Bibimbap, the ultimate comfort food!
Bibimbap (비빔밥) is probably one of the most well-known and beloved Korean dishes to many people. Even if people don’t know anything about Korea, it’s not too difficult to find people who had bibimbap sometime in their lives.
What is Bibimbap?
Bibimbap simply translates to “mixed rice with meat and assorted vegetables“. You can make endless variations to this dish depending on your preference and dietary requirements (e.g. microgreens bibimbap) and also based on the dish/bowl it is served in (e.g. dolsot bibimbap and yangpun bibimbap).
More traditional and authentic versions of bibimbap are made with raw beef and raw egg yolk along with other vegetables, but I prefer making mine with cooked ingredients.
As I was growing up, my mom used make bibimbap to get rid of vegetable side dishes (banchan) that are getting a few days old (less fresh) or when she didn’t want to put much effort into a meal, she would just take out a few sautéed and seasoned vegetables and kimchi from the fridge, add a sprinkle of seasoned seaweed strips and made simple vegetarian bibimbap.
So I don’t recall having much nicely presented bibimbap, like the top picture above at home, yet regardless of the presentation her bibimbap was always tasty! Anyway, how do you make your bibimbap? Any secret ingredients to share with us?
I hope you enjoy my recipe!
Ingredients for Bibimbap (Serves 3 to 4)
Meat and Meat sauce
- 100g / 3.5 ounces beef mince (or other cuts)
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp minced garlic
Vegetables and Others
- 250g (0.6 pounds) seasoned spinach
- 350g (0.8 pounds) seasoned bean sprouts – (You don’t have to use them up if you think it’s too much but I love having lots of vegetables on my bibimbap!)
- 100g (3.5 ounces) shiitake mushroom
- 120g (4.2 ounces) carrots (1 small)
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt (1/4 tsp each will be used when cooking shiitake mushroom and carrots)
- 3 to 4 serving portions of steamed rice
- 3 or 4 eggs (depending on the serving portion)
- Some cooking oil to cook the meat, mushroom, carrots and eggs – I used rice bran oil.
- Some toasted seasoned seaweed, shredded (long thin cut)
Bibimbap sauce
- 2 Tbsp gochujang
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- 1 Tbsp sugar – I used raw sugar
- 1 Tbsp water
- 1 Tbsp roasted sesame seeds
- 1 tsp vinegar – I used apple vinegar
- 1 tsp minced garlic
Note
- Other vegetable options – Daikon radish salad, Korean cucumber side dish, Gosari and Bellflower root
- If you don’t feel like preparing any of the above vegetable side dishes, you could use your choice of salad too.
- Feel free to check out my three other bibimbap sauces!
- If you want to learn more about Korean cooking ingredients, check my essential Korean cooking ingredients list!
- 1 Tbsp = 15 ml
How to Make Bibimbap
1. Prepare and cook ingredients as below.
– For meat, mix the beef mince with the meat sauce listed above. Marinate the meat for about 30 mins while you are working on other ingredients to enhance the flavour. Add some cooking oil into a wok and cook the meat on medium high to high heat. It takes about 3 to 5 mins to thoroughly cook it.
– Mix the bibimbap sauce ingredients in a bowl.
– Cook spinach and bean sprouts per linked recipe.
– Rinse, peel and julienne the carrots. Add some cooking oil and 1/4 tsp of fine sea salt in a wok and cook the carrots on medium high to high heat for 2 to 3 mins.
– Clean/rinse the shiitake mushrooms and thinly slice them. Add some cooking oil and 1/4 tsp of fine sea salt in a wok and cook the mushrooms on medium high to high heat until they are all cooked. (It takes 2 to 3 mins.)
– Make fried eggs. (While sunny side up is common, you can make them per your preference.)
2. Put the rice into a bowl and add the meat, assorted vegetables, seasoned seaweed, bibimbap sauce, and the egg on top of the rice. Serve.
3. To eat, mix the ingredients in the bowl, and enjoy!
How I Make It: Step-by-Step Recipe Video
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Bibimbap - Korean Mixed Rice with Meat and Assorted Vegetables
Ingredients
Meat and meat sauce
- 100 g beef mince (3.5 ounces), (or other cuts)
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp minced garlic
Vegetables and other
- 250 g spinach (0.6 pounds)
- 350 g bean sprouts (0.8 pounds), You don’t have to use them up if you think it’s too much but I love having lots of vegetables on my bibimbap!
- 100 g shiitake mushroom (3.5 ounces)
- 120 g carrots (4.2 ounces, 1 small)
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt (1/4 tsp each will be used when cooking shiitake mushroom and carrots)
- 3 cups steamed rice (3 to 4 serving portions )
- 3 eggs (3 or 4 depending on the serving portion)
- Some cooking oil (to cook the meat, mushroom, carrots and eggs – I used rice bran oil)
- Some toasted seasoned seaweed shredded (long thin cut)
Bibimbap sauce - The below sauce might be only enough for 3 servings if you like eating it spicy.
- 2 Tbsp gochujang
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- 1 Tbsp sugar - I used raw sugar
- 1 Tbsp water
- 1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- 1 tsp vinegar - I used apple vinegar
- 1 tsp minced garlic
Instructions
- Prepare and cook ingredients as below. - For meat, mix the beef mince with the meat sauce listed above. Marinate the meat for about 30 mins while you are working on other ingredients to enhance the flavour. Add some cooking oil into a wok and cook the meat on medium high to high heat. It takes about 3 to 5 mins to thoroughly cook it.- Mix the bibimbap sauce ingredients in a bowl.- Cook spinach and bean sprouts per linked recipe.- Rinse, peel and julienne the carrots. Add some cooking oil and 1/4 tsp of fine sea salt in a wok and cook the carrots on medium high to high heat for 2 to 3 mins.- Clean/rinse the shiitake mushrooms and thinly slice them. Add some cooking oil and 1/4 tsp of fine sea salt in a wok and cook the mushrooms on medium high to high heat until they are all cooked. (It takes 2 to 3 mins.)- Make fried eggs. (While sunny side up is common, you can make them per your preference.)
- Put the rice into a bowl and add the meat, assorted vegetables, seasoned seaweed, bibimbap sauce, and the egg on top of the rice. Serve.
- To eat, mix the ingredients in the bowl, and enjoy!
Notes
- Other vegetable options - Daikon radish salad, Korean cucumber side dish, Gosari and Bellflower root
- If you don't feel like preparing any of the above vegetable side dishes, you could use your choice of salad too.
- Feel free to check out my three other bibimbap sauces!
- If you want to learn more about Korean cooking ingredients, check my essential Korean cooking ingredients list!
- 1 Tbsp = 15 ml
Nutrition Info (per serving)
The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
