Sticky Gochujang Beef Bowls

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Sticky Gochujang Beef Bowls

These very lovely sticky gochujang beef bowls are exactly the kind of speedy meal I LOVE - packed with flavor, but very low effort. The beef quickly gets glossy and caramelized, thanks to gochujang and sweet chili, then everything is piled onto fluffy rice, with quick-pickled carrots for crunch and freshness.

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: asian

Keyword: beef bowls

Servings: servings

Calories: 520kcal

Author: Kate Phillips

Ingredients

For the steamed rice -

1 cup long-grain white rice
1 ½ cups water

For the quick pickled cucumber salad -

2 carrots
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
Pinch of salt

For the sticky gochujang beef -

½ tablespoon neutral oil
1 lb ground beef (500g)
3 scallions sliced
3 garlic cloves crushed
1- inch piece of ginger grated (or 2 teaspoons ginger paste)
1 tablespoon gochujang paste
2 tablespoons sweet chili jam or sweet chili sauce, or honey
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon fish sauce
Sesame seeds to serve
Cilantro leaves to serve

Instructions

Cook the rice.
Add the rice to a pot you have a lid for, then pour in 1 ½ cups of cold water. Set over medium-high heat. Once the water starts to simmer and you see foamy bubbles on top, turn the heat to low and pop the lid on.
Leave to cook for 12 minutes, then remove from the heat, with the lid still on. Set aside to finish steaming for another 10 minutes.
Make the quick-pickled carrots.
Peel your carrots, then use your vegetable peeler to shave them into long, thin ribbons. Place in a bowl, then add 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar, and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Toss to combine, then set aside.
Brown the ground beef.
Add the oil to a large frying pan or skillet and set it over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the ground beef and use a spatula or wooden spoon to break it up. Cook for five or so minutes, until lovely and brown, and most of the moisture has evaporated.
Add the aromatics.
Add the white parts of your chopped scallions, along with the crushed garlic and grated ginger. Cook, stirring, for a couple of minutes, until fragrant.
Add the sauce.
At this point, the beef should be fully cooked. Add 1 tablespoon of gochujang paste, 1 tablespoon of light soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of sweet chili jam, 2 teaspoons of fish sauce, and 1 tablespoon of sesame oil.
Toss to coat the beef until glossy and sticky. It should look rich, deeply red, and slightly caramelized.
Garnish and serve.
Divide the rice between bowls, then spoon over the sticky gochujang beef. Add the pickled carrot ribbons on the side, then finish with the green parts of the scallions, cilantro, and the sesame seeds. Finish with a squeeze of lime if you like.

Notes

INGREDIENT NOTES: Adjust the amount of gochujang paste you use if you're worried about heat - reduce it to ½ tablespoon. Sweet chili jam is very similar to sweet chili sauce, or you could use honey instead. I like using 5% ground beef and find it works well with the strong flavors here.

Nutrition