Name: Korean Beef Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 1 Tablespoon sesame oil; 1 pound 90-93% lean ground beef; ⅓ cup sweet onion (diced); ¾ cup low-sodium soy sauce; 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar; 2 teaspoons gochujang; ⅓ cup packed light or dark brown sugar; 1 teaspoon fresh ginger (minced); 2 teaspoons garlic cloves (minced); ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes; 1 Tablespoon cornstarch + 2 teaspoons water (stirred together)

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A quick and easy dinner that delivers! This Korean beef recipe, a dish made from pantry ingredients and done in under 25 minutes. Serve over white rice, garnished with sesame seeds for a flavorful meal.

Having quick, everyday recipes for dinner is a must— especially after getting 2 kids to bed after a long day. Today's Korean beef recipe is the answer when (1) I need dinner FAST, (2) I need dinner to be delicious, (3) I need minimal dishes.

You'll Love This Korean Beef Recipe Too!

30 minutes total, start to finish
One pan = less dishes
Minimal effort, maximum flavor
Casual enough for the week, fancy enough guests
Easy recipe to halve or double
Leftovers are perfect for lunches

Korean Beef Details

Texture: The crunchy sesames seeds are a contract to the juicy beef.
Flavor: We're not wasting any of the good stuff! The sauce eventually becomes a glaze— just let it thicken on the stove for a few minutes. The sauce is made from soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, gochujang, and red pepper flakes.
Ease: This dish is so simple that you may feel odd with all the extra time on your hands. Whisk the sauce together while the beef browns, pour over the beef and let it thicken.
Time: This dinner takes 25 minutes, start to finish!

Ingredients You Need & Why

Beef: The less fat in the beef, the better, to keep some of the excess fat out of the dish. I prefer to use 90-93% lean ground beef. As the beef cooks, make sure to break it apart into small pieces.
Sesame Oil: After dozens of times preparing this dish, I find that using 1 Tablespoon of sesame oil gives the beef a deeper flavor. If you don’t have sesame oil, olive oil is a fine replacement.
Onion: Adding just a bit of diced onion gives the dish a extra flavor.
Soy Sauce: I typically use Kikkoman less sodium soy sauce, I find it has the best flavor. Though store brand will work just fine.
Gochujang: This is a must! It's a combination of savory, sweet, and a touch of spicy.
Brown Sugar: The brown sugar is a main ingredient and pairs perfectly with the soy sauce. It not only helps offset the soy sauce, it also helps create a 'glaze like' sauce.
Fresh Ginger: Ginger gives this dish a warm, fresh, slightly sweet element and truly finishes the sauce.
Garlic: You can use fresh or jarred/minced.
Red Pepper Flakes: To add a little kick!
Cornstarch: Creating a cornstarch slurry (mixture of cornstarch and water) helps thicken the sauce to create more of a 'glaze sauce' that I like to call it.

How To Make Korean Beef

Have this recipe on the table in just 25 minutes!

Combine the soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, gochujang, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Whisk together and set aside.
In a large skillet, like this, over medium-high heat, add the sesame oil, beef, and onion. As the beef starts to cook, break it up with a spatula until cooked through.
Pour in the sauce mixture over the beef and stir together. Stir in the cornstarch mixture. Let it simmer for a 3-4 minutes until it thickens.
Serve over white rice and garnish with green onion and sesame seeds, if preferred. Leftovers stay fresh in the refrigerator for 5 days.