Easy Spicy Korean Ground Beef with Cucumber Salad
A fast, weeknight-friendly bowl of spicy Korean-inspired ground beef topped with a cool, tangy cucumber salad for the perfect balance of heat, crunch, and comfort.
Ingredients
Beef mixture
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon gochujang Korean chili paste
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger finely grated
- 3 tablespoons green onions thinly sliced, divided
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds for serving, optional
Cucumber salad
- 1 medium cucumber thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil optional
- 1 pinch salt to taste
- 1 teaspoon sugar optional, to balance the vinegar
Instructions
- Warm a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it apart with a spatula, until browned and no longer pink, about 5–7 minutes. If there is a lot of fat in the pan, carefully spoon off the excess.
- Stir in the soy sauce, gochujang, brown sugar, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger. Let the mixture simmer for 3–4 minutes, stirring often, until the sauce thickens slightly and coats the beef.
- While the beef simmers, combine the sliced cucumber, rice vinegar, sesame oil, salt, and sugar in a mixing bowl. Toss well and let the cucumber sit for about 5 minutes so it lightly softens and absorbs the dressing.
- Stir about two-thirds of the sliced green onions into the beef and taste the mixture, adding a little more soy sauce or gochujang if needed.
- To serve, spoon the spicy Korean ground beef into bowls (over rice, if you like). Top generously with the cucumber salad, then finish with the remaining green onions and sesame seeds.
Notes
For a milder version, start with less gochujang and add more only after tasting. If you prefer extra crunch, slice a second cucumber and toss it with a splash of rice vinegar just before serving.