Korean Beef Bowls are a super flavorful and healthy recipe made with Korean-marinated beef, vegetables, a fried egg and a delicious yum yum sauce.

These Korean Beef Bowls are inspired by one of my all-time favorite restaurants in the Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago. It’s called Crisp and they have some delish fried chicken and “Buddha Bowls”.

I took one bite of this recipe and immediately tasted the familiar flavor explosion of those Buddha Bowls I love SO much.

Who knew you could get that amazingness at home?!

If you’ve made my 15-Minute Korean Beef Bowl recipe, you know how a little sesame oil and some soy sauce can really amp up the flavor of some beef.

This is like the fancy version of that recipe! Except it’s not that fancy … it’s actually super easy to make.

I like to chop all the vegetables ahead of dinnertime if I can so that the actual cooking process is SUPER quick and easy.

How to Make Korean Beef

My best trick here is to use a cast iron skillet, and make sure it’s super hot before adding the beef. If you splash some water on the pan it should sizzle.
It takes some organization, but I highly recommend marinating the beef overnight. There’s just something about that extra time that brings the extra flavor.
Invest in a good toasted sesame oil. It really makes a big difference. I use it all the time. My favorite brand is Kadoya.

How to Make Yum Yum Sauce

You can make the Yum Yum Sauce ahead of time to make life even easier. Just store it in an air-tight container in the fridge up to one week.
There are similar recipes that use tomato paste instead of ketchup, which would be healthier! Here’s one.
Taste as you go! If it tastes tangy, add more honey. Add salt to taste if you’d like it a bit saltier. Add more cayenne if you want it spicier!
Please please don’t skip it. The sauce is what seriously makes this bowl special. Maybe just double the recipe instead because you might want to put it on everything.

Next time you need a healthy and SUPER delicious dinner, give these Korean Beef Bowls with Yum Yum Sauce a try. They can even be made as meal prep!

Korean Beef Bowls with Yum Yum Sauce

Korean Beef Bowls are a super flavorful and healthy recipe made with Korean-marinated beef, vegetables, a fried egg and a delicious yum yum sauce.

Ingredients

Korean Beef

8 ounces beef tenderloin or thick steak, very finely sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon honey or brown sugar
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

For the Bowls

2 cups cooked white rice
2 carrots, shredded
1 cucumber, sliced
1/2 small red cabbage, shredded
4 green onion, sliced
4 eggs
Toasted sesame seeds, for garnish

For the Yum Yum Sauce

1 cup mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon butter, melted
1/4 cup ketchup
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
pinch of cayenne pepper
Water to thin (optional)

Instructions

Mix the marinade ingredients in a large zip bag. Add the steak and marinade at least 30 minutes or up to overnight.
Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a cast iron skillet over high heat. Add beef and cook for 1-2 minutes per side or until beef has some caramelized color.
While cooking the beef, heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a separate pan and fry the eggs.
To assemble the bowls, top white rice with carrots, red cabbage, cucumber, beef and an egg. Garnish with green onion, yum yum sauce and sesame seeds.

Notes

I bought pre-sliced bimbimbop beef from a local Asian grocery store. Saves on time!