Korean Ground Beef Recipe (Easy, Keto, & Low-Carb)

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Make this easy Korean Ground Beef Recipe in 20 minutes or less! It’s a dairy-free, keto, and low-carb meal made with budget-friendly ingredients the whole family will love. Serve in a bowl or wrap. It’s up to you!

This recipe is part of the keto ground beef stir fry recipes series.

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Easy One-Pan Dinner Meal

Who knew one of the hardest parts of growing up and becoming an adult is cooking dinner every night?

My goodness, the job never ends!

Luckily, one-pan skillet meals and easy keto recipes like this Asian-inspired ground beef recipe are quick to make and super delicious.

I’m always adding keto ground beef recipes to my printable keto meal plan because they are family-friendly meals that never fail.

This simple stir fry recipe is a great way for beginners on a keto diet to gain confidence in the kitchen and serve budget-friendly meals the whole family will enjoy.

It’s a good idea to buy ground beef in bulk and save money on your grocery bill every chance you get. I’ve followed this strategy for years and don’t plan to stop anytime soon!

How to Make Korean Ground Beef Keto & Low-Carb Friendly

Keto Korean beef has all the spicy flavor of the traditional recipe but with a fraction of the carbs and completely gluten-free.

Many Korean beef bowl recipes have rice and sugars but not this one!

Ingredients

Gather nine low-carb and keto-friendly ingredients. You probably already have most of these in your kitchen. 

Coconut oil – Using oil rather than butter or duck fat keeps this recipe dairy-free. Coconut oil has a mild flavor and is resistant to oxidation at high heat, making it great for stir-frying. (1)

Garlic and ginger – Fresh garlic and ginger are best. You can also substitute with ¼ teaspoon garlic powder and 1 teaspoon dried ginger powder.

Ground beef – An 80/20 blend of ground beef, or thereabout, works great!

Keto soy sauce – Make your own homemade Keto Soy Sauce or use a store-bought option like tamari (gluten-free, organic soy), Bragg’s liquid aminos (gluten-free, non-GMO soy), or coconut aminos (gluten and soy-free) to add the classic Asian flavor.

Sesame oil – Don’t leave out the sesame oil! It brings the whole meal together and adds the signature Chinese food taste.

Red chili pepper flakes – Bring the heat with as many red chili pepper flakes as you can handle. Korean beef is known to be a spicy dish.

Sesame seeds – Not only does garnishing with sesame seeds make the dish extra pretty, but they also add a subtly nutty flavor.

Green onion – Finely chopped green onion makes the dish pop with color and adds a bit more flavor.

Directions

Follow step by step to make the perfect Korean ground beef recipe!

Warm the oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Sauté garlic and ginger for 1 minute.

Add the meat and stir fry until browned and cooked to your liking.

Combine soy sauce and sesame oil in a small bowl. Pour over meat and simmer for 2-3 minutes until reduced and thickened.

Season with red hot chili pepper flakes. Mix well.

Remove from heat and garnish with sesame seeds and green onion. Serve warm over cauliflower rice in a bowl or use medium size lettuce or cabbage leaves as wraps.

Korean Ground Beef Recipe Variations

You can’t compromise on the ground beef, sesame oil, ginger, chili, or soy sauce when it comes to Korean ground beef. These are essential to making the recipe what it is – spicy Asian food.

However, you do have some wiggle room in other areas.

For example, you can add a squeeze of lime over the meat just before serving.

Some people enjoy mixing 1 tablespoon of Siracha sauce into the soy sauce.

Furthermore, there are options regarding what to serve with Korean beef.

What to Serve with Korean Beef

Filling a lettuce wrap with Korean ground beef is usually enough for lunch, but you might want to bulk up the meal a little more for dinner.

Traditionally, people serve this dish as a Korean beef rice bowl. Since we don’t eat rice on keto, filling a bowl with low-carb cauliflower rice or miracle rice is the perfect keto alternative.

This simple swap reduces the carb count significantly! Per serving, this recipe only has 1 gram of total carb. 

Plus, with 25 grams of fat and 21 grams of protein, you can see this is an ideal keto meal with great keto macros for fat loss!

The spicy meat is also nice with a simple side salad and raw sauerkraut or kimchi.

How to Store Korean Ground Beef

You can make this easy Korean beef recipe ahead of time. Reheat the dish with a splash or two of water in a skillet or pot before serving. Alternatively, portion out the meat and rice or wraps into separate containers, and you’ll have ready-to-eat meals for the week.

To freeze the beef, store it in freezer-safe airtight containers once cool. Then, reheat as directed above when you’re ready to serve.

More Asian Keto Recipes

I love making low-carb versions of my favorite keto recipes! 

These are great alternatives because so many Asian food recipes contain a lot of sugar. However, these recipes are all gluten-free, keto, and low-carb!

Here are more ideas to try:

• Keto Ground Beef Stir-Fry
• Ground Beef Keto Egg Roll in a Bowl
• Beef and Cabbage Stir-Fry
• Low-Carb Egg Drop Soup
• Cabbage Noodles with Ground Beef

This is just one of many family-friendly low-carb 30 minute meals for lunch or dinner.