Korean-style Sauteed Beef with Bean Sprouts and Cabbage

So quick and easy to make this Korean-style Sauteed Beef with Bean Sprouts and Cabbage is perfect for busy weeknights! You’ll love the sweet and savory flavors which make this dish so pleasing to the palate!

Do you love bean sprouts? I really do! I have memories of having bean sprouts sauteed with ground meat every week when I was still living in Manila. And you know why? Not only was it cheap to make, but it was also easy and tasty, too. You can’t go wrong with it!

For this particular dish, I deviated a little from our simple saute back in Manila.

That was fine and tasted good but it was pretty much seasoned only by soy sauce and some pepper. Sort of one-dimensional and lacking some layer of flavors.

So when I got a packet of bean sprouts from Whole Foods, I decided I wish to make that simple meal we had in Manila but elevate it a bit by adding extra vegetables, more meat plus a more robust flavor profile!

I was actually reminded of the bean sprouts side dish which accompanied the Korean beef stew I ate at the food court in my favorite mall in Manila. It was about time, I replicate it! I know my family would love it because they love my Korean ground beef recipe over rice. That is one of the most popular recipes on our blog, in fact. People love it!

The result is one delicious meal! My hubby loved it and even my kids ate a lot of it, too! I call this a success.

Check out the recipe below and see for yourself. I am sure you would love it, too!

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Korean-style Sauteed Beef with Bean Sprouts and Cabbage

Manila Spoon
So quick and easy to make this Korean-style Sauteed Beef with Bean Sprouts and Cabbage is perfect for busy weeknights! You'll love the sweet and savory flavors which makes this dish so pleasing to the palate!
4.24 from 113 votes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings 6

Ingredients
 

  • 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
  • 2-3 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
  • 1 cup carrots, julienned or shredded
  • 2 cups cabbage, shredded or coarsely chopped
  • 1 pack bean sprouts, (about 3 cups)

Instructions
 

  • Combine the seasoning sauce (soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil and fresh ginger). We love ginger so we use the full 3 tablespoons but adjust it to your taste. Set aside.
  • In medium heat, cook the ground beef in a skillet or wok until the meat changes its color. No need to add oil if your beef is 80/20 or has a little bit of fat. Add the minced garlic and continue to cook until the beef is deep-brown in color and crunchy.
  • Increase the heat, add the carrots and saute for about 1 minute. Add the cabbage and bean sprouts and cook for another minute.
  • Pour all the sauce into the beef and veggie mixture and mix well. Cook just until everything is heated through – another minute or so. Serve immediately on top of rice.

Notes

This is a quick stir-fry so ensure that all veggies have been prepped and ready to be added once you start cooking as they cook fast. They need to be cooked just until tender-crisp and not mushy.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Last updated on May 25th, 2024 at 10:20 pm

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82 Comments

  1. Chris Collins
    February 4, 2021 / 2:21 pm

    5 stars
    This Korean-style Sauteed Beef with Bean Sprouts and Cabbage looks so delicious! And to think it only takes 20mins too! Thanks for the recipe 🙂

  2. Genevieve | Fitty Foodlicious
    February 4, 2021 / 2:47 pm

    5 stars
    This Korean-style Sauteed Beef with Bean Sprouts and Cabbage sounds like the ultimate comfort food meal!

  3. Beth
    February 4, 2021 / 3:13 pm

    5 stars
    Yummy! This looks so delicious and full of flavor! I can’t wait to give this a try! So excited!

  4. Sara Welch
    February 4, 2021 / 3:43 pm

    5 stars
    I love bean sprouts in stir fry recipes; can’t get enough of that crunch! Excited to enjoy this for dinner tonight, indeed!

  5. Jessica Formicola
    March 9, 2021 / 11:10 am

    5 stars
    Oh my family loves bean sprouts! This looks like a meal my family will really enjoy and I can’t wait to make it!

  6. Wanda
    March 9, 2021 / 11:17 am

    5 stars
    It looks so easy to make on busy week nights and delicious! Saving to try this weekend!

  7. Julie
    March 9, 2021 / 11:23 am

    5 stars
    I do like bean sprouts, especially with Asian spices and flavors. This Korean beef with bean sprouts looks marvelous and I can’t wait to taste it.

  8. Toni
    March 9, 2021 / 12:32 pm

    5 stars
    It is such an easy and delicious meal!!

  9. Opal
    March 31, 2021 / 8:08 pm

    5 stars
    Made this for dinner this evening and we enjoyed it so much. So easy to make and super delicious!

    • abigail
      Author
      April 1, 2021 / 1:32 pm

      Yay! So glad to know that. Thanks for letting us know.

