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A paleo Korean ground beef that cooks inexpensive meat with sweet and spicy seasonings. It’s a dish that can be cooked and served within 15 minutes.
With the long, cold New England winter finally coming to an end, I don’t want to be spending a lot of time in the kitchen making dinner when I get home from work. I’d rather be outside getting some fresh air after being inside an office all day.
In my search for quick and easy dinners, I found a Korean beef recipe at the blog Lizzy Writes that can get you out of the house fast. It’s made with lean ground beef which is one of the fastest meats to cook.
After browning the meat, it’s simmered in a sweet and spicy seasoning mix to absorb the flavor. The sweetener and crushed peppers can be adjusted as desired to make it sweeter or spicier to suit your taste. I personally like it like on the sweet and heavier on the spice.
If you like the sweet and spicy taste of General Tso Chicken, this Korean ground beef recipe has a similar flavor that you will likely enjoy. For the sweetness, I used a liquid stevia that adds no carbs or calories. Usually, brown sugar is mixed into the soy sauce seasoning.
Ingredients to make Korean beef from ground meat
The original recipe called for brown sugar so I added just a touch of blackstrap molasses which is the concentrated byproduct of making sugar crystals. Some may argue that blackstrap molasses is a sugar and not low carb, but I use it in moderation and never had a problem. It can be omitted, though, if you are strict keto or paleo.
However, blackstrap molasses is full of minerals like manganese, copper, iron, calcium, and potassium which most people are lacking. Therefore, blackstrap molasses is where all the healthy parts of sugar cane go in the sugar refining process. A golden low carb sweetener could be used instead or a small amount of fiber sweetener.
Crushed red peppers provides the spice in this dish. There’s also a hint of ginger and soy sauce along with garlic.
If you are gluten free and or paleo, coconut aminos seasoning sauce is a great replacement for soy sauce. Not all soy sauce contains gluten, but personally, I’ve been trying to get away from soy so I’ve switched to coconut aminos.
I used a whole bundle of green onions to top off the dish. I just chopped these up quickly while the meat was browning. Once the meat was brown, I added the seasonings. I used a heaping teaspoon of crushed red peppers since I wanted it to be on the spicier side.
How to prepare Korean ground beef
This is one of the easiest skillet recipes ever! You simply brown the ground beef in a large skillet with garlic in hot oil. Then drain off the fat if desired.
The seasonings are then added which are stevia, molasses (if using), soy sauce, ginger, and red pepper. Next the mixture is simmered for a few minutes to blend in the seasonings.
Although you can eat this dish plain, it’s traditionally served over rice. And since we want to keep things low carb, just whip up a quick batch of cauliflower rice in the microwave to serve it with.
This delicious Korean beef dish is paleo friendly and easily made within 15 minutes. Therefore, you’ll have an amazing gourmet quality keto meal at home in no time. Why not serve it for dinner tonight or for an easy weeknight meal next week? It’s sure to become a family favorite!
Other paleo ground beef recipes
If you’re looking for more paleo friendly recipes with ground beef, the list below are just a few of my favorites:
- AIP Paleo Hamburger Stew – Unlike other beef stew recipes, this one using a pumpkin base instead of tomato.
- Low Carb Crack Slaw – A quick and easy skillet dish that combines shredded cabbage and ground beef.
- Unstuffed Cabbage Soup – Get all the flavor of stuffed cabbage without the work in this simple soup recipe.
- Mexican Zucchini and Beef – Another simple skillet dish that’s quick and easy to prepare in less than 30 minutes.
- Filipino Eggplant Burgers – Eggplant is mixed with ground beef to make burger patties with some hidden veggie.
- Hamburger Beef Stroganoff – Serve fresh zucchini noodles with this creamy beef and mushroom topping.
Do you have a favorite paleo ground beef recipe? I’d love to hear about it in the comments.
Paleo Korean Ground Beef Recipe
Enjoy this quick and easy skillet dish that’s perfect for a simple weeknight dinner. And if you do give it a try, let us know what you think in the comments below.
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Paleo Korean Ground Beef
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil or olive oil
- 1 1/4 pound lean ground beef
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon SweetLeaf stevia drops
- 1/2 teaspoon blackstrap molasses can be left out or replaced with a low carb sweetener
- 1/4 cup soy sauce or coconut aminos for paleo
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger minced or a couple dashes ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper I like it spicy, use less if desired
- 1 bunch green onions sliced
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat and brown ground beef with garlic in the oil. Drain off fat.
- Add stevia, molasses, soy sauce, ginger, and red pepper.
- Simmer and stir for a few minutes to blend seasonings.
- Serve over cauliflower rice and top with sliced green onions.
Notes
Low Carb Sweeteners | Keto Sweetener Conversion Chart
Nutrition
Additional Info
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Note on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts as it has been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.
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Lisa MarcAurele has been creating keto friendly recipes since 2010. She enjoys experimenting in the kitchen to create low sugar foods that taste like high carb favorites!
