This post may contain affiliate links, please see our privacy policy for details
Prep 30 minutesmins
Cook 30 minutesmins
Total 1 hourhr
Juicy, tender beef bulgogi mixed with a medley of vegetables, a fried egg, steamed rice, and the most delicious spicy, savory gochujang sauce. Each bite of this bibimbap yields a delightful mixture of flavors and textures.
Let’s make the most satisfying Korean dish—bibimbap! This bibimbap recipe is healthy, delicious, and incredibly easy to throw together for a comforting lunch or dinner.
This delicious Korean rice bowl is made with juicy and flavorful bulgogi beef tossed with seasoned bean sprouts, spinach, carrots, zucchini, mushrooms, steamed rice, a runny fried egg, and a sweet and spicy gochujang sauce that brings the bibimbap bowl together.
Bibimbap is a very popular Korean dish that translates to “mixed rice.” Bibimbap is a rice bowl topped with marinated beef, seasoned vegetables such as bean sprouts, spinach, shiitake mushrooms, carrots, and zucchini, a fried egg, and a sweet, spicy, and savory gochujang sauce.
There are so many different variations of bibimbap as you can swap out the vegetables or proteins based on your preferences such as using bell peppers, cucumbers, kale, tofu or chicken, etc. Traditionally, it is also served in a dolsot, or a hot stone bowl that creates a layer of crispy rice on the bottom.
Cooking each vegetable may seem like a lot of steps, but that is the key to maintaining the delicious textures of each element. If you want a quicker and easier recipe, see my Expert Tips section for quicker cooking tips.
Ingredients
You can find all the ingredients for this bibimbap recipe at your local grocery store. Full measurements and links to everything I used are listed in the recipe card below.
Beef Marinade
Thinly sliced beef: You can find thinly sliced beef (ribeye, sirloin, or tenderloin) in the refrigerated or frozen aisles at any Asian grocery store. Alternatively, you can freeze your steak and thinly slice it yourself.
Garlic Cloves: the main aromatic in the marinade.
Soy Sauce: seasons and enhances the beef flavor.
Honey: adds a gentle natural sweetness for balance.
Sesame Oil: adds a nutty umami finish.
Bibimbap Bowl
Bean Sprouts, Spinach, Carrot, Shiitake Mushrooms, and Zucchini: are the vibrant combination of vegetables in this bowl.
Garlic: seasons the bean sprouts and spinach.
Salt: to season every vegetable
Sesame Oil: adds an umami finish to each vegetable
Short Grain White Rice: or any type of steamed white rice will work.
Rice Vinegar: brightens up the sauce with a tangy acidity.
Soy Sauce: adds salty, umami flavor to the bibimbap sauce.
Sugar: sweetens the sauce to balance out the spicy flavors.
Sesame Oil: adds a delicious umami, nutty finish.
Substitutions and Additions
Substitutions
Bulgogi: Instead of the beef and marinade, you can opt for the more detailed beef bulgogi or chicken recipes.
Protein: other alternatives include tofu, tempeh, or shrimp.
Rice: brown rice, quinoa, sushi rice are good alternatives to white short-grain rice.
Vegetables: kale, bok choy, bell peppers, cucumber, yellow squash, enoki mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, or shredded cabbage can be substituted for any of the vegetables.
Here are the step-by-step instructions for this Korean bibimbap recipe.
Mix the beef, garlic, soy sauce, honey, and sesame oil. Cover and marinate for at least 30 minutes.
Heat the cooking oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet until hot. Add the beef in batches and cook on both sides for 3-4 minutes.
In a large pot, bring salted water to a boil. Boil the bean sprouts for 5 minutes or until softened. Remove and cool with cold water, and squeeze out all the excess water. Then, season with one clove of minced garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil.
Next, blanch the spinach in the same pot for 30 seconds. Then cool with cold water and squeeze out all the excess water. Then season with one clove of minced garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil.
Heat cooking oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the zucchini, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil and cook for 2-3 minutes. Remove and set aside.
Heat cooking oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the carrots, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil and cook for 2-3 minutes. Remove and set aside.
Heat cooking oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the shiitake mushrooms, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil and cook for 4-5 minutes or until browned and softened. Remove and set aside.