  10. Frankie
    June 27, 2021 / 6:31 am

    where do you get packs of bean sprouts? we do not have a Whole Foods Store. I have only ever seen bean sprouts in cans??

    • abigail
      Author
      June 27, 2021 / 4:32 pm

      You should find it at any Asian stores or markets. I find them usually in grocery stores too here on the east coast (USA).

    • Sev
      July 22, 2021 / 3:06 pm

      You can also find it canned in the Asian section of the grocery store (LaChoy)…but fresh is always better if you can get it!

    • Chris
      May 20, 2024 / 4:21 am

      I think maybe you are thinking ‘ bamboo shoots’

  11. Kristine Simons
    July 14, 2021 / 5:19 pm

    5 stars
    Made this tonight as I had bean sprouts and wanted to use them. Recipe is delicious but I disagree about the prep time unless one uses packaged shredded carrots and cabbage. I started with a head of cabbage that needed shredding. I peeled and julienned the carrots. So prep time was closer to 50 minutes. Making the sauce required peeling and mincing the ginger. But all the prepping was worth it. Printed the recipe and will definitely make again.

    • abigail
      Author
      July 15, 2021 / 10:53 am

      I used ready-to-use veggies as a shortcut so my cooking time is definitely shorter. Glad you enjoyed this and thank you for taking the time to let us know.

    • Cameron Tlemsanix
      February 18, 2023 / 12:37 pm

      If you own a food processor, you can just shred the cabbage and carrots in there. It’s super quick. You can even buy premade ginger in a tube (near the fresh herb section).

      • abigail
        Author
        February 20, 2023 / 10:08 pm

        I wouldn’t suggest using premade ginger as it won’t have the same freshness and potency in taste as fresh ginger. Don’t skip on this as fresh ginger is always better because of that.

        • Randa
          June 30, 2023 / 10:51 am

          If you haven’t tried the ginger in a tube, it really is very close to fresh. Keeps it’s bite. Not like the jarred ginger at all. I find it an acceptable substitute as I rarely have fresh ginger on hand.

          • Dana Brooks
            July 24, 2023 / 8:28 pm

            What do you think, or have you tried the “cubes” of ginger from Trader Joe’s? They have garlic als which I love for quick garlic bread. They’re in the frozen section in case you haven’t tried them…..

          • abigail
            Author
            July 25, 2023 / 10:52 am

            I have tried them but they are bland in my opinion and won’t add the fresh and more potent flavor from the fresh ginger. I suggest using fresh – it makes a huge difference in taste.

  12. Susan
    July 23, 2021 / 1:04 pm

    Do you use American or Chinese cabbage?

    • abigail
      Author
      July 24, 2021 / 4:21 pm

      You can use either green cabbage (is this what you meant by American?) or savoy cabbage or the elongated Chinese cabbage. Whatever you prefer works for this. For quicker cooking though, use either savory or the Chinese cabbage.

      • Bob
        July 18, 2024 / 5:32 pm

        Perfectly delicious dish as described in the recipe. Also can be used as an imaginative base for flavorful additions. Added sautéed onion one meal, firm tofu with a green onion garnish another meal and thinking about multi colored mini sweet peppers as a finale meal. Top all the above bowls with siracha and either white or black sesame seeds for extra heat and crunch. Thanks so much for this easy, nutritious meal!

        • abigail
          Author
          July 18, 2024 / 9:38 pm

          Glad you enjoyed it. Thank you!

  13. christine morris
    July 23, 2021 / 11:25 pm

    5 stars
    instead of rice i used lettuce and made lettuce wraps with a soy n ginger dipping sauce my family loved them

    • abigail
      Author
      July 24, 2021 / 4:18 pm

      Yay! So glad you enjoyed this! I love that you made it into a lettuce wrap, I do that sometimes too when I don’t fancy rice. Thanks for kindly letting us know.

      • Cheryl DeCarlo
        March 23, 2023 / 8:06 am

        Can you use coleslaw mix?

        • abigail
          Author
          March 25, 2023 / 9:43 am

          That’s a nice shortcut! Yes, you certainly can.

  14. July 29, 2021 / 8:09 am

    Do you drain the grease off the ground beef after browining?

    • abigail
      Author
      July 29, 2021 / 9:01 am

      The amount of grease would depend on how much fat your ground beef has. I usually use beef with a little fat (not super lean) and cook it until browned and crispy (that’s how we like it) and after that, there isn’t much grease left. So, if you have too much grease, you can certainly drain some but not all as you want the flavor from the fat, too.

      • Lynne A McRae
        July 7, 2023 / 8:16 pm

        Can I mix it and have it ready for the next day?

