The combination of flavorful beef, zesty slaw, and spicy garlic sauce, makes these easy Korean beef bowls an amazing weeknight dinner!
Please meet one of our favorite dinners EVER. Modeled after these favorite Korean beef tacos, this “bowl” version is quicker, easier, and just as delicious! (Scroll down for a quick and simple salmon version!)
Slaw + Sauce + Beef
There are three main components to this recipe:
- Zesty, fresh slaw with crunchy cucumbers
- The sauce to end all sauces (creamy, spicy, garlicky)
- Flavorful Korean-style ground beef
While the ingredients list in the recipe may look a bit long, each component comes together incredibly fast. The slaw and sauce can be made ahead of time to speed up dinner night assembly!
And to simplify prep even further, you can use a bag of pre-shredded coleslaw mix for the cabbage and carrots called for in the recipe.
Assembling Korean Beef Bowls
These Korean beef bowls are delicious served with the three main recipe components above. But they are even more delicious with a few additions.
This is how we like to serve them:
- Hot, cooked rice
- Korean beef
- Slaw
- Sauce (and more sauce)
- Lime wedges
- Chopped cilantro
- Avocados
Sometimes we’ll throw naan bread on the side, too. YUM!
Build-Your-Own Meal
The great thing about this recipe and the reason it makes such a fabulous, family-friendly dinner is that it is easily a build-your-own meal where everyone can create the beef and rice bowl of their dreams.
I, for one, always add extra beef, extra slaw, extra sauce, and a lot of fresh lime squeezes. Sometimes, a little drizzle of extra sriracha. Oh, and a good amount of chopped cilantro.
My family? Their bowls have just a tiny bit less personality (and less cabbage), but I don’t judge them for it. Especially because that means more leftovers for meeeeee.
These Korean beef bowls are tremendous.
They are easily one of my favorite things to eat for dinner, and there are never any complaints from the family (see the aforementioned build-your-own appeal).
The flavors are out of this world delicious! I love how quickly and easily this meal comes together. Really, I could eat this over and over and never get tired of it.
And if you’re looking to change it up just a little, try using the sauce for the beef as a salmon marinade. After marinading the salmon for a couple of hours, cook it on the grill, in the air fryer, or broil in the oven and serve with all the other recipe components. SO, SO GOOD.
What to Serve With This:
This is pretty much a complete meal as is! A few additional side suggestions:
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Easy Korean Beef Bowls
Quick Slaw:
- 4 cups shredded cabbage (napa, green, purple or a combo) – see note
- 1 cup shredded or grated carrots
- 1 cup chopped cucumbers
- ¼ to ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- Sriracha, to taste
Sauce to End All Sauces:
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1 teaspoon sriracha sauce
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Korean Beef:
- 1 ½ to 2 pounds lean ground beef
- ½ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- ¼ cup unseasoned rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger or ginger paste
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic (4 to 5 cloves) or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
For serving (optional but tasty):
- Hot, cooked rice
- Naan bread
- Avocado slices
- Fresh lime wedges
- Chopped cilantro
Prevent your screen from going dark
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For the slaw, in a large bowl, combine the cabbage, carrots, cucumbers, and cilantro. In a small bowl whisk together the lime juice, soy sauce, olive oil, salt and pepper (start with a pinch of each and add more to taste, if needed), and sriracha. Pour the dressing over the slaw and toss to combine. Refrigerate until ready to serve (it can be made 4-6 hours in advance).
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For the sauce, stir together all the ingredients and refrigerate until ready to serve (it can be made several days in advance).
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For the beef, in a 12-inch nonstick skillet set over medium heat, brown the ground beef, breaking the meat into small pieces, until no longer pink. Drain excess grease.
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To the skillet, add the soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, sesame oil, ginger and garlic or garlic powder. Stir to combine and bring the meat and sauce to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes until heated through.
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For serving, to each bowl, add a scoop of rice (if using), add a portion of beef and slaw. Drizzle with sauce. Serve with lime wedges, avocados, and naan bread, if desired.
To speed up prep time, you can use part of a 14-ounce bag of pre-shredded coleslaw mix (without the dressing) for the cabbage and carrots called for in the recipe.
Serving: 1 Serving, Calories: 370kcal, Carbohydrates: 15g, Protein: 29g, Fat: 21g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Cholesterol: 80mg, Sodium: 1389mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 8g
Recipe Source: from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe (adapted from this Korean tacos recipe)
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