(Cheap) Korean Beef with Vegetables + Video
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This cheap and easy Korean Beef recipe is made with ground beef instead of flank steak. It’s simmered in a simple, yet flavorful sauce with added vegetables for a well-rounded meal. Serve with rice, and you’ve got a delicious dinner ready in 20 minutes or less!
(*Update 8/23/17: New pictures and a video!) This Korean Beef recipe is a keeper! We’ve made it dozens and dozens of times since I first published this post on December 2nd, 2011. The recipe is so easy, so cheap, and has LOADS of flavor! It feels like take-out, but is made quick and easy at home!
We love the addition of fresh steamed vegetables to make it a more well-rounded meal. I could meal prep this and eat it the whole week long. I love it so much!
The best part about this Korean beef is how quick it comes together. If you use pre-minced garlic, ginger paste, and instant rice, this meal is a cinch to pull off in 20 minutes or less. It’s one meal I have completely memorized and don’t even measure ingredients for. Definitely a family favorite! I hope you love it too!
(Cheap) Korean Beef with Vegetables
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced (1 1/2 tsp)
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tsp minced ginger
- ¼-½ tsp crushed red pepper
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch
- 16 oz bag frozen/steam-able California or Normandy Blend vegetables
- sliced green onions
- cooked rice
Instructions
- Steam/cook vegetables according to package directions. (About 8 minutes in the microwave.) Keep warm.
- Heat sesame oil in a large skillet. Add garlic and ground beef. Cook until brown. Drain grease.
- Return beef back into the skillet. Add the brown sugar, soy sauce, ginger, crushed red pepper, and cornstarch. Stir until sauce simmers and thickens; about 1 to 2 minutes. Add steamed vegetables and mix with beef.
- Serve over rice and top with sliced green onions.
32 Comments on “(Cheap) Korean Beef with Vegetables + Video”
Made this for supper tonight, Delicious! Doubled the sauce ingredients and used a small round steak cut in bite size pieces. (It’s what I had on hand ) My husband loved it also This would be great with chicken. Definitely a keeper.
Wonderful! Thanks for your comment Kim!
I calculated the recipe to be about 1800 calories at 2 cups of rice with 93% lean hamburger for anyone interested, but that feeds 3 so we’re looking at about 600 calories a piece. Not bad.
Why do you say ginger paste and minced garlic? You don’t mention ginger paste in the recipe. Now I don’t know if I need to buy ginger paste as well and if I’ll be missing an ingredient…
The ingredients say minced ginger, and in the notes I refer to ginger paste as a quicker way to get minced ginger — instead of peeling fresh ginger and grating/mincing it yourself. I like to buy the Gourmet Garden Ginger Paste. You squeeze it from the tube. So easy and fast. Same thing for minced garlic. I like to buy it pre-minced in the jar instead of mincing a fresh clove of garlic. It’s just a preference thing to save time. Fresh ginger and garlic is just fine, but will require more prep work.
Tried this recipe tonight and it was a hit! What is the nutritional value for this meal?
Glad you liked it! I use MyFitnessPal to calculate recipes. Depending on the products you use, this recipe is roughly 412 calories per serving (6.8g carbs, 19.5g fat, 49.3g protein) This recipe yields 4 servings.
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I’m so glad I found this recipe! Loved it! I’m a vegan so I just substituted the meat for chopped mushrooms and I didn’t have sesame oil which probably tastes even better, but olive oil worked fine too. Threw some cilantro on top because, well it’s cilantro. Anyway, can’t wait to share with my vegan friends and nonvegan family. Thanks!
That’s great! Thanks for sharing your alterations!
Made this tonight…only thing I added was some Korean BBQ sauce. It was delicious. My whole family loved it and will go into regular rotation of meals.
Awesome! Glad you are enjoying this recipe Sheri!
Do you think this recipe could work with white rice stick noodles?
Looks delicious, I’m trying it tonight! 🙂
Sorry for my late response. I hope it worked out for you! I bet it would be delicious with the white rice stick noodles!
We enjoyed it!