Description
Korean Beef Bulgogi Rice Bowls offer a quick and flavorful twist on classic Korean cuisine using ground beef and a delicious homemade Bulgogi sauce featuring grated apple and onion. Served over rice with wilted spinach, crisp carrots, mashed avocado, pickled ginger, and fresh greens, this vibrant dish combines sweet, savory, and tangy flavors for an easy weeknight dinner packed with texture and nutrition.
Ingredients
Scale
Beef Bulgogi
- 500g / 1 lb beef mince (ground beef), any fat % you like
- 1 tbsp canola oil or any other plain flavoured oil
- 1 tbsp onion, finely grated (~1/4 onion)
- 3 tbsp red apple, finely grated (skin on, ~1/2 apple)
- 3 garlic cloves, finely grated
- 1 tsp ginger, finely grated
- 2 1/2 tbsp soy sauce (all-purpose or light)
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp mirin (omit for no alcohol)
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
Rice Bowl Drizzle Sauce
- 2 tbsp soy sauce (all-purpose or light)
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 tsp brown sugar
- 2 tsp rice vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
Rice Bowl Ingredients
- White rice (medium or short grain)
- 4 large handfuls baby spinach (or similar chopped leafy greens like cabbage or kale)
- 1 large carrot, peeled and julienned or grated
- 1 avocado, mashed
- 1/4 cup pickled ginger (preferably pink for color)
- 1 1/2 cups baby cos / romaine lettuce, torn into bite size pieces
- 1 tsp white sesame seeds
- 1 green onion, finely sliced
- 2 tsp canola oil (or other plain oil, to wilt spinach)
Instructions
- Make the sauces: In one bowl, combine all ingredients for the Bulgogi sauce, mixing well to blend the grated onion, apple, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, mirin, brown sugar, and black pepper. In a separate bowl, mix together the rice bowl drizzle sauce ingredients – soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, and rice vinegar – until the sugar dissolves.
- Wilt the spinach: Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a large non-stick pan over high heat. Add half of the baby spinach and toss with tongs until it is semi-wilted, about 30 seconds. Add the remaining spinach and continue tossing until fully wilted, about another 30 seconds to 1 minute. Remove the spinach to a bowl and set aside.
- Cook the Bulgogi beef: Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan and keep the heat high. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it up as you stir until the beef is no longer pink. Stir in the Bulgogi sauce and let the mixture simmer rapidly, stirring occasionally, until most of the sauce has evaporated. Continue stirring regularly to allow the beef to caramelize slightly while remaining moist from the sauce.
- Assemble the rice bowls: Spoon cooked white rice into serving bowls. Top with the cooked Bulgogi beef, wilted spinach, and julienned carrot. Add a dollop of mashed avocado and place pickled ginger on top. Tuck in torn baby cos/romaine lettuce along the side. Sprinkle with white sesame seeds and sliced green onion. Serve with the drizzle sauce on the side for pouring over the assembled bowl before mixing and enjoying.
Notes
- Apple and onion: Grate finely using a microplane or similar grater to maximize their flavor contribution. The grated apple adds natural sweetness and tenderizes the beef, while the grated onion lends depth of flavor unobtainable from diced onion.
- Soy sauce: Use all-purpose or light soy sauce. For gluten free, substitute tamari. Avoid dark soy sauce or kecap manis, as their strong flavors overwhelm the dish.
- Mirin: Can be replaced with Chinese cooking wine or cooking sake plus 1/2 tsp brown sugar. Omitting it results in a slightly different taste but is acceptable.
- Storage: Leftover cooked beef can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months. Add a splash of water when reheating to moisten if needed.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (approximate)
- Calories: 430
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 700mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 40g
- Fiber: 6g
- Protein: 26g
- Cholesterol: 70mg
