Korean Bulgogi Meatball Rice Bowls
Korean Bulgogi Meatball Rice Bowls
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Cuisine
Korean
Servings
6
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Gochugaru is the famous chile pepper associated with so many wonderful Korean dishes, including the famous Korean sweet and spicy grilled or stir-fried beef dish, bulgogi. We borrow the sweetness and sesame fragrance of bulgogi to make baked meatballs flavored with a whisper of garlic and a present, but not overwhelming gochugaru heat. Paired with hot rice, kimchi, and tangy marinated cucumbers they’re a shortcut to the flavors of Korean barbecue that’s meal-prep and weeknight friendly.
Ingredients
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2 pounds 80/20 ground beef
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2 eggs
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1 medium onion, roughly chopped
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3 garlic cloves, peeled
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2 Tablespoons soy sauce
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2 Tablespoons toasted sesame oil
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2 Tablespoons honey or maple syrup
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3 teaspoons kosher salt
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1 ½ cups panko breadcrumbs
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3 scallions, finely chopped
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2-3 teaspoons Gochugaru chile powder, plus more to serve
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2 teaspoons sesame seeds
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1 cucumber
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1 teaspoon sugar
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Cooked rice
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Kimchi
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Butter lettuce (if making lettuce wraps instead of rice bowls)
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Optional: Korean BBQ Sauce to serve
Directions
Preheat oven to 375F or 350F if your oven has a convection setting.
In a blender or food processor, combine onion and garlic and pulse to chop. Add 2 teaspoons of salt, the soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, and honey or maple syrup and puree.
In a large bowl, add eggs and whisk until lightly beaten. Pour in the onion mixture from the blender and stir to combine. Add breadcrumbs, scallions, gochugaru, and sesame seeds and mix well. Finally add the beef and mix lightly but thoroughly.
Using wet hands or a cookie scoop, shape the meatball mixture into 1 ½ inch balls. This will make about 20 meatballs of this size. Place meatballs on greased racks set onto rimmed baking sheets. Bake uncovered until browned and cooked to an interior temperature of 160F, about 20 minutes. If meatballs are cooked directly on baking sheet, they will cook a bit faster.
Meanwhile, slice cucumber into thin rounds. Toss slices in a bowl with the remaining teaspoon of salt and sugar. Let sit until ready to serve, about 15 minutes, then drain any free liquid out of the bowl and drizzle with a few drops of toasted sesame oil and a few pinches of Gochugaru.
To make the rice bowl, serve meatballs with hot rice, marinated cucumbers, and kimchi. If making lettuce wraps, serve with leaves of butter lettuce. If you want a bit of sauce, serve with bottled Korean BBQ sauce.
