It’s the first Monday of the NEW YEAR, and errybody in the club gettin’ healthy! Which is why today we are partying up these Korean BBQ Steak Bowls.
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Thanks so much for this wonderful recipe! I have a major weakness for Eastern dishes, although getting them right can sometimes be a bit tricky. Fortunately, this recipe was both straight forward and delicious!
This veggie-loaded mountain features thinly sliced Korean BBQ steak, a rainbow of bell peppers, scallions, greens, wonton strips (!) because health means nothing unless it actually tastes good 👅, and a spicy sesame ginger dressing. So much flavor // so much crunch // 100% versatility.
Some ideas for this combo, depending on your mood:
- Make it as a salad! Crunchy, cold, and filling. Ready whenever.
- Make it as a stir fry salad! Just the same as a salad, but stir-fried. Warm enough to feel comforting, but still healthy enough to feel 💪.
- Make it as a regular stir fry which involves serving it over a little bit of rice, brown rice, quinoa, etc. Because sometimes all the veggies are just THERE and this becomes necessary.
- Make it as a noodle stir fry, meaning you’re going to add some rice noodles to the mix and I’m going to be EXTREMELY JEALOUS that I’m not having lunch with you because I live for noodles.
- Make it as a filling for a wrap! It would be so good in a grilled wrap kind of situation. Also – it might be 1998 because I just told you to make this as A WRAP. Do people still make wraps?
No matter the format you choose, this baby is all about the flavorful, thinly cut, quick-seared steak, the rainbow of veggies (spiralized bell peppers are THE BEST), and the crunch of the wontons all tossed together in a perfect textural harmony. PLUS (you were waiting for it) the oh-happy-day flavor of the spicy sesame dressing.
Friends, something big has happened in my life in the last two weeks.
I’ve discovered a local lunch delivery service that brings food FROM YOUR FAVORITE RESTAURANTS straight to your working self. Or your at-home self. It’s like having personalized restaurant delivery around the clock.
(If you’re local to Minneapolis, it’s called BiteSquad. Have at it.)
The dark side of this discovery is that this is absolutely going to be the death of any potential healthy lunch resolutions in 2016. Will I ever bring a lunch from home again? Ohmygosh, it’s going to be hard. You may also be seeing more ads on Pinch of Yum in 2016 because this is not the cheapest lunch option and SOMEONE needs to be funding my habits. I cannot even describe to you how much willpower I have to use on a daily basis NOT to order lunch and have it delivered. Chipotle chicken tacos? Freshii veggie bowls? Chicken curry and naan? Authentic hummus and falafel? Spicy tamales? *willpower willpower WILLPOWERRRRR*
There is a mantra I’ve recently adopted (slash quote I’ve recently borrowed) that is either helping to justify this new-found lunch delivery addiction or destroying me one lunch at a time.
“In order to make delicious food, you must eat delicious food.” – Jiro Ono
So OBVIOUSLY it should be okay for me to order lunch every day ever? Come on, Bjork. I have to have to have to eat delicious food. IT’S MY JOB.
But see what happens when I order lunch?
I get a salad that completely rocks my world (the K-Town salad at Sprout Salad in downtown Minneapolis for reference – RUN) and then I make an at-home version for the blog (this 👇) so the food joy can live on LONG past lunchtime.
I dunno, seems appropriate to me. 🎉
A WORD ABOUT THE PEPPERS:
Okay, this little hack is way too fun. I highly recommend spiralizing your bell peppers for this recipe. They take on the shape of noodles and make for really versatile and healthy stir-frys and such, like this Rainbow Vegetarian Pad Thai. And bell peppers are really just the beginning.
Here’s the spiralizer I am using right now: http://amzn.to/2fGPN8V
If you want to see the video Bjork and I made showing how the spiralizer works, which one NOT to buy, and what else you can do with it, check out this post (8 Life-Changing Ways to Use a Spiralizer).
A WORD ABOUT THE INGREDIENTS YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE:
You can grab them on Amazon with 2-day delivery straight to your door. Boom!
Sambal Oelek (spicy chili paste): http://amzn.to/2fGUb7z
Mirin (sweet rice wine): http://amzn.to/2f1ZcpQ
Toasted Sesame Oil: http://amzn.to/2f23ldf
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Korean BBQ Steak Bowls with Spicy Sesame Dressing
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 3-4 1x
Description
Korean BBQ Steak Bowls! Featuring Korean BBQ steak, bell peppers, scallions, greens, wonton strips, a spicy sesame ginger dressing.
