Korean bulgogi is a marinated meat dish, usually done with a higher quality cut of beef. These days, people are often looking for unique ways of preparing less expensive cuts of meat, especially when using healthier, but more expensive grass-fed/grass-finished or organic beef. What's nice about using ground beef for this low-carb, keto-friendly version of this dish is that you really don't need to marinate it to make it full-flavoured. Because the beef is already broken up, the flavours infuse it as it cooks, making it a quick and easy, yet complex and delicious way to enjoy this Korean dish any night of the week.
Keto Korean Ground Beef Bulgogi Bowls Recipe
Ingredients:
- ⅓ cup shallot or yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1" fresh ginger, peeled and minced
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste
- ½ tablespoon red miso paste
- 1½ teaspoons keto maple syrup
- ¼ cup tamari soy sauce or coconut aminos
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- ½ tablespoon rice vinegar
Ingredients for Assembling Bowls:
- Leafy greens of choice (chopped romaine, arugula, spinach)
- Fried egg
- Cauliflower rice, cooked (*Note: If serving with cauliflower rice, wait until the beef is almost done as it only takes a few minutes to cook.)
- English cucumber, cut into ribbons
- ½ cup keto kimchi or fermented bean sprouts
- Crushed red pepper flakes or sriracha mayo, for garnish (if you want extra heat)
- Avocado, sliced
- Sesame seeds, toasted
- Green onion, chopped
Directions:
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add avocado oil. Once hot, add in ground beef. Break the beef up into small bits. Add the shallot or yellow onion, ginger, garlic, chili flakes, and salt and mix with the beef. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the meat is browned and developing some crispy bits, around 7-8 minutes.
Add tamari soy sauce or coconut aminos and fish sauce and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
Serve beef in a bowl over a bed of greens and cauliflower rice. Top with fried egg, avocado, kimchi (or fermented bean sprouts), English cucumber, avocado and garnish with green onions, sesame seeds, and chili flakes or sriracha mayo. Alternatively, you can serve it in cabbage or lettuce leaf cups with any of the same toppings, but without the egg.
Did you make this keto Korean ground beef bulgogi bowls (or lettuce/cabbage cups) recipe? If so, please let me know how it turned out in the comments. Or if you share pics of your creations on Instagram, please tag me so I can see them. Enjoy!
