Crockpot Korean Beef Bowl

Crockpot Korean Beef Bowl

Calories: 568

Protein: 39 g

Prep: 10 min  |  Cook: 3–4 hours (high) or 6–7 hours (low)

Serves: 4

Ingredients

  • Lean ground beef (93% lean): 600g / 21 oz / 1.3 lb

  • Jasmine rice (dry): 240g / 8.5 oz / 1¼ cups

  • Low-sodium soy sauce: 60g / 2.1 oz / 4 Tbsp

  • Sesame oil: 15g / 0.5 oz / 1 Tbsp

  • Honey: 20g / 0.7 oz / 1 Tbsp

  • Gochujang: 25g / 0.9 oz / 1½ Tbsp

  • Garlic cloves (minced): 20g / 0.7 oz / 6 cloves

  • Fresh ginger (grated): 15g / 0.5 oz / 1 Tbsp

  • Low-sodium beef broth: 120ml / 4 fl oz / ½ cup

  • Rice vinegar: 15g / 0.5 oz / 1 Tbsp

  • Brown sugar: 15g / 0.5 oz / 1 Tbsp

  • Cornstarch: 10g / 0.35 oz / 1 Tbsp

  • Green onions (sliced): 20g / 0.7 oz / 3 stalks

  • Sesame seeds: 10g / 0.35 oz / 1 Tbsp

  • Shredded carrots: 80g / 2.8 oz / ⅔ cup

  • Cucumber (thinly sliced): 100g / 3.5 oz / 1 cup

  • Rice vinegar (for quick pickle): 20g / 0.7 oz / 1½ Tbsp

  

Directions

1. Quick pickle the cucumber: Toss sliced cucumber with 1½ Tbsp rice vinegar and a pinch of salt. Set aside in the fridge — it will be ready by the time the beef is cooked.


2. Make the sauce: In a bowl, whisk together soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, gochujang, garlic, ginger, beef broth, rice vinegar, and brown sugar. Pour over ground beef in the crockpot and stir to break up the meat.


3. Cook on high 3–4 hours or low 6–7 hours, stirring once halfway through to break up any clumps.


4. Thicken the sauce: Mix cornstarch with 2 Tbsp cold water until smooth. Stir into the crockpot, cover, and cook a further 15–20 minutes on high until the sauce thickens and coats the beef beautifully.


5. Cook the rice: Rinse jasmine rice, combine with 430ml water in a saucepan, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer on low 15 minutes. Remove from heat and rest 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.


6. Serve: Divide rice into 4 containers, top with Korean beef, pickled cucumber, and shredded carrots. Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds.

 

Meal Prep Instructions

  • Refrigerate (Option 1): Store beef and rice separately in airtight containers up to 4 days. The beef actually gets better on day two as the sauce deepens.

  • Reheat beef in the microwave 1½–2 minutes or in a skillet over medium heat with a splash of broth. Cook rice fresh or reheat with a splash of water.

  • Freeze for Later (Option 2): Freeze the beef mixture in portions up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat as above. Rice is best made fresh.

    🌱 Vegetarian Option —

    Replace lean ground beef with 500g (17.6 oz) firm tofu, pressed and crumbled into small chunks (or grated), plus 1 can (240g) drained edamame for extra protein. Add both directly to the crockpot with the sauce and cook on high 2–3 hours. Skip the cornstarch step and simply reduce the sauce in a skillet for 5 minutes before serving.

    Macros: ~520 kcal | ~28g protein

DinnerTameika Gentles