        • abigail
          Author
          July 7, 2023 / 8:49 pm

          Because you need to cook the beef first you can’t just mix it all. If you wish to make it ahead, I suggest cooking the ground beef ahead so the next day you simply need to reheat it then add the veggies and sauces. That shouldn’t take too much time. Enjoy!

  15. CHARLENE
    July 30, 2021 / 2:49 pm

    5 stars
    Would this work without the beef?

    • abigail
      Author
      July 30, 2021 / 2:52 pm

      I haven’t tried it without the beef. You can certainly do it with just veggies but you may need to add extra veggies or just add more cabbage perhaps. Let us know how it goes if you only use vegetables. Thanks!

  16. Ginger
    August 1, 2021 / 11:58 am

    This looks so good and i want to try it but is there something you can use instead of the sesame oil. I don’t have any. Thanks for the great recipe.

    • abigail
      Author
      August 1, 2021 / 9:51 pm

      Sesame Oil has a unique nutty delicious flavor that may not be found in other neutral-flavored oil so the best substitute perhaps would be another nutty oil like peanut oil. Your dish should still taste good but may just lack that distinct sesame taste. Hope that helps.

  17. Barbara
    August 3, 2021 / 8:58 pm

    I came across your recipe and made it according to your directions, and it was delicious! Thank you. This will be one of our favorites!

    • abigail
      Author
      August 5, 2021 / 9:02 am

      Yay! I am so glad you found our recipe and enjoyed it. Thanks for letting us know!

  18. Jeff
    October 28, 2021 / 6:50 pm

    5 stars
    Perfect in every way to my liking. I will try cutup thin ribeye next time. I feel it would give the dish bolder meat flavor and crispier textures. I will be preparing this dish in many different ways now that I have a great base to work from. Thank You.

    • Audrey J
      April 23, 2024 / 10:53 am

      Thanks for your comment! This is just what I was thinking as I try to figure out what to make tonight!!

  19. James
    November 2, 2021 / 6:05 pm

    5 stars
    This was absolutely delicious. Thanks for sharing!

    • abigail
      Author
      November 2, 2021 / 7:37 pm

      So glad you enjoyed this and thank you for kindly letting us know. Much appreciated.

  20. Linae Tabor
    January 17, 2022 / 12:02 pm

    It sounds delicious!
    Can I make it without the sweetener in it (brown sugar or honey/honey)? I don’t use sweeteners of any kind.
    Thanks.

    • abigail
      Author
      January 17, 2022 / 6:50 pm

      Hello Linae, You don’t need to use a sweetener. The recipe states “brown sugar” but for those on paleo or keto diet they can replace that with either honey or sweetener. Enjoy. Thanks for stopping by.

  21. April Teichman
    January 29, 2022 / 3:09 pm

    5 stars
    Made the recipe today for lunch. Family really enjoyed. I did add mushrooms and onions to the vegetables.
    I used brown rice. So very good.

  22. Mary
    April 24, 2022 / 10:08 pm

    Looking for menu planning inspiration. Definitely adding this for the week.

  23. Joy
    July 14, 2022 / 11:09 am

    I dont like cabbage any substitute?

    • abigail
      Author
      July 27, 2022 / 12:14 pm

      I used chayote the other day and it worked well, you can use other veggies. I’ve made this with broccoli, too. Enjoy.

  24. Suzanne
    August 30, 2022 / 9:43 pm

    This looks so good! What a great dish to make for a weeknight or with guests!

    • abigail
      Author
      August 31, 2022 / 7:29 pm

      Yes indeed Suzanne! Hope you enjoy!

  25. Vanessa
    August 30, 2022 / 9:44 pm

    Thanks for sharing! How far ahead of time can I make it?

    • abigail
      Author
      August 31, 2022 / 7:28 pm

      I usually do it a day ahead for better flavor. Or at least, I prefer to eat it a day later so you can do it 1-2 days ahead. It keeps for a few days. For any leftovers, I suggest simply freezing them and then just reheat them whenever you want to eat. That’s what I’d do.

  26. Susan
    October 25, 2022 / 10:04 am

    What can I use instead of fresh ginger

    • abigail
      Author
      October 26, 2022 / 4:28 pm

      To be honest, fresh ginger is what makes this fresh-tasting and vibrant so without it, it won’t have the same taste. You can try to sub with galangal but that’s more lemony and may even be harder to find. If you don’t like using fresh ginger you can try it with ground ginger too – simply adjust the amount to taste.

