Easy Korean Ground Beef Stir-fry
Sweet, salty, with a little spicy kick, if you like, this quick and easy Korean Ground Beef will please your taste buds! Done in 20 minutes or less, so it’s perfect for busy weeknight dinners. It can also be made Paleo-friendly.
I love ground beef! We buy it in bulk at the beginning of each month, and then I separate the meat into 1-pound bags and freeze the ones I won’t use immediately.
That way, when I am in a quandary on what to make for dinner, I can simply pick a bag out of the freezer, saute it with some onions and garlic, add soy sauce, or whatever seasoning I fancy, and then mix it with any veggies available in the fridge. That means an easy dinner without the fuss that is quite healthy, too!
If you’re looking for a fast, flavorful dinner recipe that comes together in under 20 minutes, this Korean Ground Beef recipe deserves a spot in your weekly meal plan. Sweet, savory, and balanced with just the right touch of spice, this dish packs all the comforting flavors of Korean cuisine without the fuss. It’s budget-friendly, family-approved, and versatile enough to serve over rice, noodles, or even in lettuce wraps for a lighter option. Best of all—it can be made Paleo-friendly with a few quick swaps.
Why You’ll Love This Korean Ground Beef
This dinner has skyrocketed in popularity because it’s simple to prepare yet tastes like something you’d order at your favorite Korean BBQ spot. Ground beef is browned and simmered with garlic, ginger, soy sauce (or coconut aminos for Paleo), and a touch of sweetness from brown sugar or honey. The result is flavorful, juicy beef that pairs beautifully with steamed Jasmine rice, cauliflower rice, or fresh vegetables.
Versatile: Perfect for rice bowls, tacos, or wraps.
Quick and easy: Ready in only 20 minutes.
Customizable: Adjust the spice level to suit your taste buds.
Budget-friendly dinner: Uses simple pantry staples—great for meal planning.
But when you taste it, it seems like you simmered it or marinated it overnight, as it’s so very flavorful!
You’d also love the complexity of flavors here – it’s at once sweet, salty, and with a little spicy kick, if you choose to add some chili flakes there, and then enhanced by the aromatic and nutty flavor of sesame oil and seeds! Truly delicious!
How to Serve Korean Ground Beef
- Rice Bowls: The most classic way—pair with jasmine rice or short-grain white rice.
- Cauliflower Rice: A Paleo-friendly, low-carb option.
- Noodle Stir-Fry: Toss the beef with cooked udon noodles or rice noodles.
- Lettuce Wraps: Spoon beef into butter lettuce leaves for a light, handheld meal.
- Tacos: Yes—Korean beef tacos are a crowd-pleasing twist!
Meal Prep and Storage Tips
This dish is perfect for meal prep because the flavors deepen as it sits.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.
- Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave.
- Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight, then warm before serving.
For quick weekday lunches, portion into individual containers with rice and steamed veggies for ready-to-go Korean beef bowls.
Making It Paleo-Friendly
To keep this recipe Paleo-approved:
- Replace soy sauce with coconut aminos.
- Swap brown sugar for honey or coconut sugar.
- Opt for cauliflower rice or zucchini noodles instead of white rice.
The result is still sweet, salty, and satisfying, but without gluten, soy, or refined sugars.
Love to try more delicious Asian dishes? Our cookbook – RICE. NOODLES. YUM. (Everyone’s Favorite Southeast Asian Dishes) is now out! It has 75 delicious and easy to make authentic rice and noodle recipes from Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and the Philippines ALL in FULL COLOR. Check out the content of the cookbook below. Available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and anywhere books are sold. You can order a copy HERE.
Check out what the book looks like in this video below!
Here are more delicious Asian dishes to try!
THAI SHRIMP CURRY
VIETNAMESE SPRING ROLLS
HOW TO COOK CHOPSUEY
INGREDIENTS for Korean Ground Beef over Rice
FULL INSTRUCTIONS & MEASUREMENTS in the RECIPE CARD below.
- ground or minced beef (a little fat with the beef is ok)
- garlic cloves
- soy sauce (if doing Paleo, replace with Coconut Aminos or wheat-free soy sauce for gluten-free diets)
- brown sugar (replace with raw Honey or other paleo-approved sweetener and adjust amount to taste e.g. 2-3 tablespoons to begin with)
- sesame oil
- fresh ginger (fresh is best for this dish!)
- red pepper flakes (if you wish to have some spicy kick, otherwise it’s optional)
- cooked rice for serving (replace with cauliflower rice or lettuce leaves for Paleo)
- roasted sesame seeds (for garnish)
- green onions or scallions (for garnish)
INSTRUCTIONS for Korean Ground Beef
- Heat the oil and brown the beef. Add the minced garlic. I cook the beef until it’s dark brown, as I want the meat to be a little crunchy.
- In a small bowl, mix the soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, and freshly grated ginger (or ground ginger). Use fresh ginger if you can, as it adds a lot of flavor (truly a must for this recipe). Pour all the sauce into the beef and mix well.
