Bibimbap is a popular Korean dish consisting of rice mixed with meat, vegetables and egg in a flavorful sauce. The word bibimbap literally means “mixed rice” in Korean, which perfectly describes this colorful dish. My oldest son has been asking me to make it at home because he is very fond of this dish. My youngest son, who loves to create fusion dishes introduced me to gochujang sauce, which is a hot pepper paste that is commonly found in spicy Korean dishes. This version of bibimbap uses bulgogi as the main protein. I shared a recipe for bulgogi last week and it was used to make this dish. You can find the recipe for bulgogi here.
The hardest part of making bibimbap is probably making all of the toppings. Each topping is prepared individually, but it’s definitely worth it when everything is assembled. The spinach is prepared by first boiling it and seasoning it with salt. After draining and removing the excess water from the boiled spinach, it’s mixed with green onions, garlic, roasted sesame seeds and sesame oil. The carrots and mushrooms are prepared the same way by cooking it in a pan until tender. To assemble this dish, the rice is placed in the bowl first. Then it’s topped with the bulgogi, spinach, carrots, shiitake mushrooms, kimchi and a fried egg. It is served with the sauce and mixed before eating. We really enjoyed this beef rice bowl dish – it is both colorful and tasty.
Bibimbap
Ingredients
- Bulgogi
- 6 cups water
- Sea salt
- 10 oz baby spinach
- 1 tsp finely chopped green onions
- 1 clove garlic , grated
- 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 2-3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 6 oz carrots , peeled and julienned
- 4 oz shiitake mushroom , cleaned and sliced thinly
- 1/ 2 cup drained kimchi , cut into bite-sized
- 3 eggs , fried sunny side up
- Steamed rice
Sauce:
- 2 tbsp gochujang , hot pepper paste
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- 1 clove garlic , grated or minced
Instructions
- Make the bulgogi. Set aside.
- In a bowl, combine the ingredients for the sauce. Stir until well combined and then set aside.
Prepare the spinach:
- In a pot, boil the water and then add salt. Add the spinach and leave for 30 seconds. Drain and run cold running water over the spinach. Squeeze out the excess water and then place the spinach in bowl. Add the green onions, garlic, sesame seeds and sesame oil. Mix well and then season with salt to taste. Set aside.
Prepare the carrots and mushrooms
- In a pan, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium high heat. Add the carrots, season with salt and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
- Using the same pan, add the remaining oil, if needed. Add the mushrooms, season with salt and cook for 3 minutes or until cooked. Transfer to a plate.
To assemble:
- Scoop some rice into a bowl. Top with bulgogi, spinach, carrots, shiitake mushrooms, kimchi and fried egg. Serve with the sauce.
- To eat, mix everything well and add sauce, to taste.
Erin
Is this dish meant to have beef in the ingredients list or have I missed something
Liza Agbanlog
Hi Erin,
One of the ingredients in this bibimbap recipe is bulgogi (marinated Korean beef). When you click “bulgogi” in the list of ingredients, it will take you to the page on how to make bulgogi. Hope this helps!