Korean Beef Power Bowl (Printable Version)

Protein-packed bowl with sesame-ginger beef, pickled vegetables, and spicy mayo over rice.

# What You'll Need:

→ Beef & Marinade

01 - 1.1 lbs flank steak or sirloin, thinly sliced
02 - 2 tbsp soy sauce
03 - 1 tbsp sesame oil
04 - 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 1 tbsp brown sugar
07 - 1 tbsp rice vinegar
08 - 1 tsp gochujang, optional
09 - 1/4 tsp black pepper

→ Rice

10 - 2 cups cooked jasmine or short-grain white rice

→ Pickled Carrots

11 - 1 cup carrots, julienned
12 - 1/3 cup rice vinegar
13 - 1 tbsp sugar
14 - 1/2 tsp salt

→ Fresh Toppings

15 - 1 cup cucumber, thinly sliced
16 - 1 fresh jalapeño, thinly sliced
17 - 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
18 - 2 green onions, thinly sliced

→ Sriracha Mayo

19 - 1/3 cup mayonnaise
20 - 1-2 tbsp sriracha, to taste
21 - 1 tsp lime juice

# How To Make It:

01 - In a small bowl, combine rice vinegar, sugar, and salt. Add julienned carrots and toss to coat. Let sit for at least 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until pickled.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk together soy sauce, sesame oil, grated ginger, minced garlic, brown sugar, rice vinegar, gochujang if desired, and black pepper. Add sliced beef, toss thoroughly to coat, and marinate for 15-20 minutes.
03 - Prepare rice according to package directions if not already cooked. Set aside and keep warm.
04 - In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, sriracha, and lime juice. Mix until smooth and adjust spice level to preference.
05 - Heat a large skillet or wok over high heat until very hot. Add marinated beef in a single layer and sear for 2-3 minutes per side until browned and cooked through.
06 - Divide warm rice equally among four bowls. Top each with seared beef, drained pickled carrots, cucumber slices, jalapeño slices, green onion, and toasted sesame seeds. Drizzle generously with sriracha mayo.
07 - Serve bowls immediately while beef and rice are still warm.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together faster than delivery, and tastes infinitely better because you control exactly how much sriracha mayo pools into every bite.
  • The beef stays tender because the marinade is magic, and watching those thin slices caramelize in a hot skillet never gets old.
  • You can prep pickled carrots while the beef marinates, so nothing feels rushed or chaotic.
02 -
  • Slice your beef as thinly as you can manage, because thin slices cook through before they toughen, and they also absorb the marinade more completely than thicker cuts.
  • Don't skip draining those pickled carrots before assembling, or you'll end up with a watery bowl and soggy rice that feels disappointing no matter how flavorful everything else is.
  • The skillet absolutely must be hot before the beef hits it, because a lukewarm pan will steam the meat instead of searing it, and you'll lose that caramelized crust that makes everything taste more intentional.
03 -
  • Buy beef from a butcher if possible and ask them to slice it thin, because pre-sliced packages from the grocery store are often inconsistent and sometimes bruised from sitting.
  • Make pickled carrots the night before if you want maximum flavor development, they keep refrigerated for almost a week and actually taste better the next day.
  • If your sriracha mayo is too spicy, a tiny squeeze of honey mellows the heat while keeping the depth, which I discovered by accident and now use religiously.
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