Ingredients
For the Spicy Sesame Dressing
- 2/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup mirin
- 1 tablespoon fresh minced or crushed ginger
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 2–3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1–2 tablespoons sambal oelek (spicy chili paste)
- 5 cloves garlic
For the Korean BBQ Steak Bowls
- 1 lb. top sirloin steak, cut into very thin pieces
- 2 bell peppers (red and yellow), spiralized or cut into strips
- 2 handfuls of spinach
- wonton strips, scallions, and sesame seeds for topping
Instructions
- Pulse the dressing ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Place the steak in a bag and cover with enough dressing to coat. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours (now would be a good time to prep all other veggies).
- Heat a very heavy pan over high heat. Pull the steak out of the sauce and discard remaining sauce. Add the steak to the pan with a little oil if necessary depending on what type of pan you are using. It should sizzle! Let the steak sit for 1-2 minutes to get a golden brown sear, flip if necessary, or just remove from the pan and let it finish cooking on a plate. How long you cook the meat for is dependent on how well-done you want your steak, but just keep it mind that it cooks quickly because it’s sliced very thinly.
- Toss all the veggies and steak together with enough dressing to coat (you will likely have extra – save it in the fridge for another round). Throw in the wontons and scallions just before serving.
Notes
Add some big bold kimchi or seaweed or a soft-boiled egg if you want Korean BBQ Steak Bowls 2.0!
Nutrition facts are for 4 servings. Includes half of the dressing for 4 servings, and does not include wonton strips.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: Korean-Inspired
Keywords: korean bbq steak bowls, steak bowls, korean bbq
Disclaimer: this post contains affiliate links.
One More Thing!
This recipe is part of our favorite bell pepper recipes page. Check it out!
Is it weird that I have been waiting for you to write a post? I realised in the last week how much I look forward to hearing from you every couple of days! This bowl like all the other bowls on PoY looks amazing, and I seriously can’t wait to try it. Happy New Year to you + Bjork + Sage. And puhlleaaasee put these bowls on sale, and make them ship to India because I really want one!
aww, I missed being here! thanks for the warm welcome back, Richa!
All I can say about this recipe is “lemme see your pop see koo” Looking so good! Healthy and I’d be willing to pay 10 bucks a pound for this at our local luxury grocery store. Alrighty then, I’ll just make it myself. Because the more I read about restaurant food ~ the more I think you had better eat at home. Chipotle anyone? I mean c’mon. The garlic & ginger are super amazing in this recipe because they boost your immune system right now in the prime of cold and flu season. And ginger settles your stomach for all those cursed with the stomach flu this year , it’s insane this year! Everyone is sick!
Thanks Laura! Love your notes about the nutrition!
This looks delicious! Thanks for sharing 🙂
http://www.nikkisplate.com
I just want to say… I think you’re my spirit person. I love the way you write! Also, I’m a HUGE foodie and you are doing EXACTLY what I would love to do if I didn’t have $250,000 in student loans to pay off. Wait, do you make $250,000? Cuz if you do, I’m totally down to be your southern counterpart who peppers in pictures of her Great Dane
ouch! That is INTENSE Robin. 🙁 We had some student loans, not that much, but still – Bjork used to make us put every last penny towards paying them off and it was not very cool/fun. But now it’s cool to be debt free. 😀 Worth it. Hang in there!! Thanks for the fun comment and hi from Sage to your Great Dane!
I’m on the 20 year plan Being a pharmacist has a price… So many friends think I need to open a restaurant or write a cookbook, but none are willing to pitch in for funds. Haha. Anyways, I recently discovered your blog and I’m a super fan already. My style from food to humor! 🙂 keep up the awesome work!
These were super yummy! My first time ever cooking steak and it was a success! My toddler and 1 year old even loved this meal! Followed the recipe exactly but omitted the spice b/c of the kids and it was still yummy! Served it over rice and also added some steamed broccoli for more veggies!
I did not know that you can spiralize a bell pepper! This is life changing.
Also this is the kind of healthy food that I can get down with. It looks so delicious that you don’t even feel like you’re making the healthy choice! It’s just the yummy choice.
I’m putting all this stuff on my grocery list.
Thank you Libby! Hope you like it!
When my husband and I lived in the Twin Cities, EVERY time we went to Pizzeria Lola he would order the Spicy Korean Beef Pizza. I think if I make this for him, he will be in food heaven! So good — Pinning! 🙂
I can personally vouch for that one, too. SO YUMMY!
This looks so fabulous and saucy and crunchy! And seriously, I am so hungry. Why do I always read your blog when I’m trapped at work and can’t make these things right away?! At least now I know what I’m making for dinner 🙂
Haha thanks Michelle! Hope you enjoy it!
I LOVE Korean food! This reminds me a little bit of a bibambap bowl, except without an egg!
I need to try bibambap. There’s a 50% I ordered it when we were actually IN Seoul, but then what showed up in front of me looked like something different. Chalk it up to travel adventures. 🙂 haha
This looks seriously delicious, I plan on making it soon. My wife is Korean-American, so we did like this.
