The next time you’re wondering what to do with that pack of ground beef in the fridge, make these gorgeous sticky gochujang beef brothy rice bowls. Sticky, sweet-spicy beef, fluffy rice, crunchy fresh toppings, and a silky coconut gochujang broth, all ready in 30 minutes. I loved them so much, I made them three nights in a row.
Gochujang Beef Brothy Rice Bowls, at a Glance
⏰ Total Time: 30 minutes
🍽️ Makes: 4 servings
🛒 Key Ingredients: Ground beef, rice, gochujang paste, chicken stock, coconut milk, light soy sauce, sweet chili jam
🧠 Skill Level: Beginner-friendly
👩🍳 Cooking Method: Stovetop, with the sticky beef and broth made in the same skillet
💪 Protein: 37g per serving
🌶️ Spice Level: Medium but adjustable
💃 Perfect For: Easy weeknight dinners, cozy comfort food cravings, when you want to jazz up a packet of ground beef
Maybe My Perfect Meal
I don’t know WHY it’s taken me so long to put my spin on the viral brothy rice bowl trend, because it’s basically everything I love in one bowl. Sticky beef, a silky, spicy coconut broth, fluffy rice, and plenty of fresh, crunchy toppings. It MORE than lives up to the hype.
When I’m lacking dinner motivation and there’s a pack of ground beef in the fridge, I tend to fall back on some version of spaghetti bolognese. And while that’s lovely, these very gorgeous brothy beef bowls are my new favorite way to switch things up.
They sit somewhere between a cozy soup and a loaded rice bowl, and that’s why they work so brilliantly. That silky broth soaks into the rice, the beef brings that sticky, sweet-spicy flavor, and the cucumber, herbs, and lime cut through the richness.
If you’re as much of a fan of these flavors as I am, try these coconut gochujang chicken meatballs next, or spicy coconut noodles for a noodle twist on the bowls.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Coconut milk. I recommend full-fat coconut milk with coconut extract of at least 60% for the best creamy flavor.
- Gochujang paste. This sweet, spicy, Korean fermented chili paste brings heat and a gorgeous savory flavor to the broth. You’ll find it in the Asian or International aisle at larger grocery stores. It is spicy, so if you’re worried, you can reduce the amount in the broth. And having a tub in the fridge means you have the perfect excuse to make creamy gochujang pasta, or sticky gochujang chicken next.
- Ground beef. I’m using 5% fat ground beef here, but less-lean beef will give you an even juicier result. Swap it for ground chicken, turkey, pork, or a plant-based alternative if you like.
- Sweet chili jam. This provides the lovely sticky, sweet element to the beef. I love my homemade version, but you could use any sweet chili sauce, or even honey if that’s all you have.
- Rice. The recipe uses long-grain rice – like basmati or jasmine – but you can use any type of rice you’d like. Just refer to the packet instructions because the cooking time and liquid ratio might vary.
How to Make Gochujang Beef Brothy Rice Bowls
This is a step-by-step photo overview of how to make the bowls – the full recipe with ingredient quantities is at the bottom of the page for you.
- Cook your rice (you can do this while you cook the beef and broth).
- Add your ground beef to a hot pan, and leave to brown. I like to leave it undisturbed for a few minutes to get lovely and golden.
- Once your beef is nicely browned and a little crispy, add your garlic, ginger, light soy sauce, and sweet chili jam.
- Cook, stirring, for another couple of minutes, until the beef is gorgeously brown and sticky. Remove the beef from the pan.
- Add a little chicken stock to the same pan to deglaze it, then add the garlic, ginger, and gochujang paste. Cook for a couple of minutes.
- Pour in the rest of the stock and the coconut milk. Stir until smooth, then simmer. Taste, then add lime juice, and optional extra seasoning.
- Divide the rice between bowls, then pour the hot gochujang broth around it.
- Top with the sticky beef, diced cucumber, cilantro, scallions, lime wedges, sesame seeds, and a drizzle of chili crisp.
Brothy Rice Bowl FAQs
I’d say they’re medium – but the heat will depend on your gochujang paste and the sweet chili jam you use. If you’re worried, reduce the amount of gochujang paste to 1 tablespoon to start with, then taste it before adding more.
You could also swap the sweet chili jam for honey.
Yes! This is an easy, speedy shortcut for these bowls.
You can use any type of rice you like – just use the packet instructions when you’re cooking, as cooking time and liquid ratios will vary.
You can. I recommend storing the rice, broth, and sticky beef separately if you can. The rice will soak up the broth if you store them together.
The individual elements will keep for three days in the fridge. Reheat until piping hot in the microwave, then add the fresh toppings to serve.
Like this recipe? Try these easy dinners next
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear from you! You can leave a recipe rating and a comment below. And remember to tag @DishedByKate on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok if you’ve made one of my recipes. Seeing your recreations really makes my day 😊.
Sticky Gochujang Beef Brothy Rice Bowls
Ingredients
Method
- Cook the rice.Add 1 cup of rice to a pot you have a lid for. Pour in 2 cups of water, then set over medium heat. Once you see foamy bubbles on top, turn the heat right down, pop the lid on, and leave to cook for 12 minutes.After this time, remove the pot from the heat, still with the lid on, until you're ready to serve.
- Brown the ground beef.Add ½ tablespoon of olive oil to a wide, high-sided skillet and set over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the ground beef and use a spatula or wooden spoon to press it into the pan. Leave it undisturbed for about 4 minutes, then break it into smaller clusters and stir for another few minutes, until browned and cooked through.
- Add the aromatics.Add 3 crushed garlic cloves and the grated ginger. Stir through the beef. Pour in 2 tablespoons light soy sauce, and 2 tablespoons sweet chili jam. Toss the sauces through the beef for another minute or two, until it's nicely glossy and well coated. Taste, then add a tiny pinch of salt if needed. Transfer the beef to a bowl and cover to keep warm.
- Start the gochujang broth. In the same pan, over medium heat, add about ¼ cup of the chicken stock to the pan and stir to deglaze the pan and scrape up any browned bits. Add 2 crushed garlic cloves, grated ginger, and 2 tablespoons of gochujang paste. Stir for a couple of minutes.
- Simmer the gochujang broth.Add the remaining stock and the coconut milk. Stir until smooth – if your coconut milk has solidified pieces, use a whisk. Bring to a simmer for about 5 minutes. Taste, then add the lime juice and 1 teaspoon of the light soy sauce for now. Taste again, and add the fish sauce or remaining soy sauce and extra lime juice if needed.
- Garnish and serve. Fluff the rice with a fork, then divide between bowls. Spoon the sticky beef on top, then ladle the hot gochujang broth all around the rice, leaving the beef above the liquid. Finish with the diced cucumber, scallions, cilantro, a drizzle of chili crisp, a scattering of sesame seeds, and lime wedges.