  27. Jeremy M Pease
    December 19, 2022 / 7:54 pm

    Most important – my wife loved this dish. Great recipe. We went with lettuce wraps so I lowered the brown sugar and used hoison sauce on the wrap. Wow! Deliciousness! Wonderful recipe and great instructions!

    • abigail
      Author
      December 19, 2022 / 9:36 pm

      So glad you enjoyed this and for letting us know. Love the addition of hoisin!

  28. Leslie
    February 19, 2023 / 7:10 pm

    This was delicious. Now that I discovered the fresh sprouts were in the produce section, can’t wait to try this again.

  29. Mye
    March 21, 2023 / 7:26 am

    5 stars
    I made it! healthy & looks delicious. This recipe is for keeps. Thank you Manila Spoon for this recipe!

    • abigail
      Author
      March 21, 2023 / 3:21 pm

      Yay! So glad you liked this. Thank you so much for letting us know!

  30. KL
    March 24, 2023 / 3:37 pm

    Can use turkey instead of beef? This looks delicious. Thank you.

    • abigail
      Author
      March 25, 2023 / 9:41 am

      Yes you can use the meat that you want.

    • Nerissa
      April 8, 2023 / 9:49 pm

      5 stars
      We just made it with ground turkey and it was amazing. This is definitely going into our meal rotation.

  31. Elisa
    August 14, 2023 / 4:38 pm

    5 stars
    Fantastic recipe thanks for sharing. I used onions instead of cabbage and served with noodles yum yum!

    • abigail
      Author
      August 15, 2023 / 9:15 am

      I am so delighted to know this and thank you so much for letting us know! Love the idea of using onions, too!

  32. June Louie
    September 20, 2023 / 7:38 am

    5 stars
    I’ve made this Recipe 3 or 4 times already.. lots of Compliments from everyone I love that it is a quick and simple dish.. I went with the exact same Ingredients without changing anything. Love this on Noodles as well. Thank you for Sharing! ♥️

    • abigail
      Author
      September 20, 2023 / 4:13 pm

      Aww! You made my day! Thank you for kindly letting us know.

  33. January 17, 2024 / 11:29 pm

    5 stars
    No leftovers tonight because everyone liked it so much. Thanks.

    • abigail
      Author
      January 22, 2024 / 3:16 am

      So glad to know this! Thank you very much!

  34. Ruth
    January 23, 2024 / 6:59 pm

    5 stars
    This is a fantastic recipe. I added a teaspoon of gochujang to the sauce. it was delicious

    • abigail
      Author
      January 26, 2024 / 7:02 am

      So glad you enjoyed this! I love the addition of gochujang and spicy kick it adds!

  35. Michelle
    February 14, 2024 / 11:19 am

    5 stars
    My boyfriend said “this is a 10 out of 10.” I added thai chiles because we like heat. Definite keeper!!!!

    • abigail
      Author
      February 14, 2024 / 8:21 pm

      I love the heat that you added! So glad you enjoyed this! Thank you for letting me know.

  36. Kevin Anderson
    March 2, 2024 / 6:09 pm

    4 stars
    This was delicious! My only issue is that it needed a little bit of heat (spice) in my opinion.

    Other than that, it’s fantastic!

    • abigail
      Author
      March 4, 2024 / 10:38 am

      You can adapt it to your liking. I have kids who don’t fancy spice so I don’t add it.

  37. Holly
    March 15, 2024 / 11:29 pm

    5 stars
    I love this dish! I’ve made it with ground beef and with ground chicken. both are wonderful but the chicken I think is better because it’s not as dry. I buy my green sprouts in a bag and I also buy a bag of pre chopped up cabbage mix. I can whip this dish out and about 15 minutes. we love it! thank you for the recipe

    • abigail
      Author
      March 16, 2024 / 8:01 pm

      Glad you enjoyed this and thank you for letting us know! It truly is an amazing dish!

  38. Janet Pankratz
    August 7, 2024 / 11:44 pm

    Please don’t comment unless you’ve made the recipe! I made it and it was delicious. No changes and I thank you for a go to weeknight option.

    • abigail
      Author
      August 10, 2024 / 7:31 pm

      So glad you enjoyed this. Thank you!

  39. Meghan
    September 11, 2024 / 8:13 pm

    4 stars
    Super yummy dish! Added zucchini for extra veggies. Would double sauce and add lime juice and cilantro / peanuts next time for extra flavor. Was easy to throw together. Will definitely make again!

  40. Nancy
    September 22, 2024 / 5:47 pm

    Made this for the first time tonight. It was excellent!! The sauce is delicious!

    • abigail
      Author
      September 23, 2024 / 3:54 pm

      So glad to know that! Thank you so much for letting us know.

4.24 from 113 votes (88 ratings without comment)

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