One comments/question/suggestion for improvement:
The instruction of “cover with enough dressing to coat” is pretty vague. The recipe makes almost an entire cup of marinade, which with full strength soy sauce, would be way too salty for 1 pound of beef. I’m guessing about a third of a cup of marinade would be enough to take care of the meat.
Any chance you could edit this recipe to be a little more specific how much marinade to use it each step?
Also, perhaps using low-sodium soy sauce would be good here as well.
Thanks for your feedback and tips, John! I would suggest using about half the dressing for this amount of meat (both as marinade and dressing) which would be about 1/4 cup for marinade, 1/4 cup for dressing, x 2 for the second batch. Of course, you don’t have to make the full batch of the dressing – I just like to make sauces in double because it makes it quick and easy to prepare the same recipe again a few nights later. 🙂
Looks amazing and delicious as always but what I really came here to say is that I’m voting “errybody in the club gettin’ healthy!” as the funniest new year’s resolution line EVAH. I snorted coffee through my nose when I read it – hilarious!!!!
HAHAHA yay! I’m funnier on paper (screens) than I am in real life, so I’ll take it! 😉
Wow – this looks amazing! I can’t wait to try it, especially as (at your recommendation) I have recently bought a spiralizer 😀
Is this the first Korean-inspired recipe that you have on the blog? I was so excited to see this post as I absolutely adore Korean food <3 <3
Best wishes from a hugeeeeee Pinch of Yum fan in the UK 🙂
Yes! First time! I don’t really know what I’m doing … but I love trying new things out, so here’s to more fun food in 2016!
Just noticed that it says ‘koran’ instead of ‘korean’ in the URL xD
oops! fixed!
The ensalada mexicana at Sprout is amazingggg. I can’t stop ordering it. Maybe one of these days I’ll try one of the others. These bowls look fantastic!
Must try!! Yet another excuse to BiteSquad my life away.
This meaty-salady-asian-y situation is right up my alley! I could totally see it being delicious with noodles or rice or just on it’s own. Definitely going in to a meal plan in the verrry near future!
Hope you like it, Heather!
Can’t tell you enough how much I love your blog & recipes. Don’t know how I managed our meals without the delightfully delicious meals from your website! Thanks again. – Amy
Thanks Amy! 🙂
Love this dish, Lindsay! And your photography and writing always keep me coming back! Thanks. x
Thank you Debs! That means a lot to me!
Yay for tasty/healthy lunches!
Thanks for this great recipe to start off the new year 🙂
Thanks Payton!
This looks like a bowl straight from my favorite mongolian bbq spot. I can’t wait to try making it at home!
Kari
http://www.sweetteasweetie.com
Yes! Love Mongolian BBQ!
Lindsay – I love that your version of healthy food matches mine “Steak? Sure! There’s veggies here!!” Seriously, sesame-ginger is such a powerful flavor combo I could probably cook with it all month long. Hmm… now there’s a diet idea for ya… 😉
Yep – good enough for me! I rarely eat steak or red meat of any kind, so I feel like it’s probably fairly healthy for me to get a good dose of protein and iron in my body once in a great while. 🙂 Plus all those colorful veggies? Winning.
I’ll have to replace the steak with either chicken or pork, but this korean bowl looks so amazing and healthy. And I can’t wait to give the spicy sesame dressing a try!
Holy moly! I’ve never had Korean BBQ before but I am very excited to make this and try it out! It’s beeeaauuuutiful and sounds delicious!
Thanks, Lucia!
This was a usual creation of the wife! Expressing gratitude for the beautiful memory!
dilos
I love steak and peppers and this combo is so uniquely…well…YOU! Thanks for always featuring such different recipes that are also simple and healthy 🙂
Thanks, Jessie!
This sounds delicious! The only problem from my perspective is that I am a vegan, which sort of rules out steak. Would this work with tofu instead of beef? I would guess that the tofu would be cut into cubes instead of thin strips, but the rest of the recipe could stay the same.
Hi, Janet! Tofu would be a great sub to make this a vegetarian dish. 🙂
Honest feedback. Sambal is of Southeast Asian origin, Mirin is Japanese, and wontons are Chinese. What exactly about this dish is Korean? Where is the gochujang?
Thanks for pointing that out! As Lindsay mentioned in the recipe, we are not trying to make claims at authentic Korean cuisine.
Then why call it Korean? You can’t even purchase Sambal in Korea. I used to have that and sriracha shipped from the States. Plus gochujang is delicious and what Koreans use to spice up dishes like this. Maybe calling this Asian doesn’t sounds as good as Korean but this really is a hodgepodge of South and East Asian flavors with nothing specifically Korean.
This recipe looks divine! I am so in!