Jscott says
YUM!!!! I added some fresh cucumbers and red pepper to top it off with a fresh element and it was so good. Thanks for the great recipe. I’m going to use this sauce for chicken lettuce wraps too. 😬
Wendy says
I made this tonight and it was fantastic. Unfortunately I made it a little too spicy and need to find a way to”fix” the leftovers. Any suggestions?
Lisa MarcAurele says
You can add more ingredients to dilute the spice, add a little dairy or lemon juice, or try adding in a little more sweetener to offset.
Bri says
What is the serving size for this?
Lisa MarcAurele says
It’s roughly a cup or a little more.
Lori Geurin says
Korean Beef is one of our family favorites and I was super excited to see your recipe for the low-carb version! I’m making it tonight and can’t wait to serve up a healthier version of a dish everyone will love. Thank you, Lisa!
Lisa MarcAurele says
Hope you and your family love this simple recipe!
Keely says
This was so good!! My 1 year old and 4 year old loved it. We are switching to a lower carb lifestyle for health reasons and this is one of the best meals we’ve had since our big change. Thank you!
Lisa says
You’re welcome! I’m happy to hear the kids enjoyed this one too.
Donna says
I’ve made this a few times and it’s definitely a keeper! This last time, I added some shredded bok choy cabbage and broccoli at the end of the cooking time. I know it’s not traditional to add those veggies, but it makes my life easier…one pan.
Lisa says
One pan meals are the best so adding in the veggies is perfect!
Katy says
My daughter loves traditional Korean beef, so I’d love to give this a try! Is there a susbstitite for the stevia? I prefer to use honey for a sweetener, but I have no idea how much to use. TIA!
Lisa says
I’d try 1/4 – 1/2 cup.
Marilyn says
Can I substitute surkin gold for the molasses? I want this keto friendly.
Thanks. Marilyn
Lisa says
You can.
Adel says
I don’t have molasses. Is there a good substitute?
Lisa says
You can leave it out or use a low carb brown sweetener.
Kristine says
I’m going to definitely try this. If my 4 year approves this will be a godsend! I’ll let you know. We are switching to paleo for developmental reasons and that this is one of his few favorite foods, minus the high amount of brown sugar! Thank you!
Lisa says
My 4 year old eats this, but I have to reduce the spiciness.
Chelsea says
OH MY GOSH THIS IS GOOD! This is our third day on keto, and so far the hardest, but this over cauliflower rice SAVED us for dinner. I didn’t have the molasses, so I just used 1 tsp of Stevia, and it was incredible! Highly recommend, and look forward to making more of your recipes!
Lisa says
Stevia is much better for keto than molasses so you made a good choice with the sub.
Mike says
Made this – it was so good! So much flavor
Lisa says
Glad you liked it Mike!
Kiara says
I had this last night exactly as written. Was amazing.
Lisa says
Thanks Kiara! 🙂
Isata says
Was wondering if I could substitute the black molasses and stevia for Splenda?
Lisa says
You can. Try 2-4 tablespoons Splenda instead.
Amanda says
How many packets of truvia would I use?
Lisa says
I’d try 4-8 depending on taste.
Lanitia talley says
HI I was wondering if you could use thinly sliced beef for this recipe
Lisa says
You can. I just chose ground beef as it’s what we usually have in the freezer.
Vivian says
We had this for dinner tonight and loved it. My first try with one of your recipes left me wondering (to be honest… ). I had tried the chicken tenders and did not care for them at all. (They were dry and sort of sweet…. we had to scrape the coating off to eat them.) I cook a lot and realize ovens, ingredients, etc. can make a difference so when I saw this recipe I decided to try another of your recipes. We loved it! It is inexpensive, different, quick for weeknights and can even be made ahead of time. Thank you! I will continue to try your recipes and feel the tenders must have been a fluke thing!! 😉
Lisa says
Thanks for giving this one try! I think a lot of people just don’t care for the spice mix on the tenders and it is difficult to cook just right. I know my convection oven helps a lot in keeping meat juicy cause it cooks at a lower temperature.
Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious says
Wow does that look good!
Lisa says
Thanks!
Lauren @ Wicked Spatula says
My husband would love this and anything Korean and I’m game! Winner of a recipe, thanks!
Lisa says
I’m sure he would love!
Debra @ Bowl Me Over says
New fan of your Facebook page and BIG fan of this recipe! Love Korean flavors and so excited to try this!!!
Lisa says
Thanks Debra! This recipe is delicious, quick and easy.
Dee Dee (My Midlife Kitchen) says
You had me at “Korean”. :o) After spending a couple months there a decade ago or so, I became obsessed with the flavors of Korea. I love bulgogi, but it’s a little more labor intensive than this dish, so I never get around to making it. This looks like a great alternative! Can’t wait to try it!
Lisa says
Bulgogi is a fantastic marinated beef dish, but this one is much faster to make.
Amanda says
This looks great! I’m going to have to try it for sure!
Lisa says
You will love this one Amanda!