Ground Beef Bulgogi Bowls with Creamy Kimchi Sauce
Lean ground beef with a bulgogi sauce served with a creamy blended kimchi sauce, rice, pickled carrots, and a cucumber crunch salad.
Servings: 8 Servings
Calories: 190kcal
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Extra Lean Ground Beef
- 1/2 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1/4 cup Soy Sauce
- 1/4 cup Rice Vinegar
- 1/4 cup Honey
- 1 Tablespoon Toasted Sesame Oil
- 4 cloves Garlic crushed or minced
- 2 teaspoons Crushed Ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
- 3-4 Scallion Greens cut into 2" pieces
For the Kimchi Sauce
- 1/2 cup 4 oz Kimchi with Juices
- 1/4 cup Light Mayo
- 1 Tablespoon Gochujang
- 1 Tablespoon Honey
- 2 Tablespoons Water
Instructions
- Add all the kimchi ingredients to a food processor and blend until smooth. Refrigerate while preparing the beef.
- Add the olive oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, brown the ground beef on one side for 4-5 minutes before breaking apart and fully cooking.
- While the beef cooks, mix the bulgogi sauce ingredients together.
- Add the sauce to the cooked beef and stir everything together. Cook for 3-4 minutes, untouched, until the sauce thickens and begins to caramelize on the bottom of the beef. Turn off the heat and fold in the scallion greens.
- Serve the beef over rice or in lettuce wraps with the kimchi sauce, toasted sesame seeds, and other sides (see notes for low carb rice blend, roasted broccoli, cucumber salad, and pickled carrots).
Notes
Low Carb Rice Blend
If you mix cauliflower rice with sticky or jasmine rice, you can hardly tell it's there. A good ratio is 2 cups (280g) of cooked sticky rice mixed with 3 cups (340g) or a 12 oz frozen bag of cauliflower rice.
Roasted Broccoli
Cut 12-16 oz of broccoli florets into smaller bite-size pieces and either toss with olive oil or spray with avocado oil and season with salt and pepper. Air fry for 6-8 minutes at 350ºF or bake for 12-15 minutes at 425ºF. You're looking for a bit of browning around the edges and a vibrant green color in the stalks.
Pickled Carrots
To make pickled carrots, thinly slice peeled carrots and place in a large jar or container with a lid. Bring a 1:1 solution of water and white vinegar (or rice vinegar) to a simmer. Use enough water and vinegar to fully submerge the carrots. (I use about 1 1/2 cup total for 8 oz of carrot sticks). Add a tablespoon or two of sugar, pinch or two of salt, and other seasonings like gochugaru to the simmering vinegar and water. Once dissolved, pour over the carrots. After the jar has cooked to room temperature, seal and refrigerate. The carrots will last for a few weeks in the refrigerator.
Cucumber Crunch Salad
Quarter seedless cucumbers and season with a couple pinches of salt. Let the cucumbers rest for 10-15 minutes before rinsing well. To the rinsed cucumbers, add chili crunch or chili oil, rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil. I use 2 tablespoons of chili crunch, 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar, and 1 teaspoon of sesame oil for about 12 oz of cucumbers.
Other Sides
Soft boiled or fried eggs, kimchi (especially if you're skipping the kimchi sauce), bean sprouts, seasoned spinach, or other traditional Korean banchan.
Nutrition
Calories: 190kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 7g