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Korean Ground Beef Bulgogi
Avatar photoEmily Garcia

Ground Beef Bulgogi

This is a quick, weeknight-friendly take on traditional bulgogi, featuring ground beef cooked with a sweet, savory, and lightly spicy Korean sauce. It’s fantastic for making satisfying rice bowls or fresh lettuce wraps for the whole family!
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Asian, Korean
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 English cucumbers, thinly sliced (Pickled Cucumbers)
  • 0.75 cup Rice vinegar or white vinegar (Pickled Cucumbers)
  • 0.5 cup Water (Pickled Cucumbers)
  • 1 tbsp Honey or sugar (Pickled Cucumbers)
  • 0.75 tsp Kosher salt and cracked black pepper (Pickled Cucumbers)
  • 2 bags (10 oz) Shredded carrots (pre-bagged) (Cooked Carrots)
  • 1 tbsp Olive oil (Cooked Carrots)
  • 0.5 tsp Salt (Cooked Carrots)
  • 2 tsp Olive oil (For the Bulgogi)
  • 1 cup Grated onion (white or yellow onion) (For the Bulgogi)
  • 1 heaping tbsp Minced fresh garlic (For the Bulgogi)
  • 1 heaping tbsp Grated fresh ginger (For the Bulgogi)
  • 2 pounds 90% lean ground beef (For the Bulgogi)
  • 3-4 tbsp Honey (Adjust to your preferred sweetness) (For the Bulgogi)
  • 3-4 tbsp Low-sodium soy sauce (Adjust to taste; use Tamari for GF) (For the Bulgogi)
  • 3 tbsp Gochujang (Korean chili paste) (Use GF if needed) (For the Bulgogi)
  • 2 tbsp Mirin or rice wine (For the Bulgogi)
  • Cooked rice, bibb lettuce, kimchi, sesame seeds, sambal oelek (Serving)

Equipment

  • large skillet (x2 recommended) for beef and carrots
  • Medium bowl for pickling cucumbers

Method
 

  1. Whisk together the rice vinegar, water, honey, and salt until everything dissolves. Add the sliced cucumbers and set them aside while you cook the rest of the meal.
  2. Heat $1text{ tbsp}$ of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shredded carrots and $1/2text{ tsp}$ of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they are soft and start to get a slight brown or charred look (about 10–15 minutes). Transfer the carrots to a bowl and set aside.
  3. In a second large pan, heat $2text{ tsp}$ of olive oil over medium heat. Add the grated onion, minced garlic, grated ginger, and $1/2text{ tsp}$ black pepper. Cook for about 3 minutes until they start to brown and smell wonderful.
  4. Add the $2text{ pounds}$ of ground beef to the pan. Cook it, breaking it up into small pieces, until the meat is fully browned and no longer pink. Drain off any extra fat from the pan.
  5. Return the drained beef to the pan. Stir in the honey, soy sauce, gochujang, and mirin. Cook and stir for about 3 minutes until the sauce has slightly thickened and coats the beef beautifully. Taste it and add a little more soy sauce for saltiness or honey for sweetness, if you like.
  6. Serve the bulgogi ground beef as a classic rice bowl over cooked rice, or use it as a filling for refreshing lettuce wraps using bibb lettuce leaves. Top your bowl or wraps with the pickled cucumbers, cooked carrots, and any other toppings you enjoy!

Notes

Using two pans at once—one for the beef and one for the carrots—is the fastest way to get this meal on the table. For a bolder flavor, use $4text{ tbsp}$ each of honey and soy sauce; use $3text{ tbsp}$ for a lighter taste. To make this gluten-free, use Tamari instead of regular soy sauce and ensure your gochujang is certified gluten-free (or substitute it with chili garlic sauce).