It may not roll off your tongue (if you’re not used to it), but bibimbap means a variety of ingredients mixed with rice. So, essentially, a Korean rice bowl. You make this meal in layers, building up the rice, then the meat, the veggies, sauce, and finally top it all with an egg. It’s really flexible though, sort of a Korean spin on cleaning out the fridge. This particular bibimbap rice bowl recipe is loosely inspired by a recipe I found on Korean Kitchen.
However, I didn’t have all the ingredients she used, such as sprouts or seaweed, and under current circumstances, I didn’t really want to go out looking for them. The idea was to make this easy for myself, and for you too. In addition, I also wanted to focus on “sturdier” ingredients, such as cabbage and carrots that will last in the fridge, rather than sprouts. You could even use frozen veggies (cook them for less time), like broccoli or one of those frozen stir fry mixes. Definitely not authentic, but still good.
Since I was using cabbage, which takes longer to cook, I just chopped the carrot up, instead of julienning it. That way, the two vegetables would be ready at the same time.
You make this in several stages. If you are using brown rice, start that first, and let it cook while you put the meat mixture together and let that sit so the flavors blend together. If you have white rice, start the meat mixture, and then put up the rice while that’s marinating.
Bibimbap Rice Bowl with Meat and Vegetables
Notes
* If you use sriracha, skip the vinegar and add an additional garlic clove, minced.
If you prefer less heat, reduce the amount of chili garlic sauce and/or increase the sugar.
Ingredients
Rice
- (skip this if you have cooked rice already)
- 2 1/2 C water
- 1 C brown rice (if you have white rice, reduce the water to 2 cups)
Meat Mixture
- 1/4 lb. ground beef or pork
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 small garlic clove, minced
Veggies
- 1/2 cup or about 2-3 leaves, cabbage, cut into long strips (chiffonade)
- 1 carrot, chopped
- Pinch salt
Sauce
- 1 1/2 tsp chili garlic sauce (or sriracha)*
- 1/4 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp rice vinegar
Egg
- 1 T cooking oil (I used canola)
- 1 egg
Instructions
Rice
- Rinse the rice (especially if it's brown).
- Add water to a small saucepan and bring to a boil.
- When the water is boiling, add the rice, and stir it.
- Turn down the heat to low, replace the cover on the pan, slightly ajar, and cook the rice for about 40 minutes (17 for white rice). Once it's cooked, let it rest for five minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve.
Meat Mixture
- While the rice is cooking, mix the meat mixture ingredients together and let it stand for about 30 minutes.
- Heat the oil in a skillet, and add the meat mixture. Cook stirring, until cooked through, about 4 minutes.
- Remove from pan and set aside.
Vegetables
- Add the cabbage and carrots to the pan you used for the meat, adding more oil if needed. Cook for about 10-15 minutes, over medium-high heat, until tender.
Sauce
- Mix all the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl or ramekin.
Egg
- Heat the oil in the skillet, and add the egg.
- Cook, sunny side up until white is firm.
Assembly
- Pour some rice into a bowl, then pile the meat and vegetables on top. Pour in the sauce.
- Top the rice/meat with the cooked egg.
Bibimbap Rice Bowl Substitutions and Variations
- try different vegetables, such as broccoli, mushrooms, bell pepper, or zucchini
- swap the beef for ground chicken or even leftover fish
- this should properly be made with gochujang, which is a spicy Korean pepper paste; if you have it, use it and add about 3/4 tsp water.
More Cabbage Recipes
Chinese Chicken Noodle Cabbage Soup for One Person
Wonderful comfort food when. you’re stuck inside. Just enough soup for a generous serving for one. The spicy hot broth helps clear your head , the garlic, ginger, and chili sauce have anti-bacterial (not viruses, bacteria) qualities, and it’s delicious.
Single Serving Asian Chicken Salad with Cabbage Recipe
Colorful, spicy, and crispy too. All you need to cook is the chicken (or use leftovers).
Small Batch Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls Recipe
Stuffed cabbage is delicious, and pantry-friendly. But making all those separate rolls is a pain. So don’t bother. Layer it like lasagne instead!