Sweet and spicy Korean Ground Beef with all the flavors of your favorite Korean BBQ but for a third of the cost and kid friendly!
Korean Ground Beef is the quick weeknight version of your favorite Korean restaurant. A plate of sweet and spicy beef made easier with the use of ground beef instead of short ribs.
Cooking Asian Recipes with ground meat is an easy way stretch your dollar and you don’t have to sacrifice flavor. Two of the most popular dishes on the site recently have been Ground Kung Pao Chicken (1 Pan!) and Ground Orange Chicken (1 Pan!) which taste exactly like takeout, but much easier to make and with less fat!
This recipe was originally posted with a wilted slaw. The notes under the recipe card list the ingredients for the slaw if you’d like to make it.
If you look at the bottom (admittedly tiny) pictures, you’ll see a creamy sauce. Here is an easy hack to create your spicy mayo, which makes a nice condiment to serve atop Korean Ground Beef.
If you’re a fan of Sriracha.
JAPANESE SPICY MAYO RECIPE
- 2 cups Mayonnaise
- 2-3 tablespoons Sriracha
- When you finish a bottle (or if you’re not close, use a new squeeze bottle) take off the top and wash it really well.
- Add the mayonnaise (we use light) to the bottle using a funnel into your almost completely empty bottle.
- Shake it up, test the flavor. Add more in 1 teaspoon at a time from your new bottle.
- When you’ve got the right heat level, shake really well then refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
In a day or so, the flavors will meld together perfectly, making the classic Japanese Spicy Mayo you love and pay way too much for in restaurants. That’s what the lighter bottle in the background of the pictures below is.
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SOME TIPS FOR MAKING:
- Make sure you drain off some of the fat you’ve rendered from the beef. Or use a leaner cut of beef.
- You can have an even deeper flavor with dark brown sugar.
- If you don’t have fresh garlic or ginger, use ground garlic and ground ginger in its place (½ teaspoon of each)
- To make this taste more like takeout, brown the beef nicely and keep the chunks larger.
MORE ASIAN RECIPES
- Crispy Sesame Chicken
- Cheesecake Factory Mandarin Cashew Chicken
- General Tso’s Chicken
- Easy Mongolian Beef
- Panda Express Recipes… every single one in fact: Panda Express Recipes Index
- Many more options…
Tools Used:
Sesame Oil: The flavor of sesame oil in this dish is unmistakable and cannot be substituted. Some Asian grocery stores will try to sell less expensive options that aren’t actually sesame oil, so just be sure the one you’re buying is authentic.
HOW TO STORE KOREAN GROUND BEEF
- Serve: You can not keep Ground Beef at room temperature for over 2 hours.
- Store: Transfer the leftover beef to a Ziploc bag or cover the whole dish in plastic wrap to store in the fridge. It will keep well for 3-4 days.
- Freeze: You can freeze Ground Beef in a gallon freezer bag for up to 3 months. To reheat the beef, thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat on the stove.
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 3 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger , minced
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup lite soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sriracha
- 2 green onions , only the green parts
Wilted Slaw:
- 6 cups napa cabbage , sliced
- 2 carrots , grated
- 2 green onions , diced from tip to tail, excluding the root
- 2 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon canola oil
Instructions
- Heat a large pan over medium high heat.
- Brown the meat with sesame oil, garlic and ginger.
- Drain 75% of the fat, add brown sugar, soy sauce, and Sriracha.
- Cook until the liquid has reabsorbed and the meat is shiny but not soupy.
- Top with green onions, toss together and serve.
Wilted Slaw:
- To make the slaw, put the Napa cabbage, carrots, sesame oil and canola oil in the skillet the meat just came out of.
- Cook for 4-5 minutes until the water has evaporated.
Video
Notes
- 6 cups sliced napa cabbage
- 2 carrots, grated
- 2 green onions, diced from tip to tail, excluding the root
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon canola oil
- To make the slaw, put the Napa cabbage, carrots, sesame oil and canola oil in the skillet the meat just came out of.
- Cook for 4-5 minutes until the water has evaporated.
Nutrition
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Photos used in a previous version of this post.
I’m always looking for new yummy recipes to try and this one is great! The only thing I changed was adding 3 tablespoons of Siracha as I really love spicy stuff. Thanks for the great recipe!
This has become one of our weeknight staples – it’s just so quick, simple, and delicious!
I cut the sugar to a heaped tbsp and add some chopped red chillies on top. I love it served over coconut rice or plain jasmine rice.
Thank you for a wonderful recipe!
This has become my family’s favorite dinner. Everyone asks for this-unlike anything else in our dinner rotation. Tonight, we will have stir fry vegetables and rice as a side. Thanks for the great recipe!
Made this for dinner tonight and it came out great. Made exactly as recipe called for — I mixed my sriracha, brown sugar and soy sauce together before pouring into pan with beef. Great flavor overall!
