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A paleo keto Korean beef bowl that cooks inexpensive ground 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. 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 created a keto Korean beef bowl recipe 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.
If you like the sweet and spicy taste of General Tso Chicken, this recipe has a similar flavor that you will likely enjoy. But this dish is sweetened without sugar to make it keto-friendly.
How to make Korean ground beef bowl without brown sugar
The flavor of brown sugar can be created by adding a small amount of blackstrap molasses. Some may argue that this molasses is a sugar and not low carb, but it shouldn’t be a problem when used sparingly.
However, it can be omitted if you are strict keto or paleo. A golden low carb sweetener could be used instead or a small amount of fiber sweetener syrup.
How to prepare Korean ground beef
This is one of the easiest skillet recipes ever! Just follow these simple steps.
- Brown the ground beef in a large skillet with garlic in hot oil. Then drain off the fat if desired.
- Add stevia, molasses (if using), soy sauce (or coconut aminos for paleo), ginger, and red pepper to season.
- Simmer for a few minutes to blend in the seasonings.
- Serve garnished with chopped green onions.
What to serve with the dish
Although you can eat this dish plain, it’s traditionally served as a Korean beef rice bowl. But we want to keep things low carb, so just whip up a quick batch of cauliflower rice in the microwave to serve it with.
The meat also goes well with a green salad, kimchi, or Asian slaw. You may also want to serve it with additional soy sauce or coconut aminos. And to spice it up more, sprinkle on additional crushed red peppers.
Other paleo ground beef recipes
If you’re looking for more low carb paleo recipes with ground beef, I’ve listed a few of my favorites below:
- Keto Hamburger Soup – Unlike other recipes, this one using a pumpkin base instead of tomato.
- 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.
- Ground Beef and Zucchini – Another simple skillet dish that’s quick and easy to prepare in less than 30 minutes.
- Eggplant Burgers – Ground beef mixed with eggplant to make burger patties with some hidden veggie.
- Keto 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.
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Keto Korean Ground Beef Bowl
Recipe Video (Click on Image to Play)
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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Originally Published March 27, 2015… Last Updated: May 3, 2020
TT
Super yummy! I missed the note about the red pepper being spicy…when I make it again (and I will) I will do half the amount, but that didn’t stop us from eating all of it. Thanks!
Jodi
Thank you so much for this easy recipe. I riced cauliflower for the first time in my new food processor. Also, I sauteed some fresh green beans in garlic to get more veggies in and diced some cucumber for freshness, plus added some sesame seeds. What a delicious and healthy dinner.
Emma
This is so delicious it doesn’t even seem keto to me. I make it exactly as the recipe says and it comes out perfect every time.
Donna C.
This is delicious. I’ve made it a few times and it had become a favorite in our home.
Jscott
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
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
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
What is the serving size for this?
Lisa MarcAurele
It’s roughly a cup or a little more.
Lori Geurin
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
Hope you and your family love this simple recipe!
Keely
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
You’re welcome! I’m happy to hear the kids enjoyed this one too.
Donna
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
One pan meals are the best so adding in the veggies is perfect!
Katy
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
I’d try 1/4 – 1/2 cup.
Marilyn
Can I substitute surkin gold for the molasses? I want this keto friendly.
Thanks. Marilyn
Lisa
You can.
Adel
I don’t have molasses. Is there a good substitute?
Lisa
You can leave it out or use a low carb brown sweetener.
Kristine
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
My 4 year old eats this, but I have to reduce the spiciness.
Chelsea
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
Stevia is much better for keto than molasses so you made a good choice with the sub.
Mike
Made this – it was so good! So much flavor
Lisa
Glad you liked it Mike!
Kiara
I had this last night exactly as written. Was amazing.
Lisa
Thanks Kiara! 🙂
Isata
Was wondering if I could substitute the black molasses and stevia for Splenda?
Lisa
You can. Try 2-4 tablespoons Splenda instead.
Amanda
How many packets of truvia would I use?
Lisa
I’d try 4-8 depending on taste.
Lanitia talley
HI I was wondering if you could use thinly sliced beef for this recipe
Lisa
You can. I just chose ground beef as it’s what we usually have in the freezer.
Vivian
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
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
Wow does that look good!
Lisa
Thanks!
Lauren @ Wicked Spatula
My husband would love this and anything Korean and I’m game! Winner of a recipe, thanks!
Lisa
I’m sure he would love!
Debra @ Bowl Me Over
New fan of your Facebook page and BIG fan of this recipe! Love Korean flavors and so excited to try this!!!
Lisa
Thanks Debra! This recipe is delicious, quick and easy.
Dee Dee (My Midlife Kitchen)
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
Bulgogi is a fantastic marinated beef dish, but this one is much faster to make.
Amanda
This looks great! I’m going to have to try it for sure!
Lisa
You will love this one Amanda!