Korean Beef Meal Prep Bowls

Filled with marinated beef, fluffy rice, stir-fried vegetables, and covered in a spicy sauce, these bibimbap-inspired Korean beef meal prep bowls are packed full of protein and flavor. Whip them up on the weekend and enjoy healthy lunches all week long.

Bibimbap is a popular Korean dish with a mixture of vegetables, meat, cooked rice, and/or a fried egg, topped with a spicy sauce. The term “bibimbap” translates to “mixed rice”, as “bibim” means mixed and “bap” means rice. It’s an incredibly versatile dish as you can create endless varieties with different combinations of ingredients.

While these Korean beef meal prep bowls are certainly not a traditional bibimbap recipe, they are inspired by it, and they are absolutely delicious! In fact, they’re so tasty, they may be something the entire family can agree on.

Why You’ll Love Them

• High in Protein – With over 30 grams of protein per serving, these bowls are a muscle-building meal.
• Full of Flavor – The marinated beef mixture and spicy sauce ensure each bite is full of flavor.
• Keep Well – These Korean beef bowls keep well in the fridge and freezer, making them a great meal prep idea.

Ingredients + Substitutions

• Beef – To add some protein. The recipe calls for a sirloin steak, however, a flank steak would also work well. You can also use ground beef if preferred; lean or extra lean ground beef would work best. See the notes section of the recipe card for details.
• Rice – To add some complex carbohydrates. The recipe calls for white rice, such as jasmine rice, but brown rice will also work well.
• Vegetables – To add some fiber and micronutrients. The recipe calls for a combination of carrots, zucchini, mushrooms, bean sprouts, and spinach, however, it can easily be adapted to use your favorite veggies. Sliced cucumbers, shredded cabbage, and radishes would all work very well.
• Garlic – To flavor the beef and sauce. The recipe calls for garlic cloves, but garlic powder will also work well. See the notes section of the recipe card for details.
• Soy Sauce – To add some saltiness. You can use regular or low-sodium soy sauce.
• Gochujang Sauce – To add some heat to the sauce. The recipe gochujang, but sriracha or another red chili paste would also work well.
• Sesame Oil – To add some healthy fats and flavor.
• Brown Sugar – To add some sweetness to the beef marinade and sauce. Honey will also work well.
• Rice Vinegar – To add some acidity to the beef marinade and sauce.
• Sesame Seeds – For topping, although optional.
• Green Onions – For topping, although optional.

Serving Suggestions

The Korean beef meal prep bowls are a balanced meal idea with lots of protein, carbohydrates, fiber, and fats. That said, you can easily adapt them to suit your personal calorie or macro needs. For example:

• To add more protein, serve them with a fried egg on top.
• To make them low carb, swap the rice for cauliflower rice.
• To make them higher in fiber, swap the white rice for brown rice and/or add some broccoli, green peas, shredded cabbage, or other veggies.
• To add more flavor, add some ground ginger to the beef mixture and/or top the bowls with a Korean fermented food such as kimchi.

More Korean Bowls:

• Korean Ground Turkey Rice Bowls
• Crispy Beef Bowls
• Firecracker Beef Bowls

Korean Beef Meal Prep Bowls

Author: Stephanie Kay

These bibimbap-inspired Korean beef meal prep bowls are packed full of protein and veggies and work equally well for lunch or dinner.

• Author: Stephanie Kay
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 4 bowls

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Ingredients

Beef:

• 1 pound sirloin steak, or flank steak, cut into very thin strips
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar, or honey
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced or grated

Bowls:

• 1 ½ cups white rice, raw
• 1 carrot, cut into thin strips
• 1 zucchini, thinly sliced
• 1 cup mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 1 cup bean sprouts
• 2 cups spinach, roughly chopped
• Sesame seeds, to serve
• Green onions, to serve

Sauce (Optional):

• 1/4 cup gochujang, or chili paste
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar, or honey
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 1 garlic clove, grated or minced

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Instructions

1. In a large bowl, add the beef marinade ingredients: soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, sesame oil, and minced garlic, and whisk to combine.
2. Add the thinly sliced beef to the bowl of marinade, toss until well combined, and set it aside for at least 10 minutes.
3. In a small pot, combine the rice with 3 cups of water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, and allow to cook covered for 15 minutes, or as per package directions, until it can be fluffed with a fork.
4. In a small bowl, add the sauce ingredients: gochujang, rice vinegar, water, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, and minced garlic, and whisk to combine. Set aside.
5. In a large pan or cast-iron skillet on medium heat, warm a drizzle of sesame oil, add the carrots, zucchini, mushrooms, bean sprouts, and spinach, and cook for 2-3 minutes until all of the vegetables are tender. Once cooked, remove them from the pan and set them aside on a plate to cool. (If you prefer to keep the vegetables separate in your bowl, as I did, cook them in batches, one vegetable at a time.)
6. In the same pan, on medium-high heat, add the marinated beef strips, and cook them, flipping them at least once, for 3-4 minutes until cooked through and the edges are slightly crispy.
7. Once all of the components are ready, prepare the meal prep bowls. Divide the cooked rice, beef, and vegetables evenly across 4 airtight containers and top with a sprinkle of sesame seeds and chopped green onion, and divide the dressing evenly across 4 small jars. Cover everything with lids and store them all in the fridge.
8. The bowls can be served immediately, stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Notes

To Use Ground Beef: Swap the steak for 1 pound of ground beef. Prepare the marinade as per step #1, skip step #2, and cook the ground beef in step #6: cook for 5-6 minutes until mostly browned, cover with marinade, then allow to cook for a final 1-2 minutes until slightly crispy.

To Use Brown Rice: Swap the white rice for equal parts brown rice and increase the cooking time to 30-40 minutes or until the rice is tender and can be fluffed with a fork.

To Use Garlic Powder: Swap every 2 garlic cloves for 1 teaspoon of garlic powder.