Korean Ground Beef and Broccoli Recipe

What makes Korean Ground Beef and Broccoli different from the American version

Beef and broccoli is actually a Chinese-American dish. The Chinese touch is seen in the practice of marinating the beef in a mix of cornstarch, wine, and egg whites to tenderize.

This common Chinese technique is called velveting. The Chinese-American version also often uses beef steak strips.

In comparison, this recipe uses ground beef for convenience. No more slicing and velveting the meat involved.

I also used gochujang, a Korean fermented red pepper paste, to really give it that Korean flavor. Slightly spicy and packed with umami, it adds another layer of flavor to the dish.

❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe

The combination of sweet, savory, and meaty flavors in this Korean ground beef and broccoli recipe is to die for. Your family will think it took you a lot of effort to make it, but it’s actually very easy to make.

• It has easy to follow instructions that even beginners can follow.
• It makes a great freezer meal!
• It’s a balanced meal with good amounts of protein, carbohydrates, fat, and fiber.

If you like cooking Korean dishes, you might want to try these instant pot Korean short ribs.

🥘 Ingredients

The ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe are easy to find. Some of them, you might already have on hand. 

• Ground beef: I recommend using 90% lean ground beef. It has just the right amount of fat to keep the dish moist, but not too greasy. On the other hand, you can pick any cut of beef like top round, chuck, or flank steak and ask your butcher to grind it for you.
• Broccoli: You can use either fresh or frozen broccoli florets.
• Rice: I like using Jasmine rice. Its aroma is just amazing! But you can also use brown rice for extra fiber and fewer calories.
• Soy sauce or Tamari: This gives the dish both color and seasoning. Use low sodium soy sauce so you have more control on the amount of sodium in your dish.
• Gochujang: A bit spicy and packed with umami, this ingredient is what makes it taste really Korean.

See recipe card for quantities.

🔀 Substitutions

Ground beef: You can use other types of protein like ground turkey or chicken, or your preferred plant based meat substitute.

Soy sauce: Alternatively, you can use tamari, liquid aminos, or coconut aminos (or any of these tamari substitutes).

Gochujang: It is what makes this recipe taste like a Korean dish. It’s a bit spicy, sweet, and packed with umami flavor. But in case it’s not available in your area, you can also use sriracha, hot sauce, harissa paste or chili garlic sauce.

Rice: For low carb options, you can use cauliflower rice or shirataki rice.

🌈 Variations / Options / Add-Ins

Here are some ways you can customize your version of ground beef, broccoli, and rice:

• Spicy: Love some extra spicy taste in your meals? Toss in a dash of red pepper flakes while cooking. Or, have some extra sriracha on the side and let your diners add according to their preference.
• Veggies: Aside from broccoli, you can add other vegetables to load up the nutritional value of your dish. You can add edamame, peas, carrots, baby corn, or snow peas.
• Toppings: Amp up your rice bowl by topping it with fried egg, nori, and chopped green onions.

This Chinese beef and broccoli is a slight variation of this dish as it contains ginger and hoisin sauce. On the other hand, here’s the instant pot version of beef and broccoli.

🥄 Equipment Needed / Helpful Tools

To make this recipe, you’ll only need:

• large skillet or wok
• spatula
• small bowl 

And that’s it! Now, let’s go to the steps in making this recipe.

🔪 How to Make Korean Ground Beef and Broccoli Recipe

This recipe comes together in under 30 minutes total time, prep and cook combined. Plus, the instructions are super simple and easy to follow.

Step 1: Brown the ground beef

In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef. It will take about 5-7 minutes. Break it apart using a spatula as you go along. It will naturally release some fat, so just spoon out or drain the excess liquid using a strainer, if needed.

Step 2: Cook broccoli

Meanwhile, steam the broccoli florets in a steamer basket over boiling water for about 4 minutes. This is just enough time for the broccoli to soften without turning mushy.

Step 3: Add cornstarch to beef

After stirring in the cornstarch, cook the mixture for 3 minutes. Cornstarch will help the beef crisp up. It forms a crispy crust that also acts as a cover to seal the moisture of the beef in so that it remains tender.

Step 4: Add sauce

In a small bowl, stir together the soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic cloves, sesame oil, and gochujang until sugar is dissolved. Pour this soy sauce mixture over the beef and stir to combine. Cook for 2 minutes.

Step 5: Assemble and serve

Add the broccoli, stir, and continue to cook 2-3 more minutes. Serve over rice and garnish with sesame seeds. Enjoy your hearty bowl of Korean ground beef with rice!

🍽️ Serving Suggestions

Serve your Korean ground beef and broccoli over freshly steamed rice or with noodles. 

👩‍🍳 Pro Tips

Here are some valuable tips that will help amp up your kitchen skills.

• Did you know that you can cook the rice and broccoli together? Some rice cookers have a steamer basket on top of them, so you can steam the broccoli as you cook the rice. Start steaming when the rice is 4-5 minutes shy from being fully cooked.
• For meal prep, portion rice and broccoli beef into microwave safe containers. Let cool to room temperature before storing. They will keep well in the refrigerator for 3 days, while in the freezer for up to 2 months.

❓ Recipe FAQs

🙏 Pairing

These are my favorite dishes to serve with this Ground Beef and Broccoli:

🛑 Food safety

We sometimes take for granted that we have years (or decades) of cooking experience, that the average visitor may not. So, here are some health and safety tips for you.

• Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
• Wash hands after touching raw meat
• Don’t leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
• Never leave cooking food unattended
• Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
• Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove