Riley’s Korean Beef Bowl
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Busy nights call for quick, comforting meals that everyone loves, like this Korean Beef Bowl. This recipe is packed with loads of flavor, comes together super fast, uses simple ingredients, gluten-free, and dairy-free. It’s the perfect dinner for busy families, an easy weeknight meal, or even meal prepping for the week ahead.
Why You Need This Bowl in Your Life
This bowl was created by my daughter and has become a family favorite. She loves having it after basketball practice for a hearty, healthy, protein packed meal or for a quick on-the-go lunch. It’s both satisfying and fuss-free.
- Super quick and easy, like ready in about 30 minutes
- Gluten-free and dairy-free
- Packed with flavor from a simple sauce
- Perfect for busy weeknights or meal prep
- Uses easy, pantry-friendly ingredients
Tips and Substitutions
- Protein swaps: Ground beef is classic, but ground turkey or ground chicken are delicious too. Tofu crumbled up in the bowl makes a great vegetarian twist too.
- For extra veggies, we love adding a couple handfuls of coleslaw mix, bell peppers, onions, carrots, or broccoli.
- Rice & Grain: you can use white rice, brown rice, quinoa, or even cauliflower rice for extra veggies. We love using cilantro lime rice which give a citrus twist with bold beef flavors and it’s delicious.
- Heat Level: Red pepper flakes always add a nice kick if you don’t have picky spice eaters or omit it all together.
- Sweetness Level: You can easily adjust the sweetness by adding a touch more honey or swap it for brown sugar.
Meal Prep Is Easy
We love to make a double batch of this recipe and freeze half of it for nights that are busy or we don’t feel like cooking. Here’s some tips on meal prepping this bowl:
- Sauce: I love to prepare the sauce in advance to save time in the evening. Just keep it in a sealed mason jar or container in fridge for up to a week and use it when you’re ready.
- Meal Prep: Lunches and dinners just got easier with this Korean Bowl. You can completely make your beef bowls in storage containers for ready-to-go meals for up to a week in the fridge. This is a super nice option for sports nights or quick school lunches.
- Freeze It: Another option we love is to freeze the cooked Korean beef mixture. I like to let it cool completely, then put it in a freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Typically, I let it thaw overnight or for the day and just reheat it in a saucepan while I cook fresh rice.
More Recipes You’ll Love:
- Gluten-Free Thai Noodle Salad
- Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free Pasta Caesar Salad
- Gluten-Free Crave-able Teriyaki Stir-Fry
- Gluten-Free Spicy Thai Peanut Chicken Bowl
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Riley’s Gluten-Free Korean Beef Bowl
This Korean Beef Bowl is for busy nights that call for quick, hearty, comforting meals. It’s packed with flavor, made with simple ingredients, and comes together in just 30 minutes. Plus, it’s gluten-free and dairy-free, making it perfect for busy family dinners, easy weeknights, or meal prep for the week ahead.
Ingredients
Meat Stir-Fry:
- 1 tbsp olive oil (we use avocado oil)
- 1 lb lean ground beef (ground turkey, chicken, or tofu works)
- 2 onions diced
- 1 bell pepper diced
- 2 handfuls of coleslaw mix, optional (no sauce, just the veggie mix)
- 3 tbsp minced garlic
- 1/2 tbsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp minced onion
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 cups rice
Sauce:
- 1/2 cup gluten-free soy sauce or coconut aminos
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
Optional garnish:
- thinly sliced green onions, sesame seeds, and red pepper flakes
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, start cooking the rice following rice package directions.
- In a small bowl, combine all sauce ingredients and whisk to combine well. Set aside.
- In a large saucepan or wok, heat olive oil over medium high. Then, add the minced garlic, onion, and bell pepper, cooking until translucent, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add the meat and cook for about 2-3 minutes until halfway cooked. Next, add the handfuls of coleslaw mix, if using, the seasonings, and 3/4 of the sauce mixture and stir well. Sauté until the meat is browned and fully cooked.
- Once rice is cooked, pour the remaining sauce into the rice and mix thoroughly. Serve immediately in bowls with rice and beef mixture and garnishes of your choice.
Notes
Tips & Substitutions:
- Protein swaps: Ground beef is classic, but ground turkey or ground chicken are delicious too. Tofu crumbled up in the bowl makes a great vegetarian twist too.
- For extra veggies, we love adding a couple handfuls of coleslaw mix, bell peppers, onions, carrots, or broccoli.
- Rice & Grains: you can use white rice, brown rice, quinoa, or even cauliflower rice for extra veggies. We love using cilantro lime rice which give a citrus twist with bold beef flavors and it’s delicious.
- Heat Level: Red pepper flakes always add a nice kick if you don’t have picky spice eaters or omit it all together.
- Sweetness Level: You can easily adjust the sweetness by adding a touch more honey or swap it for brown sugar.
- Sauce: I love to prepare the sauce in advance to save time in the evening. Just keep it in a sealed mason jar or container in fridge for up to a week and use it when you’re ready.
- Meal Prep: You can completely make your beef bowls in storage containers for ready-to-go meals for up to a week in the fridge.
- Freeze It: Another option we love is to freeze the cooked Korean beef mixture. I like to let it cool completely, then put it in a freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Typically, I let it thaw overnight or for the day and just reheat it in a saucepan while I cook fresh rice.
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