Korean Ground Beef
Updated
Updated
This Korean Ground Beef is a cheater version of traditional Korean Beef using ground beef instead of flank steak, making it easier and cheaper, but just as tasty. And ready in just 20 minutes!
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5 STAR REVIEWS
This Korean Ground Beef recipe includes all of my favorite things in a meal – full of great flavor, inexpensive, and quick and easy to make. This stir fry recipe is always on stand-by in my house because it’s so simple to whip up in just minutes and it never disappoints.
Traditional Korean beef typically uses thin slices of skirt steak or flank steak and is grilled over an open flame. This Korean Ground Beef subs in ground beef (so it’s cheaper) and browned on the stovetop (so it’s quicker), but still has that smoky-sweet Korean BBQ flavor, so it’s just as tasty! I also add in some green beans to make it more hearty and filling.
Korean Ground Beef
Ingredients
- 3 teaspoons sesame oil, divided
- 6 ounces fresh green beans, cut into 1 & 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 3 scallions, diced
- toasted sesame seeds, for serving
- cooked white rice or lettuce cups, for serving
Instructions
- Heat half the sesame oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Add in the green beans and sauté for 3 minutes until crisp-tender and slightly charred. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate and keep warm.
- Add the remaining sesame oil to the skillet. Swirl to coat and once hot, add in the ground beef. Brown the beef, breaking it up into small crumbles with a wooden spoon, until cooked through and no pink remains, about 3 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic and ginger; cook for another 20 seconds until fragrant. Drain off the fat.
- Return green beans to the skillet, along with the brown sugar, soy sauce, and chili garlic sauce. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Simmer for 2-3 more minutes to blend the flavors.
- Remove from the heat and toss in the scallions.
- Serve over hot rice or as lettuce cups, with a small sprinkle of sesame seeds.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and any changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are very important to you, I would recommend calculating them yourself.
Did you make this? Leave a rating below!How to Make Korean Ground Beef Step By Step
Gather your ingredients.
Heat a bit of sesame oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Add in 6 ounces fresh cut green beans and sauté for 3 minutes until crisp-tender. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate and keep warm.
Add a bit more sesame oil to the skillet. Swirl to coat and once shimmering, add in 1 pound lean ground beef. Brown the beef, breaking it up into small crumbles with a wooden spoon, until cooked through and no pink remains, about 3 minutes.
Stir in 3 cloves minced garlic and 2 teaspoons fresh minced ginger. Cook for another 20 seconds until fragrant. Drain off the fat.
Return green beans to the skillet, along with 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce, and 1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Simmer for 2-3 minutes to blend the flavors.
Remove from the heat and toss in 3 diced scallions. Serve over hot rice or as lettuce cups, with a small sprinkle of sesame seeds.
What to Serve with Korean Beef
We alternate serving this Korean Ground Beef over cooked white rice or as lettuce wraps, depending on our mood and what we’re craving. Hot cooked white rice is great to soak up the sauce and hits the spot on a chilly day, whereas serving a scoop of the beef mixture in lettuce cups is a lower carb option and perfect for warmer weather. A sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds is a great finishing touch.
Storing Leftovers
Allow to cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freezer safe container in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge. Reheat portions in the microwave until warmed through.
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Omg 😃 u need to make this, u won’t b disappointed. I thought I will have leftovers for lunch the next day, nope they gobbled it all up. 👍🏼
Tried this recipe tonight in Northern British Columbia, Canada and it was definitely 5 star!
I added 1/2 a yellow onion (chopped) and served it over whole grain brown rice and a generous handful of baby spinach.
Love seeing your posts and recipes on FB and have a whole bunch more that I will try!
My husband and I loved this dish for dinner tonight! I followed the recipe exactly. I made it this morning so the flavors could mingle and saved it in the fridge for reheating and added the scallions at dinnertime. Next time I’ll add more green beans and some water chestnuts as recommended by others. This recipe is a home run!!
Dying to make this! Could I use Chili oil with a little more garlic instead of the chili garlic sauce? I love everything I’ve tried from you. 😉
Hi Lisa! I’m sure that would be fine, but chili oil is much spicier, so keep that in mind. Use less, taste, and adjust. Enjoy!
