Korean Beef and Broccoli Bowls with Quick Cucumber Salad
These Korean Beef and Broccoli Bowls are so delicious and easy to prepare. You’ll have this dish on the table faster than ordering takeout! It’s the perfect meal for busy days when you want to get dinner ready in 30 minutes. The best part? Your family won’t believe it’s not takeout. The flavors are so on point, with savory beef and tender broccoli drenched in a mouthwatering sauce. It’s quick, tasty, and a sure hit with everyone.
What makes this recipe different from others is the extra sauce. I’ve doubled the sauce because I love my Asian dishes with a bit more flavor. I use half of the sauce to stir into the cooked beef, making it rich and flavorful. The other half of the sauce I save for topping before serving. This extra sauce gives the dish a perfect balance and makes it so delicious. If you love extra sauce, this recipe is definitely for you!
how to prepare the Korean Beef and Broccoli Bowls?
- Cook the rice – Korean dishes usually use short grain or sushi rice. You can use whatever you like. Cook the rice according to the package directions.
- Cook the broccoli – this recipe works with fresh or frozen broccoli. Roast them at 400 F for about 15-20 minutes, depending on the size of the broccoli florets.
- Cook the beef – sauté the beef as you break it down to small pieces. The medium heat is the best for sauteing ground beef. It should take you about 5 minutes to brown it.
- Drain the excess fat – Use a heat resistant mesh strainer and transfer the beef in it to drain all the fat. Discard the fat. This will reduce the saturated fat you consume.
- Make the sauce – the sauce is easy to prepare. First you combine the soy sauce, sugar, honey, chili flakes in a saucepan and heat until the sugar is melted. Then you mix the water and the cornstarch and add it to the saucepan. Continue stirring and cooking until the sauce is slightly thicker and coats the back of the spoon. Then add the sesame oil, stir and remove from the heat.
- Mix half of the sauce with the cooked beef – When I created this recipe I decided to make a lot of sauce for extra topping. That is why I mix half of the sauce with the cooked beef and the other half I save for topping.
- Make the cucumber salad – I like to prepare this salad with any Asian dishes. It is super easy and fast, but totally optional. To make it, combine thinly sliced cucumbers with some soy sauce, rice vinegar and sesame oil. You can also top the salad with sesame seeds.
- Assemble the bowls – Divide the rice, beef, broccoli and cucumber salad between 4 serving bowls. Top with sliced green onions and more sauce.
Why homemade Korean Beef Bowls are better than takeout?
Homemade meals are always better and healthier than takeout. When you cook at home, you have full control over the ingredients. You can make the dish as healthy as you want, using fresh, high-quality ingredients. Here are some reasons why homemade meals are the way to go:
- You control the ingredients. No MSG or other artificial additives in your food. You can add or remove an ingredient.
- You can accommodate the recipe to fit your diet – you can easily make this recipe gluten free by replacing the soy sauce with coconut aminos. You can also make it low carb if you replace the rice with cauliflower rice or low carb alternative rice. You should also replace the sugar and the honey with a low carb sweetener like monk fruit or allulose.
- There’s less sugar and salt than takeout. In this recipe I use low sodium soy sauce. I also decided to reduce the refined sugars and used some honey in the sauce.
- Freshness of the ingredients shines through – when you purchase premade food you never know how fresh the ingredients are. When you shop for ingredients, you can pick only the best quality for you and your family.
- Homemade meals are much cheaper than takeout – if you do a breakdown of cost per serving of these Korean beef bowls you would find out that they very affordable. Especially if you have a well stocked pantry. Every time you choose to cook instead of ordering takeout you save money.
Please Note: The links provided in this blog post are not affiliated with any brand. There is no benefit for me if you purchase from that link. I’m just sharing what I used to prepare the recipe because I think that it might be helpful.
Storing and serving leftovers
Properly storing and reheating the leftovers is important to keep your meal fresh. To store, place the cooked rice, beef, and broccoli in separate airtight containers. Keep them in the fridge for up to 4 days. When you’re ready to reheat, simply microwave the rice and beef for 1-2 minutes, stirring halfway through. Reheat the broccoli in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Enjoy your leftovers just as much as the first time!
Korean Beef and Broccoli Bowls with Quick Cucumber Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup rice short grain is best
- 1 lb broccoli florets fresh or frozen
- 1 Tbsp cooking oil neutral is best
- 1 lb ground beef
- salt and pepper to taste
For the sauce
- ½ cup low sodium soy sauce
- ¼ cup brown sugar packed
- 2 Tbsp honey
- 1 tsp freshly grated ginger
- 4 garlic cloves minced, pressed
- ½ tsp red chili flakes or to taste
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tsp sesame oil
For the Cucumber Salad
- 3 Persian cucumbers or half English seedless cucumber
- ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
Toppings
- green onions, sesame seeds and chili flakes
Instructions
- Wash a cup of rice and cook it according to the package directions. Season with salt to taste.
- Roast the broccoli on a baking sheet at 400F for 15-20 minutes. Cook to the desired doneness. Season with salt to taste.
- While the rice and broccoli are cooking place a pan on the stove and heat to medium heat.
To cook the beef
- Add the cooking oil and the ground beef to the hot pan. Use a spatula to break up the beef to small pieces. Continue to crumble and cook for 5 minutes or until it is completely cooked.
- Drain the excess fat from the beef. I use a heat resistant mesh strainer to do that.
To prepare the sauce
- In a saucepan add the soy sauce, sugar, honey, grated ginger, chilli flakes and pressed garlic.
- Heat the saucepan on medium heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved.
- Combine the water with the cornstarch in a small bowl and stir. Reduce the heat to low and add the cornstarch mixture to the saucepan.
- Continue stirring until the sauce is slightly thicker and coats the back of the spoon.
- Finally, add the sesame oil to the saucepan and stir. Then remove from the heat.
To prepare the cucumber salad
- Slice the Persian cucumbers to rounds and place them in a bowl.
- In a small jar or a bowl mix to combine the soy sauce, vinegar and sesame oil.
- Pour the dressing on top of the cucumbers and stir. Top with sesame seeds.
To assemble the Korean beef bowls
- Add half of the sauce to the cooked beef and stir well. Save the rest of the sauce for topping.
- To assemble the bowls divide the cooked rice, beef, broccoli and cucumber salad between four bowls.
- Top with the rest of the sauce and sliced green onions. Enjoy while it is still warm.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Other Ground Beef recipes you might like
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