Easy Korean BBQ Beef Bowls

Start the rice. Get your rice cooking first so everything lands hot and happy at the same time. For about 4 cups cooked rice, cook roughly 1 1/2 cups dry rice using your usual method (rice cooker or stovetop).

Mix the sauce. In a bowl, whisk soy sauce, brown sugar, gochujang, rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil, garlic, and ginger. Taste it now and remember that soy sauce and gochujang bring plenty of salt, so you probably will not need extra. In a small cup, stir cornstarch with water until smooth, then whisk it into the sauce.

Quick cucumber salad. In a medium bowl, toss cucumbers with rice vinegar, sugar, salt, sesame oil, and sesame seeds. Set aside while you cook the beef.

Prep the beef (quick but worth it). If the beef looks damp, pat it dry with paper towels so it sears instead of steaming. Keep the slices loose so they hit the pan in a single layer.

Get the pan hot. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add about 1 tablespoon oil. When it shimmers, you are ready.

Sear the beef in batches. Add half the beef in a single layer. Let it sit 60 to 90 seconds so it browns, then toss and cook another 1 to 2 minutes. Move it to a plate. Repeat with the remaining beef, adding the remaining 1 tablespoon oil (or a little more if the pan looks dry).

Glaze it. Lower heat to medium. Return all beef to the pan, add scallion whites, and pour in the sauce. Stir constantly for 1 to 2 minutes until it turns glossy and lightly thickened and clings to the beef. Turn off the heat and sprinkle in sesame seeds.

Build bowls. Add rice to bowls, top with Korean BBQ beef, then pile on cucumber salad. Finish with scallion greens, extra sesame seeds, and kimchi if you have it.

Taste and adjust. If you want it sweeter, add a pinch more brown sugar. If you want more punch, add a splash of rice vinegar. If you want more heat, add more gochujang. This is your bowl, not a final exam.