- If desired, add sliced red chili pepper (if you want some spicy kick) and green onions.
- Cook just until everything is heated through. Sprinkle with sesame seeds on top, if desired.
- Serve on top of freshly cooked rice (or cauliflower rice and lettuce wraps, if preferred).
Tags: Korean, Asian, Beef, Ground Meat, Spicy, Sweet, Salty, Easy Recipe, Paleo, Gluten-Free
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Easy Korean Ground Beef Stir-fry
Can I make Korean Ground Beef ahead of time?
Yes! This dish is excellent for meal prep. Cook the beef as directed, let it cool, then store it in airtight containers for up to 4 days in the fridge.
What should I serve with Korean Ground Beef?
Steamed white rice is the most common side, but you can also serve it with quinoa, stir-fried vegetables, roasted broccoli, or lettuce wraps for a low-carb option.
Is Korean Ground Beef gluten-free?
It can be! Use tamari or coconut aminos instead of regular soy sauce.
Can I make this dish spicier?
Absolutely. Add more crushed red pepper, sriracha, or a spoonful of gochujang to increase the heat.
Can I use another protein instead of beef?
Yes. Ground chicken, turkey, or pork all work well with the same flavor-packed sauce.
Can I freeze Korean Ground Beef?
Yes, this recipe freezes beautifully. Store cooled beef in freezer bags for up to 2 months, then thaw and reheat for a quick weeknight dinner.
This easy Korean Ground Beef recipe is a weeknight lifesaver—ready in under 20 minutes, packed with sweet and savory flavors, and endlessly versatile for bowls, wraps, or meal prep. Whether you’re craving a quick comfort food dinner or need a Paleo-friendly meal idea, this dish delivers big taste with little effort.
Korean Ground Beef Over Rice
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- ¼ cup soy sauce, (if doing Paleo, replace with Coconut Aminos or wheat-free soy sauce for gluten-free diets)
- ¼ cup brown sugar, (replace with raw Honey or other paleo-approved sweetener and adjust the amount to taste e.g. 2-3 tablespoons to begin with)
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 1 fresh ginger (about 3-inches long), peeled and grated (or 1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground ginger)
- pinch red pepper flakes, optional
- cooked Rice, (or cauliflower rice or Lettuce leaves for Paleo)
- roasted sesame seeds, for garnish
- 3 green onions or scallions, sliced thinly
Instructions
- Cook the beef and minced garlic in a preheated skillet until the meat turns brown. I cook the beef until it’s dark brown as I want the meat to be a little crunchy.
- In a small bowl, mix together the soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, grated ginger (or ground ginger) and red pepper flakes (if using). Replace with paleo-approved ingredients if doing paleo. Use fresh ginger if you can as it adds a lot of flavor (truly a must for this recipe). Pour all the sauce into the beef and mix well. Cook just until everything is heated through.
- Serve on top of freshly cooked rice (or cauliflower rice and lettuce wraps, if preferred). Garnish with roasted sesame seeds and sliced green onions. Enjoy!
Notes
Last updated on September 9th, 2025 at 02:06 pm
AWESOME recipe! We could not wait to try this out in the IndyChef kitchen and we were not disappointed. We had some leftover beef to use, so added your spices and it was delicious, we did not add the sugar and it was still tasty! Thanks and we look forward to trying out more of your recipes!!
This has become a big favorite in our family, too for sure Katie! So glad you enjoyed this and thanks for letting us know. 🙂
That sounds truly delicious and so simple, I'm not really that knowledgeable about Korean food but this sounds really achievable.
It's pretty easy Brian so hope you try it. Thanks!
It looks and sounds really delicious. I love easy meals with ground beef 🙂 Have to save this for later. I'm definitely going to try it. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Thanks Natalie and hope you enjoy this!
For low carbers, you could totally sub the rice for cauliflower rice to. Fab recipe, thanks for sharing 🙂
That's true and I believe I mentioned that as possible swap in the ingredients and it can be made fully paleo, too. Thanks Luci!
That's a tasty new idea for ground beef–at least new to me. Good strategy on buying it up and dividing, I should do that more when it is on sale.
Thanks David and hope you try it! 🙂
I think my whole family would like this! I love that it is so healthy, but easy and full of flavor. I can't wait to try this.
Hope you enjoy this as much as we do! Thanks Katie!
Made this last night for the first time and it was absolutely fantastic! Thank you for posting this
I am so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for letting us know. 🙂
Quick and easy and delicious
So glad you enjoyed it Eddie!
Late to the game.. This is fabulous! I use ground turkey cause thats what we use. Make it at least twice a month. Serve over spaghetti squash cause we're older and need to watch the carbs. I'd rather eat a tasty sauce then rice.
Looks wonderfully flavorful!
Easy and good!
Looks wonderfully flavorful.