Slaw came out good too — need to slice my cabbage thinner/smaller next time to pair well for eating w/ ground beef though.
Will definitely be making this again!
We loved everything about this recipe! served with basmati rice, the slaw, along with the siracha mayo. Delicious!! Making it a second time tonight.
Quite good. I added 1 1/2 T gochujang in addition to the sriracha. Nice spicy/sweet flavor.
This was great! Perhaps a little sweet. It will become a staple easy dinner. Loved the veggies.
Does the 346 calories include the slaw or just the meat?
Just the beef. 🙂
Great recipe but 1/2 cup of sugar was too much, had to drain the syrup it formed and had to had like a 1/2 cup more of soy sauce, and it is still sweet. Will try next time with less sugar. Thank you.
My two picky eaters and hubby loved this dinner. I thought it was a bit sweet; but hey, no complains here! Thanks for this great and simple recipe.
A lot of sugar but excellent flavor and easy to make.
This was amazing! I looove Korean bulgogi, but I’ve never been able to successfully recreate it at home. This tastes just like bulgogi, only so much quicker, and cheaper. My husband inhaled his, and I had to act quick to save some for lunch tomorrow. 🙂 This will be going into heavy rotation.
Yay!! So glad you decided to give it a try, Lisa. Thanks for the 5 stars.
Turned out so delicious thank you!!! Was a hit with my family too.
This was super delicious!! My husband loved it. Quick and Easy dinner right here!
This recipe was a hit and so easy to make! Will definitely keep it in the rotation.
Thanks for coming back to let me know how much you enjoyed it, Tamara. I appreciate the 5 stars.
This was really great! Question, in the Wilted Cabbage area, step 2 says to ‘cook until the water is evaporated.’ There isn’t any water in the list of ingredients. How much water is supposed to be used?
I’m glad you enjoyed it! Sorry about the confusion, I just meant until the moisture had evaporated.
Made this last night for dinner. It was quick & tasty. I didn’t have rice so I used ramen instead.
This was not only an easy dish to make, it was a hit. A true Korean taste. I always like to add more garlic and also added more siriacha. Will definitely be making this again.
Our family are this up. No leftovers. Hot
Damn so good! Sooo good! Pop an egg on top, put it over some jasmine rice, and you are good to go!!
Very easy and tasted great. I don’t use siracha so I substituted cayenne instead.
Do you think toasted sesame oil would ruin the flavor?
I’ve already got a bottle of that, but I’m willing to buy normal kind.
I prefer the flavor from sesame oil in this recipe.
Loveeee this recipe! Decided to try something new and it was a total hit. My daughter is extremely picky and barely ever finishes her food. I have to say, with this dish she stuffed her face. Haha she ate the entire plate and asked for seconds. Oh, and I’ll be adding a little more Siracha next time though, it was not noticeable this time around but none the less it was still delicious. I will most definitely be making this more often. Thank you!
So glad you liked it and it won over a picky eater! I’ve got one at home too so I know it feels like a huge win when they love something! 🙂
Delicious! I omit the sriracha because of the kiddos, but the meat is still extraordinary. Thanks for sharing such a fantastic and easy recipe. It has become a staple in our home since we first tried it.
You’re so welcome! Most of the time we take out the sriracha too. Hopefully the kids grow into the spicy spice love! 🙂
Just wanted you to know, this has become a staple in our family. I am a bit lazy with the slaw. I just buy a bag and I don’t even bother to heat it, I just add it after the fact. I reduce the sugar by a bit but by the time I mix it with the slaw and rice, it’s not too sweet. I do add a little extra heat to it and I cook finely chopped onion and pepper in with the ground beef to sneak in a bit more vegetables. Thanks for an easy, tasty, flexible weeknight supper we all like!
Delicious! Has anyone ever tried freezing the leftovers?
We’ve never had leftovers, haha, but you can definitely freeze them in a freezer safe container once it’s cooled. So glad you love it so much!
This was amazing!
Omg this is fantastic, I am always looking for new dishes to keep dinners interesting and that taste good. Well this recipe definitely fills the bill, I did not make the same and only served it over rice, I also don’t use surfaces but I used ground pepper flakes, it added a heat that doesn’t hit you in the face but seems up on you. My family ?Loves it. This is delicious. I will definitely be making this again I think it will be a very requested dish. Sabrina you are a genius. Thank you!!
Awww, that’s so sweet! You totally made my day! I’m so glad you made it and then came back to tell me about it!
I have been making this recipe for awhile since I pinned it a few years ago. I just use a bag coleslaw just to make it even easier on myself. My whole family absolutely loves, loves, loves this dish! Thank you so much for sharing it. Such great flavors!
This was so delicious! My daughter, niece and nephew totally enjoyed it! Will definitely make it again, soon. I only did the beef with some jasmine rice, sprinkled with chives and sesame seeds….really really yummy!
Happy to hear you all enjoyed it!
