip the gochujang paste and use more of the sweet and savory ingredients instead. Kid friendly!
Vegetarian: Use thin slices of firm tofu or portobello mushrooms in place of the beef.
Deluxe: Make beef bulgogi lettuce wraps. Leave out the rice and serve with some crunchy lettuce cups.
Bibimbap-style: Top your cooked beef with your favorite veggies like carrots, zucchini, spinach, bean sprouts, mushrooms, cucumbers, and some toasted sesame seeds.

Equipment

Blender or food processor
Knife
Cutting board
Wok or large skillet

How to store and reheat bulgogi bowl recipe

Store: Place the cooked bulgogi bowl recipe in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Reheat: Reheat the bulgogi in a small skillet over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through. Alternatively, you can microwave it for 1 minute or until hot.

3 Top Tips for Success

Use quality ingredients. This bulgogi bowl recipe calls for ground beef, but you can also use thinly sliced pieces of rib eye or sirloin, which are two of the more tender cuts that will cook up nice and juicy.
Cook the beef over medium-high heat so it gets nicely caramelized without burning – Leave it alone for about 3 minutes, then stir fry again.
Marinate the beef for at least 30 minutes or up to 12 hours so that it can soak up all the flavors!

Korean Ground Beef Bulgogi Rice Bowl - FAQ

What is traditionally served with bulgogi?

Bulgogi is traditionally served with a bowl of steamed white rice and kimchi. But you can also serve it with lettuce wraps, cucumber slices, pickled radish, and even sesame oil. Feel free to get creative and customize your Korean rice bowl according to your taste.

What is the difference between kalbi and bulgogi?

Kalbi and bulgogi are both popular Korean beef dishes. The main difference between the two is the cut of meat used. Kalbi is made with short ribs, while bulgogi is typically made with thin slices of beef, such as ribeye, sirloin, or tenderloin steak. Kalbi also tends to have a bolder flavor, whereas bulgogi has a sweeter taste due to the addition of pear or apple juice.

What kind of rice goes with bulgogi?

The type of rice you use really depends on your preference. You can use white or brown rice, but the traditional choice is short-grain white rice. The sticky texture of the rice soaks up all the delicious flavors from the marinated beef and makes it even more enjoyable.

Other Korean dishes you will like

What to serve with Beef Bulgogi Bowl

Assembling beef bulgogi rice bowls is fun and easy. You can add whatever you please. Here are my top ideas for this bulgogi bowl recipe:

Other beef recipes you need to try

beef bulgogi with rice, kimchi and cucumber salad

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