This flavorful Korean ground beef is ready in 20 minutes. Served over rice or cauliflower rice, it makes a delicious and complete meal.
Ground beef is cheap and versatile. I always have a few packages in the fridge or freezer. I mostly use them for basic recipes like grilled burgers or baked meatballs. But when I want to make something extra flavorful, I make Korean ground beef. It's a quick recipe with a deeply developed flavor, and the leftovers are just as good as the freshly made dish.
Ingredients and Substitutions
See the recipe card for exact measurements. Here are my comments on some of the ingredients.
- Soy sauce: You can use a gluten-free alternative if needed.
- Honey: Just a tablespoon to balance out the tang of the soy sauce.
- Cornstarch: One teaspoon to slightly thicken the sauce.
- Red pepper flakes: They don't make the dish very spicy. They merely add a hint of spice. Not a fan of spicy food? Use just ¼ teaspoon or omit them altogether.
- Ground beef: I use a lean mixture - 85% lean and 15% fat.
- Garlic and ginger: These aromatics add great flavor to the dish. It's best to use freshly minced garlic and grated ginger, although the jarred versions are OK, too.
Instructions
The detailed instructions and step-by-step photos are included in the recipe card. Here's a quick overview.
First, prepare the sauce: Whisk together the soy sauce, honey, cornstarch, and red pepper flakes in a bowl.
Cook the beef in avocado oil until it's no longer raw, breaking it into crumbles as you cook. Drain, return to the skillet, and add the garlic and ginger, then stir in the sauce. Cook until the dish is heated through and the sauce thickens.
Off heat, drizzle the dish with sesame oil, sprinkle it with sliced green onions, and serve.
This is hands down the best thing you can do with ground beef. I could've eaten 4 servings in one go! Incredibly easy to make. I added in some broccoli while frying the beef and that worked really well. Cannot recommend enough!
Pearl
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Recipe Tips
- I highly recommend using lean ground beef (85% lean and 15% fat) in this recipe. Don't go any leaner than that, or the dish will be too dry and not as flavorful.
- Sesame oil is a must. It greatly enhances the dish, so please don't skip it. Don't use refined sesame oil - it's nearly flavorless. Toasted sesame oil is best.
- I don't recommend using garlic and ginger powders. They are not as flavorful.
Recipe FAQs
I don't recommend that. The honey balances out the intensely savory flavors of this dish and greatly enhances it. You can use a sugar-free honey alternative if you wish.
I recommend using it. We use a tiny amount, and it helps thicken the sauce.
You can keep the leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat them covered in the microwave at 50% power. This is one of those recipes where the leftovers taste just as good as the freshly made dish.
Yes. You can cool the leftovers completely and freeze them in a freezer-safe container for up to three months. Thaw them overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Serving Suggestions
I like to serve this dish on a bed of cauliflower rice. Rice would be a natural choice if you don't mind the carbs. Sometimes, I channel my Generation Z daughters and make it into a trendy bowl by adding a fried egg and kimchi (shown in the photo below).
Recipe Card
Korean Ground Beef Recipe
Video
Ingredients
Sauce:
- ¼ cup reduced-sodium soy sauce - or a gluten-free alternative
- 1 tablespoon honey - or a liquid sugar-free sweetener
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Stir-fry:
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 pound lean ground beef - 85/15
- 1 tablespoon fresh garlic - minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger root - minced
To finish the dish:
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- ¼ cup green onions - green parts only, thinly sliced
Instructions
- In a small bowl, prepare the sauce by whisking together the soy sauce, honey, cornstarch, and red pepper flakes. Set aside.
- In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat.
- Add the beef and cook, stirring, until no longer pink, breaking it into crumbles as you cook, about 5 minutes.
- Drain the beef and return it to the skillet. Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
- Stir the sauce into the beef. Cook for 2 more minutes, until heated through and the sauce thickens.
- Off heat, drizzle the dish with sesame oil, sprinkle it with sliced green onions, and serve.
Notes
- I highly recommend using lean ground beef (85% lean and 15% fat) in this recipe. Don't go any leaner than that, or it will be too dry and not as flavorful.
- Sesame oil is a must. It greatly enhances the dish, so please don't skip it. Don't use refined sesame oil - it's nearly flavorless. Toasted sesame oil is best.
- If using a sugar-free honey substitute, each serving of this recipe contains 3 grams of carbs.
- You can keep the leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat them covered in the microwave at 50% power. You can also cool the leftovers completely and freeze them in a freezer-safe container for up to three months. Thaw them overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Nutrition per Serving
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Disclaimers
Most recipes are low-carb and gluten-free, but some are not. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate. Please verify it independently. The carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Please read these Terms of Use before using any of my recipes.
Carol says
Very simple and tasty. I made as indicated in the recipe. I served with riced cauliflower and peas. It was delicious; I will definitely make it again, and may try with ground turkey next time.
Vered DeLeeuw says
I'm glad you enjoyed this recipe, Carol! Thank you for the comment.
Tim G says
Quick and Easy. I added a sprinkle of white and black sesame seeds. Next time I will add red pepper and maybe some eggplant with some extra sauce. Thanks.
Vered DeLeeuw says
You're very welcome, Tim! Love your tweaks.
Trish says
I made this for my family tonight. Thank you for such a simple, flavourful, quick, healthy meal. Everyone loved it and asked me to make it again soon. They don’t often do that. Lol.
Vered DeLeeuw says
I'm so glad you and your family enjoyed this recipe, Trish!
Jamie says
Easy to make for full time mommy and super yummy!
Vered DeLeeuw says
I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Jamie! Thanks for the review.
Geneva says
Cannot say enough good things about this recipe. It's easy and the results are SO yummy. This is constantly in my meal rotation!!
Vered DeLeeuw says
Yay! I'm so glad you like this recipe so much, Geneva! Thanks for the review.
Josie says
A family favorite! versatile recipe to add different veggies. Thanks for sharing!
Vered DeLeeuw says
I'm so glad your family enjoys this recipe, Josie! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review.
Socalparalegal says
This was good over white rice. Used 90 percent ground beef and blue agave. It's all I had. Next time I'll use brown rice and add vegetables, like peas.
Vered DeLeeuw says
Thanks for the feedback! I'm glad you liked it. We just had leftovers of it tonight. 🙂
Gina S says
This recipe is a keeper. It was easy to make and delicious. I served it over riced cauliflower and have enough for leftovers. Thanks for a tasty low-carb dinner.
Vered DeLeeuw says
I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Gina! Thanks for taking the time to write a comment. I appreciate it.
Jay says
We made this and served it over a bed of rice, but put a poached egg on top. It was amazing!
Vered DeLeeuw says
I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Jay! I LOVE the idea of adding a poached egg!
Jgouda says
Easy to follow and tasty, thanks for posting!
Vered DeLeeuw says
So glad you enjoyed this recipe!