Description
A fast, flavorful weeknight dinner featuring sweet and savory marinated beef served over fluffy rice with bright, crunchy quick-pickled cucumbers.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1.5 lbs flank steak or skirt steak
- ½ cup soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 1 medium Asian pear or Bosc pear, grated
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 medium English cucumbers, sliced thin
- ½ cup unseasoned rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 cups jasmine or short-grain white rice
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
- 3 stalks green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil (for cooking)
- Sriracha or Gochujang (optional, for serving)
Instructions
- Freeze beef for 15-20 minutes to firm it up, then slice thinly against the grain.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, grated pear, minced garlic, and black pepper to create the marinade.
- Add sliced beef to the marinade, toss to coat, cover, and refrigerate for 15-30 minutes.
- While beef marinates, slice cucumbers thinly on a bias. In a small bowl, combine rice vinegar, sugar, salt, and red pepper flakes. Add cucumbers and toss to coat. Set aside to pickle.
- Rinse rice until water runs clear and cook according to package directions (1:1.5 rice to water ratio). Fluff with a fork and keep warm.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with 1 tablespoon neutral oil. Add beef in a single layer (cook in batches if necessary) and sear for 2-3 minutes per side until caramelized and cooked through.
- Drain excess liquid from pickled cucumbers if needed.
- Assemble bowls by spooning rice into bowls, topping with hot beef, arranging pickled cucumbers, and sprinkling with toasted sesame seeds and green onions. Serve with Sriracha or Gochujang if desired.
Notes
Freezing the beef makes slicing much easier. Do not overcrowd the pan when searing beef to ensure a good crust rather than steaming. The pickled cucumbers are best after sitting for at least an hour. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days; pickles last up to a week. Beef freezes well for up to 1 month.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Korean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl per serving
- Calories: 520
- Sugar: 12
- Sodium: 850
- Fat: 16
- Saturated Fat: 4
- Carbohydrates: 58
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 32
Keywords: Korean beef, bulgogi, rice bowl, quick pickled cucumber, weeknight dinner, easy recipe, Asian pear marinade, seared beef