In a small mixing bowl, mix the gochujang, garlic, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, and sesame oil.
In a medium bowl, add rice, arrange the beef, mushrooms, carrots, spinach, zucchini, and bean sprouts on top. Drizzle the bibimbap with gochujang sauce and garnish with fried eggs and sesame seeds. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
To shorten the cook time of bean sprouts and spinach, blanch the bean sprouts and then add the spinach in the last minute. Then drain and season with salt and sesame oil.
To shorten the cook time of mushrooms, zucchini, and carrots, saute the mushrooms for 2 minutes, then add the zucchini and carrots for 2-3 minutes and cook altogether until just softened. Season with salt and sesame oil.
Cook the beef on high heat. Bulgogi is traditionally cooked on high heat for a short amount of time to seal in the juices and create a charred flavor. Using a grill, cast iron, or skillet can add a smoky element to the dish.
Adjust the sauce to taste. Before adding the bibimbap sauce to your bowl, taste and adjust the flavors based on your preferences.
Prep the veggies in advance. You can always prep each of the veggies in advance and store them in the refrigerator, so assembling the bowl can be quicker when you are ready to serve.
Storage Instructions
You can store all the toppings for bibimbap and the sauce in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Reheat: microwave covered until warm or reheat in a large skillet over medium-high heat until warm.
Freeze: You can freeze the vegetables, beef and sauce separately from the rice in a freezer safe container once cooled for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight before reheating and serving.
Pairing Suggestions
Bibimbap is best served a complete meal for lunch or dinner. You can pair it with the following pairing suggestions.
What is the difference between dolsot bibimbap and bibimbap?
Bibimbap is a flavorful Korean rice bowl with a medley of vegetables, bulgogi and rice. The traditional method uses a hot stone pot called a dolsot. You can easily cook the rice in a dolsot and add the toppings after to make dolsot bibimbap.
Can I make this bibimbap recipe vegetarian or vegan?
Yes! You can easily swap out the beef for tofu, or more mushrooms, and remove the egg for a vegan version.
Can I make bibimbap in advance?
Yes! You can cook the rice, vegetables, and beef, mix the sauce in advance and store them separately in the refrigerator, assemble the bowl, and reheat in the microwave or stove when ready to serve.
Juicy, tender beef bulgogi mixed with a medley of vegetables, a fried egg, steamed rice, and the most delicious spicy, savory gochujang sauce. Each bite of this bibimbap yields a delightful mixture of flavors and textures.
Marinate the beef. In a large mixing bowl, add the beef, garlic, soy sauce, honey, and sesame oil. Mix until combined. Cover and marinate for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
Cook the beef. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of cooking oil over medium-high heat until hot. Add the beef in batches to prevent overcrowding the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the beef is cooked on both sides. Set aside.
Vegetables
Blanch the bean sprouts. In a large pot, bring water and salt to a boil. Add the bean sprouts and boil for 5 minutes or until softened. Remove and cool with cold water, and squeeze out all the excess water. Then season with one clove minced garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil.
Blanch the spinach. Blanch the spinach in boiling salted water in the same pot for 30 seconds. Then cool with cold water and squeeze out all the excess water. Then, mix one clove minced garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil until combined.
Saute the zucchini. Heat one tablespoon of cooking oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the zucchini, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until wilted. Remove and set aside.
Saute the carrots. In the same pan, heat one tablespoon of cooking oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the carrots, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil and cook for 2-3 minutes or until wilted. Remove and set aside.
Saute the shiitake mushrooms. In the same pan, heat one tablespoon of cooking oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the shiitake mushrooms, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil and cook for 4-5 minutes or until browned and softened. Remove and set aside.
Bibimbap Sauce
Mix the sauce. In a small mixing bowl, add the gochujang, garlic, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, and sesame oil. Mix until combined and set aside.
Assemble. In a medium bowl, add rice, arrange the beef, mushrooms, carrots, spinach, zucchini, and bean sprouts on top. Drizzle the bibimbap bowl with gochujang sauce and garnish with fried eggs and sesame seeds. Enjoy!
Rate & Review What did you think of this recipe?