I made this without the slaw. I served it over rice with some quick pickled cucumber and the sriracha mayo. Best dinner I’ve had in quite awhile. There wasn’t a crumb left after my husband and I got done. This is definitely going in the dinner rotation. Thanks for the amazing recipe!!
Sounds like a winner to me! Thanks for coming back to let me know.
You WON’T be disappointed!! So easy, and SO good! I added a little bit of MaePloy and Soy sauce to the sauce when I wilted the slaw.
Thanks so much for the compliment, Katie! So glad you enjoyed it.
I am obsessed with this recipe! I put it on rice, I have also put it on kale and butternut squash!! It’s a recipe I make weekly now.
I’m so glad you love it so much, Tania!
This is so, so good. The slaw and spicy mayo make it over the top delicious (for the adults, anyway – still trying to get my kids to eat those veggies!). For those concerned about sugar, I double this and don’t add any extra sugar – effectively cutting the sugar in half. It is still wonderful. A true family favorite.
I’m so glad you loved it! Keep working on those kids, haha!
Really, really good! What’s even better is it is a very fast meal, using an economical, and just a bit different to get out of a dinner slump.
I doubled the recipe so we’d have leftovers for lunch but otherwise followed the recipe exactly.
I served with steamed rice and the cabbage. The cabbage really adds to the dish. I was in a rush so I used prepackaged shredded cabbage and carrots.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for coming back to let me know!
Wonderful Recipe! Instead of making the slaw i sauteed carrots, mushrooms, and the white part of the spring onions in some Sesame oil. Piled it all on and topped it with some nice kimchi and seseame seeds
Sounds delicious!
Wow, really tasty, super easy, and both my picky boy eaters (8 and 6) liked it! Only change was half the sugar.
I tried this tonight. I added small cuts of carrots for some texture. My only negative is that it is over the top sweet so I would only add half the sugar next time. The family liked this!
Is there any version of this that is more… mild… I love spice, but my wife is a little on the weaker side of the spectrum lol. Maybe subbing a sweet ginger sauce or a teriyaki? Definitely want to try this as is though…
Yes, you could use a sweet chili sauce instead to cut the heat. Hope she enjoys it!
I don’t normally comment on recipes but holy goodness this was delicious!! I eyeballed the ginger and did extra garlic so both those may have been extra. I also free styled the Sriracha. But otherwise followed the recipe. I put over rice, garnished with the wilted cabbage, and sprinkled some sesame seeds on top (not in recipe but a good add). My family LOVED it!! We’ll be making often.
Thanks for dropping by to let me know! I’m so glad you guys enjoyed it!
This was SOOO delicious!! I used 1.5 lbs of ground meat, and added 50% more of the rest of the ingredients. I used the wrong measuring cup and accidentally added too much soy sauce, but no problem – just added a bit more brown sugar. The extra sauce gets soaked up by the rice, and it’s just so good! For something as mundane as ground beef, this recipe is cram packed with flavor!! Thanks for the great recipe, I can’t wait to try your others!
So glad you enjoyed it, Ray! Thanks for the 5 stars.
Tried this last night and OMG it was so good. Super easy to make and we actually did the slaw as a side because we only had 3 cups of cabbage. I tried a similar recipe recently and this was WAY better. Thanks so much for posting!
Made this last night and O.M.G this was hands down delicious and easy! Family loved it! Will definitely be making this dish again!
Made this tonight. Family loved it! Thank you!
10/10 WILL MAKE AGAIN!
I Made this over the weekend and it was DELICIOUS. I didn’t deviate from the recipe, and I can’t think of a way to change it that would make the recipe better.
I will say that the ground beef dries out a bit when reheated. Any suggestions there, or is it just best to not make extra?
I’m so glad you love it! You can add a bit of water when reheating to help give it some moisture. Hope this helps!
Ohhh my! New favorite in our house! Thank you so much. I made cauliflower rice for the first time, this served with the rice?! Heaven!
I’m so glad you guys enjoyed it! Thanks for coming back to let me know!
I made this for dinner tonight and the whole family loved it!
A few changes I made was adding 3x the Sriracha (we like spicy) and I added Bok Choy to the wilted slaw.
Thank you so much for a new innovative way to use ground beef!
We will be definitely be making this again!!!
Sounds amazing!
Very simple and the FAMILY loved it.
We loved this recipe!!!! It is spicy and sweet. Leaving the hamburger in larger chunks, as recommended, made a great looking dish. Definately adding to my recipe box! Really a great change from the usual 1 dish hamburger meal!!!
Yay!! Thanks for the 5 stars!
This beef is amazing. You definitely need sesame oil for this recipe.
This recipe turned out great, delicious. I did add some shiitake mushrooms just because. The siracha mayo really takes it up a notch. I’m excited now to try more of the recipes on this site.
So glad you enjoyed it, Lanet. I look forward to seeing you around the site. 🙂