I made this tonight and my husband and I loved it! I used a tablespoon and a half of fresh ginger and it was so good!! I looked up 3 inches and it said 1 tablespoon per inch which seemed like a lot, so I cut it in half. My husband said it reminded him of mongolian beef from PF Chang’s which he loves.
So glad you enjoyed this!! Yay and thanks for letting us know. Honestly, an inch of ginger I don’t think would produce a tablespoon of ginger as that isn’t much – perhaps just over a teaspoon so I am not sure about that, at least based on my experience. But to each his own so feel free to use as much or little ginger as you want. That amount is just right for us. Thanks for reaching out!! 🙂
Made this last night and it was so flavorful and delicious! I also added 1 red pepper to mine and I had ginger paste I purchased from Trader Joe’s and used about 1 tsp of that. This recipe is so easy and quick to make I love it. Thank you for sharing!
Glad you enjoyed this! It is such a life saver for truly busy nights! Thank you for visiting!
I love this recipe! I’ve made it before exactly following the recipe and it was quite hit at my house! I’m going to try it out again tonight with a different cut of meat. I found “steak picado” in my grocery store unseasoned so hoping it’ll be just as good!
I had some leftover ground beef and wanted try something different. I found this recipe on pinterst and gave it a shot, boy am I glad I did. This recipe is different and delicious. This will be put with my all time favorites. Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful recipe!!!!
We wanted something different for dinner, this hit the spot! I added coconut milk to the rice to make it slightly sweet (the meat was a little spicier than I expected and my 2 year old was leery). The sweet and spicy combination is perfect. The sweetness of the rice truly embellished the spiced meat. We highly recommend.
Good recipe! My whole family enjoyed it. I served it over coconut rice with peas
New Family Favorite.
This was so yummy. Thanks for sharing!! Made with cauliflower rice. Super fast, easy, and healthy!
So glad you enjoyed this! One of our go to dishes for sure.
Read the reviews. Had a pound of meat in the fridge and decided to make this. It is WONDERFUL. Love the flavor (we all did). I used lettuce, hubby and mom used ride. Love, love, love. Would love to see what people serve with it, besides marinated cucumbers,
So glad you enjoyed this. It is a keeper for sure. Thanks for stopping by.
So simple, yet so delicious!
So glad you liked it. It’s truly yummy!
Thx for this recipe. It’s delicious and couldn’t be any easier. I’ve made it a few times—I double the sauce if we eat it over rice. We’ve also had the leftovers in a tortilla.
I am so glad you enjoyed it! Perfect for a tortilla indeed!
Making this tonight but cutting the recipe in half since there’s just 2 of us and I have half pound ground beef. Also adding broccoli because we love vegetables. Planning to serve it with coconut rice I make in the instant pot.
Ooooh! That coconut rice sounds fabulous!!! Enjoy LuAnn and let us know how it goes. Thanks!
Love your post! Do you ever start w/ frozen g. beef? If so, how much time do you add to the cooking? I have a whole freezer full of g. beef.
Ragerds:Moses Brodin
I do use ground beef from frozen and just cook it until it’s brown and crispy, however long that may take. I don’t really time it and eyeball it untilI am happy with its color and texture.
This Korean Ground Beef with rice hits the spot so damn good mate.
I love how quickly this Korean ground beef came together, it was a great recipe to make on a weeknight. It was so good and my husband is already asking when I can make it again!
Enjoyed this for dinner last night and it did not disappoint! Perfectly bold and flavorful and perfect for busy weeknights!
This is my go to meal for busy weeknights! I just love ground beef, and this Korean ground beef recipe is so easy to make.
This Korean ground beef such a quick and easy meal to make. It has so much flavor and is something new for my family.
I love Korean flavors especially if it’s something that’s convenient to make at home! This looks delicious and satisfying!
Do u freeze the raw burger in 1lb packages or do u freeze it after you cook it?
When I cook it, we eat it immediately so I never freeze it. I love the taste of the fresh ginger that’s why and am not sure it would taste the same after it’s been frozen then defrosted. But certainly freeze raw ground beef in 1 lb packets so you can simply add the seasoning when you desire to cook it.
This is a favorite in my house—quick, easy and oh sooooo good!! Yummy.
Yay! So glad to know that and thanks for letting us know!
Holy cow! This is fantastic! I made it with turkey, otherwise stuck to the recipe. It really satisfied our urge for takeout, but was healthier and cost a ton less. This is a keeper that is going on rotation!
I am so delighted you enjoyed this! Thank you for letting us know!
Thank you for such a great recipe. I’ve made it so many times and we just love it. Made it again tonight. It never disappoints!
Yay! So glad you enjoyed this! It’s such a keeper. Thank you so much!
I am actually leaving a 5 star (it wouldn’t let me when I pressed on it). Easy, quick and delicious! Definitely have to use fresh grated ginger, made all the difference! My family really lioved it! Thank you!
This is a true 5 star recipe and so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for letting us know.