Korean-Style Ground Beef Bowl
Ground beef with soy, sesame, garlic, and ginger over rice. One of the most-saved recipes on TikTok and r/MealPrepSunday for years running.
Cook the rice according to package directions.
Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the ground beef. Break it up and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and no pink remains — about 7–8 minutes. Drain excess fat if needed.
Add the garlic and ginger. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Add soy sauce, sesame oil, and brown sugar. Stir to combine. Cook 2 minutes until the sauce reduces slightly and coats the meat.
Taste and adjust — more soy for salt, more sugar to balance, chili flakes if using.
Serve over rice. Top with green onions and sesame seeds.
Lean ground beef at $20/kg is the biggest cost driver. Medium ground beef at $19/kg works fine — just drain off the extra fat after browning. Saves about $0.50 total.
- This meal preps extremely well. The beef keeps for 4 days in the fridge and reheats in 2 minutes.
- Doubling the rice and halving the beef is a legitimate way to stretch this further, especially if feeding more than four people.
- Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes) is available at most Ontario Asian grocery stores for a very low price per gram. Regular chili flakes work the same.
Estimated values per serving.
This recipe can be made gluten-free with substitutions.
- Replace soy sauce with tamari in the same quantity (minimal cost difference)
All other ingredients are naturally gluten-free.