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Korean BBQ restaurants are slowly gaining in popularity, and for good reason. But the truth is, you can bring that awesome restaurant right to your kitchen. Sweet, salty, and full of surprises, these Korean BBQ bowls are a satisfying way to make lunch international. Thin sliced beef coated in a thick, sticky sauce is the way to my heart, so why not build a bowl around it!?
Bulgogi Beef
When people think of Korean food, one of the most common words that comes to mind is “bulgogi”. Bulgogi, which translates to “fire meat”, is when thinly sliced meat, typically pork or steak, is marinated and grilled on a grill or hot saute pan. Bulgogi is the base for Korean barbeque.
Good thing is, making the marinade is super easy! Just do a quick pantry raid and you probably have most of the ingredients on hand already. Start by thinly slicing 1/2 lb of steak against the grain. This is enough for about 2 bowls. I used skirt steak, but sirloin or ribeye would be great choices as well. Create a marinade using:
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup of brown sugar
- 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 2 minced cloves of garlic
- 3 tsp fresh grated ginger
- 2 tsp garlic-chile oil
- 1 tsp sesame oil
Pour the marinade over the steak in a bowl or large ziplock bag. Allow the meat to marinate in the fridge for at least one hour, but overnight is best. When it is ready to cook, heat a saute pan on high heat with a drizzle of oil. Add in the meat and marinade and saute until the meat is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. The high heat will help the sugars in the marinade to caramelize and thicken into a sauce.
Korean BBQ Bowls
Now that the bulgogi beef is ready, we can assemble the bowls. In each bowl, scoop in 1 1/2 cups of cooked white rice. On top of the rice, add in 1/4 cup of shredded carrots, a few slices of thinly sliced cucumber, and half of the beef. Top each bowl with a fried egg and garnish with sesame seeds and sliced green onions. And that is it! Enjoy!
If that isn’t adventurous enough for you, there are plenty of other yummy ingredients you can add to your bowl!
- Picked Ginger
- Pickled Onions
- Sauteed Onions
- Jalapenos
- Sriracha
- Kimchi
- Shredded Brussel Sprouts
- Baby Corn
- Sauteed Zucchini
- Bean Sprouts
The ideas are endless, but that’s what makes it so fun. Travel across the world for your next meal by whipping up some Korean BBQ bowls right at home.
Want More Rice Bowl Ideas?
- Chipotle Shrimp Cauliflower Bowl
- Salmon Bowl With Turmeric Rice
- Chicken Fajita Bowls
- California Roll Sushi Bowl
Korean BBQ Bowls
Ingredients
Marinade
- ½ cup low sodium soy sauce
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tsp fresh grated ginger
- 2 tsp garlic-chile sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
Korean BBQ Bowls
- ½ lb thinly sliced steak I used skirt steak
- 3 cups cooked white rice
- ½ cup shredded carrot
- ⅓ cup thinly sliced cucumber
- 2 eggs
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds for garnish
- 2 tbsp sliced green onion for garnich
Instructions
- Begin by combining all of the marinade ingredients in a bowl and adding your steak. Coat the steak completely and let it sit in the fridge for at least one hour up to overnight.
- In a very hot skillet, drizzle in a bit of olive oil and add in steak and all of the marinade.
- Cook the steak until no longer pink. Allow the marinade to caramelize and thicken into a sauce, about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- While the steak is cooking, crack 2 eggs into another saute pan well greased with oil or melted butter over medium heat. Cook 3-4 minutes or until the yolk is to your liking.
- To assemble the bowls, scoop 1½ cups of rice into 2 bowls. Top each bowl with half of the cooked steak, half of the cucumbers, and half of the cucumbers. Place a fried egg on top
- Garnish with sesame seeds and green onions. Serve immediately.
