Easy Korean Ground Beef Recipe - Healthy Recipes Blog

Name: Quick Korean Ground Beef
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce (or a gluten-free alternative); 1 tablespoon honey (see the notes section below); 1 teaspoon cornstarch; 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (see the notes section below); 2 tablespoons avocado oil (see the notes section below); 1 pound lean ground beef (85/15); 1 tablespoon fresh garlic (minced); 1 tablespoon fresh ginger root (minced); 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil; 1/4 cup green onions (green parts only, thinly sliced )

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This flavorful Korean ground beef is ready in 20 minutes. Served over rice or cauliflower rice, it makes a delicious and complete meal.

Korean ground beef is served in a bowl with chopsticks.

Ground beef is cheap and versatile. I always have a few packages in the fridge or freezer. I mostly use them for basic recipes like grilled burgers or baked meatballs. But when I want to make something extra flavorful, I make Korean ground beef. It's a quick recipe with a deeply developed flavor, and the leftovers are just as good as the freshly made dish.

Ingredients and Substitutions

The ingredients needed to make Korean ground beef.

See the recipe card for the full list and exact measurements. Here are my comments on some of the ingredients.

Soy sauce: You can use a gluten-free alternative if needed.
Cornstarch: One teaspoon to slightly thicken the sauce.
Red pepper flakes: Sometimes, I use a tablespoon of sriracha sauce instead. It makes the dish extra saucy and adds a layer of flavor, and while it's not Korean, its flavor profile works nicely in this recipe.
Garlic and ginger: These aromatics add great flavor to the dish. It's best to use freshly minced garlic and grated ginger, although the jarred versions are OK, too.

Instructions

The detailed instructions and step-by-step photos are included in the recipe card. Here's a quick overview.

First, prepare the sauce: Whisk together the soy sauce, honey, cornstarch, and red pepper flakes in a bowl.

Cook the beef in avocado oil. Drain, return to the skillet, and add the garlic and ginger, then stir in the sauce. Cook until the dish is heated through and the sauce thickens.

Off heat, drizzle the dish with sesame oil, sprinkle it with sliced green onions, and serve.

Korean ground beef is served, topped with sesame oil and scallions.

Delicious and so easy. I'm Keto, so I used zero sugar honey and substituted xanthan gum (½ tsp) for cornstarch. I also added roasted sesame seeds, which I think enhanced the recipe. Thanks for such an easy, tasty treat, Vered. I'm attaching a photo.
Dan
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Recipe Tips

Sesame oil is a must. It greatly enhances the dish, so please don't skip it. Don't use refined sesame oil - it's nearly flavorless. Toasted sesame oil is best.
I highly recommend using lean ground beef (85% lean and 15% fat) in this recipe. Don't go any leaner than that, or the dish will be too dry and not as flavorful.
I don't recommend using garlic and ginger powders. They are not as flavorful.
You can use a nonstick skillet and skip the added oil. When I do that, I don't drain the ground beef. The photo below shows the finished dish in a nonstick skillet - nice and saucy!

Recipe FAQs

Can I skip the honey?

I don't recommend that. The honey balances out the intensely savory flavors of this dish and greatly enhances it. You can use a sugar-free honey alternative if you wish. I've had great success with this honey substitute (note that it contains xylitol).

Can I omit the cornstarch?

I recommend using it. We use a tiny amount here, and it helps thicken the sauce.

What type of skillet do you recommend?

I've made this recipe in a stainless steel skillet and a nonstick one, as shown in the images below. Both worked equally well. The advantage of a nonstick skillet is that, as one would expect, there's no risk of sticking, and you can skip the avocado oil.

Cooking the ground beef in a large skillet. Cooking the ground beef with no added oil.

How long can I keep the leftovers? Can I freeze them?

You can keep the leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat them in the microwave, covered, at 50% power. You can also cool the leftovers completely and freeze them in a freezer-safe container for up to three months. Thaw them overnight in the fridge before reheating.

Serving Suggestions

I like to serve this dish on a bed of cauliflower rice. Rice would be a natural choice if you don't mind the carbs. Noodles are a great option, too. In the image below, you can see the dish served with Hearts of Palm pasta, which I quickly seasoned with sesame oil, soy sauce, and garlic powder.

Korean ground beef is served with noodles.

Sometimes, I channel my Gen Z daughters and turn this dish into a lovely bowl by adding a fried egg and kimchi, as shown in the photo below.

A serving suggestion for Korean ground beef: serve it in a bowl with cauliflower rice, kimchi, a fried egg, and scallions.

But the easiest side dish to go with this recipe is the simple salad shown below of torn leaves (I like crispy Romaine), drizzled with sesame oil and soy sauce. It's the easy side I pair with many Asian recipes when I'm too lazy to cook a proper side dish, and it's delicious!