Name: Lazy Night Korean Beef Bowls
Cook time: 20 min
Ingredients: 2 cups white rice; 1 pound ground beef; 1 pound frozen broccoli florets; 1/4 cup tamari (soy sauce); 1/4 cup pure maple syrup (or honey); 2 Tbsp non-gmo cornstarch or arrowroot powder; 1 tsp sesame oil; 1 tsp grated ginger; 1 tsp minced garlic

Let’s be real—some nights, cooking feels impossible. As moms, we go through phases where the thought of chopping, stirring, and standing over a stove feels like the last thing we want to do. Maybe it’s been a long day at work, school pickups, taekwondo practice (my son’s sport), piano practice, or just the chaos of life. But at the same time, we want to feed the family something nourishing, homemade, and delicious. That’s where meals like my Lazy Night Korean Beef and Broccoli Bowls come to the rescue.

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Be sure to make my Melt In Your Mouth Meatballs recipe next!

Lazy Night Korean Beef and Broccoli Bowls – A Mom’s Go-To Meal When Cooking Feels Like Too Much

This is my go-to dish when I don’t feel like cooking, but still want to put something wholesome on the table. It’s quick, made with simple ingredients, and packs a punch of flavor with minimal effort. No complicated steps, no hard-to-find ingredients—just a handful of pantry staples that come together in under 20 minutes.

Basic Ingredients To Make Korean Beef Bowls:

white rice
ground beef
frozen broccoli
tamari (soy sauce)
pure maple syrup, or honey
corn starch or arrowroot powder (thickener optional)

Learn More About

Easy Bread Making

Learn More

Every Home Needs An Inexpensive Rice Cooker

A rice cooker is one of the best small appliances in my home because it takes the guesswork out of cooking perfect, fluffy rice every time with minimal effort. Beyond rice, it can also be used to steam vegetables, cook grains like quinoa, or even make oatmeal, making it a versatile kitchen staple in my kitchen.

My favorite rice cooker is non-toxic, has a stainless steel liner, and is very affordable. I purchased mine off Amazon.

What makes this meal even better is that it’s a crowd-pleaser. The sweet-savory flavors of the beef, the comforting warm rice, and the crisp freshness of whatever veggies I have on hand make it a well-rounded dish that feels like I put in way more effort than I actually did. It’s also completely customizable—add an egg on top, swap out the beef for ground turkey, or throw in whatever leftover veggies need to be used up.

So, if you’re ever standing in the kitchen, staring at your fridge, and feeling completely unmotivated to cook, remember this recipe. It’s proof that you don’t need to spend hours in the kitchen to serve a meal that feels homemade and full of love. Because at the end of the day, feeding our families well doesn’t mean making it complicated—it just means finding meals that work for us, even on the hardest days.

Other recipes you might enjoy:

Lazy Night Korean Beef Bowls

By Aimee Guess

The perfect meal to make when you don't feel like cooking. It's quick, made with simple ingredients, and packs a punch of flavor with minimal effort. No complicated steps, no hard-to-find ingredients—just a handful of pantry staples that come together in under 20 minutes.

Cook Time 20

Serving Size 6 people

Ingredients

2 cups white rice
1 pound ground beef
1 pound frozen broccoli florets
1/4 cup tamari soy sauce
1/4 cup pure maple syrup or honey
2 Tbsp non-gmo cornstarch or arrowroot powder

Additional Optional Add-Ins:

1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp grated ginger
1 tsp minced garlic

Instructions

To cook the rice: Add 2 cups of rice to the rice cooker. Rinse thoroughly with water, then drain. Next, add fresh water until the level reaches the first crease of your finger above the nail when you touch the top of the rice. It’s the perfect rice to water ratio every time! My favorite Filipino friend taught me this method. Turn the rice cooker on and let it cook until it’s done.
While the rice is cooking, in a large sauce pan cook 1 pound of ground beef. Once it has browned, add one bag of frozen broccoli. Put a lid on the pan and let this cook for about 5 to 10 minutes or until the broccoli starts to soften. Break it up into small pieces if necessary.
Next, add the sauce and cook until thickened. In a small bowl, add soy sauce, pure maple syrup, and cornstarch or arrowroot powder. Whisk together.
Optional add-ins, you can add 1 tsp sesame oil, 1 tsp minced ginger, and 1 tsp minced garlic. These add-ins definitely add more flavor, but the sauce still tastes good without them.
Once the sauce has thickened, it’s time to plate. Add rice to a bowl and then layer the ground beef and broccoli mixture over the top. We like Sriracha and more soy sauce. Enjoy!