This high protein Korean beef bowl pairs sweet and savory browned ground beef with crisp Asian cucumber salad, creamy gochujang sauce, jasmine rice, and your favorite toppings for a dinner that’s equally satisfying and delicious!
Meal bowls (like this taco salad bowl!) are a favorite in my house because my husband and I love that they’re easy healthy dinners, and the kids love being able to customize their own bowls to their liking. And these high protein Korean beef bowls are a big hit with everyone! The beef cooks up fast and it’s infused with so much flavor, then a creamy gochujang sauce pulls everything together. (And surprise, the sauce packed with protein too because it’s made with cottage cheese!) With cucumber salad, rice, and carrots, it’s a well-rounded meal in a single bowl.
Why This Korean Ground Beef Bowl Is Destined to Become a New Favorite
I wasn’t mad about testing this recipe a few times to get it right. I think I could eat these 7 days a week and never get tired of them! Here’s what makes this recipe a standout:
- Packed with protein. Ground beef and cottage cheese make this a protein-packed dinner. Add a fried egg on top if you want even more!
- BIG flavor. With savory tamari, sweet honey, nutty sesame oil, ginger, garlic, and spicy gochujang, this is not a bowl that’s lacking in the taste department.
- Awesome texture. I think the best meal bowls have a mix of textures and this one delivers with the tender beef, fluffy rice, creamy sauce, and crisp veggies.
- Meal preppable. Which is my favorite kind of bowl recipe! Make the components in advance and then assemble when you’re ready to eat.
What You’ll Need
There are a few components to these bowls, but each one is simple to make. Scroll down to the recipe card for exact measurements.
- Ground beef – I use 97/3 ground beef to keep the bowls lean.
- Ginger and garlic – Use fresh for both! They have much more flavor than the dried versions.
- Tamari – I like tamari because it’s gluten-free, but soy sauce is fine too.
- Honey – A little sweetness balances the salty tamari and spicy red pepper flakes.
- Sesame oil – Use toasted sesame oil for nutty flavor.
- Red pepper flakes – Feel free to adjust the amount to your preference!
- Green onions – You’ll add some to the ground beef and you can reserve some for garnishing too.
- Asian cucumber salad – I use my Asian cucumber salad recipe.
- Creamy gochujang sauce – Made with cottage cheese, gochujang, and water.
- Jasmine rice – Here’s how to cook jasmine rice in an Instant Pot.
- Grated carrots – For crisp texture and color.
- Optional toppings – Try sliced green onions, sesame seeds, or a fried egg for extra protein.
How to Make High Protein Korean Beef Bowls
If you want to make these bowls even faster, use a pouch of microwaveable rice!
- Make the cucumber salad. Toss together the cucumbers, red onion, red bell pepper, rice wine vinegar, honey, sesame seeds, sesame oil, red pepper flakes, and salt. Set aside while you prepare the rest of the bowl.
- Make the gochujang sauce. Add the cottage cheese, gochujang, and water to a blender. Blend until completely smooth and creamy.
- Brown the beef. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and break it apart with a wooden spoon or meat masher as it cooks.
- Add the aromatics. When the beef is partially cooked, stir in the garlic and ginger. Continue cooking for another 2 or 3 minutes.
- Season the beef. Stir in the tamari, honey, sesame oil, red pepper flakes, and green onions. Cook for another minute.
- Assemble. Add jasmine rice to each bowl, followed by the ground beef, cucumber salad, and grated carrots. Drizzle with creamy gochujang sauce and add your favorite toppings.
Tips for the Best Korean Beef Bowls
These bowls are easy, but I have a few more tips to help make them perfect.
- Use extra-lean beef. This means you end up with less grease in the skillet.
- Adjust the gochujang to taste. You can always add more, but you can’t add less! So if you’re unsure, be conservative to start, then taste and add more if needed.
- Get the sauce really smooth. Give the cottage cheese mixture enough time in the blender to become completely creamy so there are no curds left.
Variation Ideas
There are so many ways to make these bowls your own! Here’s some inspiration to get you started.
- Swap the rice. Try brown rice or cauliflower rice instead of jasmine rice.
- Add more veggies. Edamame, kimchi, or any vegetables that are in season will work.
- Change up the protein. Try ground turkey instead of beef. Because turkey is lighter, add oil to the skillet first.
Storage and Reheating
- Refrigerator: Store the cooked Korean ground beef and rice in airtight containers in the refrigerator. Keep the cucumber salad and gochujang sauce in separate containers. They’ll keep for about 3 days in the fridge.
- To reheat: Microwave the beef and rice until heated through, then add the carrots, cucumber salad, and gochujang sauce.
More Easy High Protein Dinners
High Protein Korean Beef Bowl
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Beef
- Method: Stove
- Cuisine: Asian
Description
This high protein Korean beef bowl pairs ground beef with Asian cucumber salad, creamy gochujang sauce, and rice for a satisfying meal!
Ingredients
Korean Beef:
- 1.5 pounds ground beef (97/3)
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
- 1/3 cup tamari
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 0.5 teaspoons red pepper flakes
- 2/3 cup green onion, sliced
Asian Cucumber Salad:
- 4 cups of very thinly sliced seedless cucumbers (i used mini cucumbers)
- 1/4 cup of finely sliced red onion
- 1/4 cup of fined diced red bell pepper
- 1/4 cup of rice wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon of honey
- 1 teaspoon of sesame seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt
Creamy Gochujang Sauce:
- 1/2 cup cottage cheese (I used lactaid brand)
- 1 tablespoon Gochujang
- 1 tablespoon of water (to make it “runny”)
Other Bowl Ingredients:
- 2 cups jasmine rice
- 2 cups grated carrot
- optional: sliced green onions, sesame seeds, fried egg on top (for more protein)
Instructions
- Make your Asian Cucumbers – follow this recipe for directions.
- To a blender add cottage cheese ,Gochujang and water. Blend until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
- Heat a large skillet to medium high heat. Add the ground beef – be sure to break up with a spoon or meat masher. Cook until halfway cooked – will look slightly pink.
- Add the garlic and ginger to the meat mixture, stir to incorporate and cook an additional 2-3 minutes until the meat is browned.
- Now it’s time to form the sauce – to the meat mixture add tamari, honey, sesame oil, red pepper flakes, and green onion. Stir to mix everything together! Cook for 1 minute and remove from heat.
- Assemble bowls: add 1/2 cup of rice, 6 oz. of ground beef, 1 cup of the asian cucumber, 1/2 cup of grated carrots and top with 1-2 tablespoons of the creamy gochujang sauce.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 575
- Sodium: 2641 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Carbohydrates: 56 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 45 g
- Cholesterol: 113 mg
