There are relaxing, I-forgot-what-time-it-is ‘weekend meals’, and then there are the I-got-home-late-and-I-have-15-minutes-to-cook-dinner ‘weeknight meals’. Since I seem to find myself in the latter night after night, as I’m sure you do too, I like to share my quick, approachable Asian recipes here on Season with Spice to empower you to cook healthy, home-cooked Asian dishes with ease.
Let’s start with this flavorful 15-Minute Spicy Korean Beef Rice Bowl.
Actually, before we start this recipe, the key to quick weeknight meals is pre-cooking the grains. I generally make a large pot of rice on Monday with our rice cooker, and then keep the leftover in the fridge to use any night of the week.
With the rice only a quick warming away from being ready, a pound of ground beef thawed in the fridge, and a handful of sunflower shoots from our Local Roots Co-Op (or your choice of spring greens), you’re all set to cook up this 15-Minute Spicy Korean Beef Rice Bowl.
First prep the sauce, by whisking together a few basic Asian pantry items – soy sauce (or tamari), mirin (or rice wine), and toasted sesame oil. Then mix in kimchi juice (or apple cider vinegar or orange juice) along with our Korean BBQ Blend.
Cook the beef quickly, coat it with the sauce, add in a little honey to lightly sweeten the dish, and you’re done!
Serve over a rice bowl, and top with a large handful of fresh sunflower shoots or spring greens, and a side of kimchi or Fresh Korean Cabbage Salad. If I have them available, I also like to add in some slices of radishes and avocado.
15-Minute Spicy Korean Beef Bowl
Ingredients
- 2 tsp oil
- 2-3 cloves of garlic – minced
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1.5 tbsp honey or to taste
For the Korean sauce:
- 3 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
- 1 tbsp mirin or rice wine
- 1.5 tbsp of Season with Spice’s Korean BBQ Blend or to taste
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 2 tsp kimchi juice or sub with apple cider vinegar or orange juice
Serve with:
- Steamed white rice or brown rice
- Your choice of vegetables
- Kimchi or fresh Korean cabbage salad
- Avocado or radish slices
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, mirin, Korean BBQ Blend, toasted sesame oil, and kimchi juice (or orange juice).
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high fire. Add in garlic and sauté until aromatic, about 30-40 seconds. Add in ground beef and cook until browned, about 3-4 minutes (stir to crumble the meat as you cook).
- Drain out the excess liquid/fat. Stir in the Korean sauce until well combine. Turn heat up, and stir in the honey.
- Allow to simmer until heated through and the sauce thickens. As you cook, taste and adjust any seasonings if needed.
- Serve over a rice bowl, alongside with vegetables, kimchi, and/or avocado slices.