This is a perfect weeknight recipe. It came together in under 30 minutes and is delicious! I had all the ingredients in hand but I will probably follow other suggestions and add water chestnuts and top with spicy mayo just to kick it up a notch.
This will be on repeat in our house. So easy and packed with flavor!
This was QUICK! And DELICIOUS! We decided we would add water chestnuts next time. We will put this in the dinner rotation. 😊
One of the best recipes I’ve tried. I used flank steak. OMG! Totally delicious!
This recipe was easy and delicious! Definitely adding it to my regular rotation of meals. Made for great leftovers as well. I topped mine with spicy mayo and ate it with Kimchi over rice.
So easy and delicious! Thank you! I really needed a quick dinner and this was perfect.
Hi! Planning on making this next week but we have frozen whole green beans from Costco. Should I defrost them prior to adding to the pan or just throw them in? Looking forward to making it and using the frozen beans for an even easier hack. Thanks!
You could add them in frozen, but tack on a couple extra minutes of cook time to make sure they’re fully thawed and warmed through. With the extended cook time, you might also need to add in a touch for liquid so it doesn’t completely evaporate.
Another flavorful easy recipe! Thank you so much Amy! Keep em coming. Love watching you on TikTok!
This was SO delicious and easy to make. Even my toddler enjoyed it!
Delicious – an effortless weeknight meal to prepare! Everyone in the family loved the flavors!
Super delicious!
I made this tonight and it was a hit with my family. My mother is very picky and she just couldn’t stop saying ‘how tasty this is’. So it’s definitely a keeper. I used carrots and red peppers since that is what I had on hand. I did everything else the same. Quick, easy and really yummy. Thanks Amy!
Delish! Really good flavor. Tho next time, I will double the green beans
Our family loves this recipe! I love the simplicity and flavour.
I made a different version of this months ago. This is, by far, the best version! Omg! The flavors are perfect together!
So good and easy! My daughter loves this dish and asks for it often. Thanks for the recipe.
Nice and easy, delicious! Making it again soon!
Quick, easy, fairly healthy & can be spiced up with some red oepper flakes. This will be a go-to for a simple, delicious meal!
Easy and very tasty.
Made this tonight. Devine and so simple!
My husband and I inhaled this! I made it with ground turkey and it’s our new favorite.
Made this tonight for supper and my very picky husband RAVED about it. Yay…a new recipe to add to our mix. Thank you so much.
Made lettuce wraps with this tonite. Added diced water chestnuts for a little crunch. Delicious! Will definitely make this again. :)
This was delicious!! I expected it to be good, as al the recipes here are, but this one was a big hit! The kids loved it too- two thumbs up!
This looks so good! The flavor and the ease of this recipe is just what I’m looking for! However, I can’t tolerate brown sugar, would it still turn out as good if I substitute honey, maple syrup, or coconut sugar?
Hi Sydnee – I’ve never made it any other way than I have listed. You might be able to get away with honey. Try it!
We do a traditional (or supposedly, anyway) Korean beef on the grill, and many of the ingredients are shared. I like the change you get from using ground beef in this recipe. I love your idea of lettuce wraps!
My family loved this!
Hot DANG this looks good. This is my kind of fast meal!
I love shortcuts like this!! After baking and doing dishes all day, I totally don’t want to spend more than 20 minutes on dinner. Tops. This is perfect!
I served this as lettuce wraps as suggested and it was amazing!
Such a good recipe for an easy weeknight meal – we gobbled it up! Even my little kids and that’s saying a lot!
I am SO making this ASAP!! Love!
I ran this past the finicky one and this is a go!
What do you think of using ground turkey?
It won’t be as rich, obviously. But I think it would still be good! I sub in ground turkey for burgers and meatloaf all the time, so why not?
Looks great! Always need a quick, tasty dish like this. I can see why you make it all the time. It’s now on the Must Try list. :-)
I grew up eating Korean beef . . bulgogi or kalbi (short ribs with the bone) and we typically used beef ribeye for bulgogi. . love this cheater version with ground beef! looks great!!
I can tell from the ingredients this quick, easy dish will be very tasty dish. I might even try it tonight.
I love Korean beef, and this cheater version looks awesome. Will add this to my dinner rotation. :)
Love how quick and easy this is, can’t wait to try it!