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Bibimbap
4.8 from 297 votes

Bibimbap

Bibimbap is a Korean mixed rice dish that includes marinated beef, sautéed and blanched vegetables, and often fried eggs, all arranged over slightly drier cooked short-grain rice. The dish is finished with a gochujang-based sauce that adds a spicy-sweet flavor, combining varied textures and savory notes for a balanced meal.

Prep Time
25 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Total Time
55 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Asian, Korean

Ingredients

Rice:
  • 3 cups short grain rice
Meat:
  • 8 ounces rib eye beef thinly sliced tender beef (rib eye, sirloin, etc.) or ground beef
  • 1.5 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 2 teaspoons sesame oil
  • 2 teaspoons mirin cooking rice wine; aka Mirim
  • 1 teaspoon garlic This recipes needs 2.5 teaspoons minced garlic in total. Mince it all at once for efficiency, minced
  • 1 tablespoon scallion This recipe needs 4 tablespoons, 1 or 2 scallions depending on the size, in total. Chop them all once for efficiency, chopped
  • black pepper to taste
Vegetables and eggs:
  • 8 ounces mung bean sprouts or soybean sprouts (kongnamul, 콩나물) - see more vegetable options below, aka sukju (숙주
  • 1 spinach bunch about 8 ounces
  • 2 cucumbers small, about 5 ounces
  • 4 ounces shiitake mushrooms or white, cremini, etc
  • 2 carrot medium, about 5 ounces
  • 1.5 teaspoons garlic divided, minced
  • 3 scallions divided, 3 tablespoons, chopped
  • sesame oil
  • sesame seeds
  • salt
  • 4 egg optional
  • neutral cooking oil generic cooking oil
More vegetable options
  • 8 ounces soybean sprouts aka Kongnamul
  • 10 ounces Korean radish aka mu
Bibimbap sauce
  • 4 tablespoons gochujang 고추장
  • 2 teaspoons sugar adjust to taste, 1-3 teaspoons
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon water

Instructions

Rice:
    Cup of Yum
  1. Cook the rice, without soaking and using a little less water than the amount you normally use. The rice for bibimbap should be a little drier than usual for best results.
Meat:
  1. Beef: Cut into thin 2-inch long strips. Mix in 1.5 tablespoons of soy sauce, 2 teaspoons of sugar, 2 teaspoons of sesame oil, 2 teaspoons of rice wine, 1 tablespoon of chopped scallion, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 1/2 sesame seeds and a pinch of pepper. Marinate for 20 minutes. Sauté in a skillet for 2-3 minutes over high heat.
Vegetables:
  1. Bean sprouts: Bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add the bean sprouts and briefly blanch, about 1 minute, flipping over once. Drain quickly and shock in cold water to stop cooking. Drain again. Toss with 1/2 teaspoon of minced garlic, 1 teaspoon of sesame oil, 1/2 teaspoon of sesame seeds, and salt (about 1/2 teaspoon).
  2. Spinach: Blanch the spinach in salted boiling water only until wilted, about 40 seconds. Drain quickly and shock in cold water. Squeeze out water. Cut into 3-inch lengths. Toss with 1 tablespoon of chopped scallion, 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic, 1 teaspoon of sesame oil, 1/2 teaspoon of sesame seeds and salt (about 1/2 teaspoon).
  3. Cucumbers: Cut the cucumbers in half lengthwise and then thinly slice crosswise. Generously sprinkle salt (about 1/2 teaspoon) over sliced cucumbers and set aside for 10 - 15 minutes. Squeeze out excess liquid. Toss with 1 tablespoon of chopped scallion, 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic, 1 teaspoon sesame oil and 1/2 teaspoon of sesame seeds.
  4. Mushrooms and carrots: Thinly slice the mushrooms and carrots. Sauté each vegetable in a lightly oiled skillet for 1 - 2 minutes over medium-high heat, sprinkling with salt (about 1/4 teaspoon).
More vegetable options:
  1. Kongnamul (Soybean sprouts): Bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add the soy beansprouts and boil for 2-3 minutes. Drain quickly and shock in cold water to stop cooking. Drain again. Toss with 1/2 teaspoon of minced garlic, 1 teaspoon of sesame oil, 1/2 teaspoon of sesame seeds, and salt (about 1/2 teaspoon) to taste.
  2. Musaengchae (spicy radish salad): Cut 10 ounces of Korean radish (mu) into matchsticks. Add 2 tablespoons of chopped scallion, 1 tablespoon of gochugaru, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt (or more to taste), 1 teaspoon sugar, and 1 teaspoon sesame seeds. Mix everything well.
Optional Eggs:
  1. Fry the eggs sunny side up or to your preference.
Bibimbap sauce:
  1. Combine all of the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and mix thoroughly.
Assembling:
  1. Place a serving of rice in a big bowl. Nicely arrange a small amount of each prepared vegetable and beef over the rice. Drizzle a little sesame oil over. Top with an optional fried egg and serve with the sauce.
  2. For dolsot bibimbap: Lightly oil a stone or earthenware bowl with a teaspoon of sesame oil over medium heat. Add a serving of cooked rice and arrange the toppings on top. Cook for several minutes until the rice sizzles.

Notes

  • Common additional vegetables for bibimbap include zucchini, Korean radish salad, onion, bellflower roots, fiddlehead ferns, lettuce, red cabbage, kimchi, and roasted seaweed sheets (gim).
  • Prepare the rice with slightly less water so it is drier, which improves texture when mixed.
  • Marinate beef with soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, mirin, garlic, scallions, and pepper for at least 20 minutes before cooking.