This Korean ground beef is a quick and easy weeknight dinner with a super flavorful sauce that can be used on almost any protein!

One of our favorite super easy weeknight dinners around here is a rice bowl. It is super simple to make and easily customizable for everyone in the family! I usually combine this Korean ground beef with either basmati rice (not very Korean of me) or Japanese short grain white rice (also not Korean), sautéed veggies or fresh greens, and some kind of pickled element (I usually use homemade sauerkraut instead of kimchi because that’s what I have in the fridge). But the reality is, you could so easily add this Korean ground beef to noodles or heck even tacos! I love the versatility of dishes like these because once you master a few easy skills, you can switch out the elements of a dish and create endless combinations! To me, this is the key to making weeknight cooking accessible and sustainable.

Before we get into the recipe, a few disclaimers: 1. I am not Korean, this recipe get’s it’s Korean-ness from the addition of gochujang (see note below) and not from me 2. this recipe is not trying to be “authentic”, but rather embodies the flavors of Korean cooking 3. Yes, this recipe is spicy. If you’re not into spicy, try substituting doenjang for the gochujang (see note below for the differences between the two)

What is gochujang?

Gochujang is a Korean fermented chili pepper paste made from the Korean chili powder called gochu-garu. Fundamental to Korean cooking, it is used in dishes like bimimbap, meat marinades, soups and stews. The flavor is spicy, salty, and very savory.

What is the difference between doenjang and gochujang?

Doenjang is a Korean fermented soybean paste, think of it as the Korean version of miso (which is Japanese). While doenjang and gochujang are fundamentally different things, you can think of them as the spicy and not spicy versions of each other. Doenjang is salty and savory without the spice of gochujang.

What is ssamjang and can I substitute ssamjang for gochujang?

Ssamjang is more of a dipping sauce than a paste used for cooking. Most recipes for ssamjang combine doenjang and gochujang with additional seasonings. For this recipe you could substitute ssamjang for gochujang, however, it will change the flavor of the dish. Ssamjang is not just a less spicy version of gochujang.

Korean Ground Beef

Tenaya

Print Recipe

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 5

Total Time 10

Cuisine Asian

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef 80% Lean
2 tbsp sugar
2 cloves garlic grated
1 tbsp fresh ginger grated, see note on ginger powder
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 tsp Gochujang or Doenjang 2tsp = 2/3 of 1tbsp, fill tablespoon 2/3 full to only use one measuring spoon
1 tbsp rice vinegar
3 tbsp soy sauce

Instructions

Using a fine grater like a Microplane, grate 2 cloves garlic and 1 tbsp fresh ginger.
In a jar or small bowl, combine 2 tbsp sugar, 2 cloves garlic, 1 tbsp fresh ginger 1 tbsp sesame oil, 2 tsp Gochujang or Doenjang (use the tablespoon and fill it 2/3 of the way so that you only dirty one spoon!), 1 tbsp rice vinegar, and 3 tbsp soy sauce. Stir or shake to combine.
Preheat a medium frying pan over medium-high heat. When pan is hot, add 1 lb ground beef. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, break up the ground beef into small pieces and cook until brown.
Once meat is cooked, add the sauce and stir to combine.
After about 2 minutes, turn off heat and remove pan once the meat is coated in the sauce and the sauce has thickened slightly.

Notes

I’ve included a note in the recipe to fill the tablespoon 2/3 of the way full when measuring the gochujang paste. This is because 1 tablespoon is equal to 3 teaspoons. Using the tablespoon to measure the equivalent of 2 teaspoons means you don’t have to get the teaspoon out!

I have written the ingredients in the order you should measure them if you want to use the same measuring spoon for all of the ingredients (read: fewer dishes!). The dry ingredient first (sugar), followed by the solids, then the oil to help the paste not stick to the spoon, and finally the liquids to wash out any of the previous ingredients that get stuck.

When substituting ground ginger for fresh ginger, divide the amount by half. This recipe would use 1 1/2 teaspoons of ground ginger.

Keyword easy dinner, ground beef, korean, rice bowl, weeknight dinner