Ground Beef Bulgogi with Vegetables

Craving a Healthy High-Protein Dinner? Try This Flavor-Packed Ground Beef Bulgogi with Vegetables

If you’re anything like me, weeknights can feel like a marathon. You want something fast, nourishing, flavorful, and—if you’re lucky—something that doesn’t leave a mountain of dishes in the sink. That’s exactly why I fell in love with this ground beef bulgogi with vegetables. It’s the perfect high protein dinner, and thanks to its one pan magic, it checks every box for busy home cooks who crave comfort food with a healthy twist.

I actually discovered this dish years ago while trying to recreate my favorite Korean takeout bowls at home. I loved the sweet-savory-spicy balance of bulgogi, but traditional recipes can take time—slicing ribeye thinly, marinating it, grilling it. So one night, out of pure exhaustion, I turned it into a skillet meal using ground beef and tossed in every vegetable in my fridge. The result? A fast, easy, unbelievably flavorful Korean-inspired dinner that quickly became a weekly staple in my kitchen.

Today, I’m sharing the refined version of that recipe—complete with exact measurements, a balanced bulgogi sauce, meal prep tips, and plenty of serving ideas. Whether you're new to Korean flavors or already obsessed with gochujang, this is a dinner you'll come back to again and again.

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What Makes Ground Beef Bulgogi With Vegetables So Good?

This dish is essentially the perfect storm of flavor, nutrition, and convenience. Ground beef bulgogi has all the umami goodness of traditional Korean barbecue, but swapping sliced beef for ground beef makes it:

• Faster — cooks in 15 minutes
• Easier — no long marinating time needed
• More affordable — ground beef is budget friendly
• Perfect for a one-pan healthy dinner
• Great for meal prep — reheats beautifully

The vegetables add color, crunch, and nutrients, turning this into a complete balanced meal. Plus, the glossy, sticky bulgogi sauce lightly caramelizes in the skillet, coating every bite in pure comfort food goodness.

Ingredients (Exact Measurements)

Here’s everything you need to make this high-protein Korean bowl:

For the Beef & Vegetables:

• 1 lb (450g) ground beef (lean 90/10 recommended)
• 1 medium carrot, julienned
• 1 medium zucchini, sliced
• 1 cup bell peppers, sliced (any color)
• 1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon avocado oil or sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

For the Bulgogi Sauce & Marinade:

• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar or honey
• 1 tablespoon gochujang
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon ginger, grated
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch (optional, thickens the sauce)

Optional Garnishes:

• Sesame seeds
• Chopped scallions
• Fried or soft-boiled egg

For Serving:

• Cooked rice, quinoa, or cauliflower rice for lighter bowl meals

How to Make This One-Pan Korean Skillet Meal

Follow these simple steps for the perfect skillet bulgogi:

1. Heat the skillet. Add 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat.
2. Brown the beef. Add the ground beef, breaking it apart as it cooks. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Add the vegetables. Stir in onions, carrots, peppers, and zucchini. Cook until tender, about 5–7 minutes.
4. Whisk the bulgogi sauce. Combine soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, rice vinegar, and gochujang. Add cornstarch if you want a thicker glaze.
5. Add sauce to the skillet. Stir and let everything simmer until glossy and caramelized.
6. Serve. Spoon into bowls over rice and garnish with sesame seeds or scallions.

This dish is intentionally forgiving. You can add broccoli, spinach, mushrooms, or even snap peas. The bulgogi marinade pairs beautifully with almost any vegetable.

My Chef Tips for Perfect Bulgogi

• Let the beef brown properly. Don’t stir too often—caramelization creates deeper Korean barbecue flavor.
• Don’t skip the gochujang. It’s the heart of Korean bulgogi flavor—sweet, spicy, rich.
• Use high heat. Bulgogi tastes best when it hits a slightly charred edge.
• Add vegetables in stages. Hard veggies first, soft veggies last.

Chef-Approved Tools to Make This Recipe Even Easier

Here are three kitchen tools I personally recommend—each one improves the cooking process and makes one-pan Korean dinners even faster.

1. Lodge Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet

If you want a perfect sear on your bulgogi, nothing beats a cast iron skillet. It heats evenly, browns beautifully, and lasts a lifetime.

Get the Lodge Cast Iron Skillet here

2. OXO Good Grips Garlic Press

Since this recipe uses fresh garlic, a sturdy garlic press can make prep much easier—no chopping, no sticky fingers, just perfect minced garlic in seconds.

Check out the OXO Garlic Press here

3. Gochujang Paste (Chung Jung One)

A high-quality gochujang makes all the difference. This brand is smooth, balanced, and not overly spicy—perfect for bulgogi sauce and marinades.

Buy your gochujang paste here

Serving Ideas: Build Your Dream Bulgogi Bowl

This dish is incredibly versatile, which is why I often make double so I can use it in several meals throughout the week. Here are some of my favorite ways to enjoy it:

1. Classic Korean-Style Rice Bowl

Serve the bulgogi over warm jasmine rice with a fried egg, sesame seeds, and scallions.

2. Low-Carb “Cauliflower Rice” Bowl

Use cauliflower rice to turn this into a low-carb, high-protein meal.

3. Noodle Stir-Fry Bowl

Toss bulgogi into cooked rice noodles or udon for a comforting Korean noodle dish.

4. Meal Prep Boxes

This dish reheats perfectly. Pack into airtight containers with rice or quinoa for an easy meal prep lunch all week.

Variations & Substitutions

This recipe is incredibly flexible. Try these variations:

• Ground turkey bulgogi — even leaner, great for low-fat diets.
• Ground chicken bulgogi — lighter but still flavorful.
• Vegan tofu bulgogi — crumble tofu and cook the same way.
• Swap veggies — mushrooms, cabbage, broccoli, or spinach all work beautifully.
• Add heat — extra gochujang or Korean chili flakes (gochugaru).

Storage & Meal Prep Tips

• Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days.
• Reheat in a skillet for best texture.
• Divide into bowls for grab-and-go lunches.
• Add a splash of water when reheating to revive the sauce.

This recipe was practically made for meal prep—it holds flavor, moisture, and texture extremely well.

Final Thoughts: Your New Favorite Healthy High-Protein Dinner

This ground beef bulgogi with vegetables is everything I love in a weeknight meal—fast, healthy, comforting, deeply flavorful, and incredibly easy to clean up. The sweet-savory Korean bulgogi marinade brings restaurant-level flavor to your kitchen, while the vegetables add vibrant color and nutrition. It’s the kind of easy skillet meal that becomes part of the weekly rotation without effort.

Whether you’re new to Korean flavors or a longtime fan of gochujang, I’m confident this dish will become your go-to one pan dinner whenever you need something quick, nourishing, and unbelievably delicious.

Make it tonight, save it to Pinterest, share it with your family—this is comfort food you’ll crave again and again.