Make Authentic Korean Bibimbap in Your Own Kitchen

Add Korean Bibimbap to this week’s dinner line up.

This is bowl food at it’s best! Bibimbap is a Korean food icon. It showcases a rainbow of veggies, and is packed with bold and authentic flavor.

The founder of Son Son Asian Grill, Amy Rich, shares her technique to Bibimbap, how to pull it all together, the authentic Gochujang sauce, and how Bibimbap inspired an item on her food truck menu.

Find more from Amy on Instagram, @sonsonasiangrill, or on her website, sonsonasiangrill.com.

Bibimbap Recipe

From Amy Rich, Founder of Son Son Asian Grill

Amy says that Bibimbap is one of the most well known Korean foods. “This rice bowl dish is full of beautiful color, along with many flavors and textures. It is easy to make, but requires effort to prepare each component separately,” she says. Translated simply, it means ‘mixed rice with meat and assorted vegetables.’ There are endless customizations to this dish, depending on what you like.

Meat and Meat Sauce

• 1 lb meat (ground beef, thinly sliced steak)
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp sesame oil
• 4 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1/2 Tbsp minced garlic

Vegetables and Garnish

• 10 oz baby spinach (blanched, squeezed, and seasoned) *** See recipe below
• 4 cups bean sprouts (blanched and seasoned) *** See recipe below
• 10 oz shiitake mushrooms (thinly sliced and pan-fried)
• 2 small carrots (julienne sliced and pan-fried)
• 2 small zucchinis (julienne sliced and pan-fried)
• 1 small onion (julienne sliced and pan-fried)
• 2 Korean cucumbers (or English cucumbers) (sliced, salted, and seasoned)
• Sea salt (used when cooking shiitake mushrooms, onion, zucchini, and carrots)
• Cooking oil (used when cooking mushrooms, onion, zucchini, and carrots)
• Cooked steamed rice (medium or short grain)
• Eggs (pan-fried – sunny side up)
• Garnish: toasted seasoned seaweed shredded (long thin cut)

Bibimbap Sauce

INGREDIENTS

• 4 Tbsp gochujang
• 2 Tbsp sesame oil
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 2 Tbsp water
• 2 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tsp minced garlic

METHOD

1. Marinate the meat with the meat sauce and let it sit for 30 minutes.
2. Cook the meat in a wok with cooking oil until thoroughly cooked.
3. Mix the bibimbap sauce ingredients in a bowl.
4. Cook spinach and bean sprouts according to the instructions below.
5. Julienne and pan-fry onions, zucchini, and carrots with cooking oil. Season with sea salt.
6. Clean and slice shiitake mushrooms, then cook in a wok with cooking oil. Season with sea salt.
7. Make fried eggs (sunny side up or per preference).
8. In a bowl, assemble rice, meat, assorted vegetables, seasoned seaweed, bibimbap sauce, and the fried egg on top.
9. Serve and mix the ingredients in the bowl before enjoying!

Spinach

INGREDIENTS

• 10 oz English spinach or baby spinach
• 1 tsp fine sea salt (for boiling)
• 6 cups water to boil

Spinach Seasoning sauce

•  1 tsp green onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp minced garlic
• 1/4 tsp fine sea salt (or to taste)
• 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
• 1 Tbsp sesame oil

METHOD

1. Trim spinach roots and wash thoroughly.
2. Boil water, add salt, and blanch spinach for 30 seconds.
3. Drain and run cold water on spinach. Squeeze to remove excess water.
4. Cut spinach and mix with seasoning sauce.

Bean Sprouts

INGREDIENTS

• 10 oz fresh mung bean sprouts
• 1 tsp fine sea salt (for boiling)
• 6 cups water

Bean Sprouts Seasoning sauce

• 1 tsp finely chopped spring onion/scallion
• 1/2 tsp minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt (adjust to taste)
• 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
• 1 Tbsp sesame oil

METHOD

1. Rinse bean sprouts and discard bad beans.
2. Boil water, add salt, and blanch bean sprouts for 1-2 mins.
3. Drain and run cold water on sprouts. Squeeze to remove excess water.
4. Mix sprouts with seasoning sauce and serve!

Amy Rich is the founder of Son Son Asian Grill, an Asian-fusion food truck, and soon-to-be restaurant! Watch her social pages for more information regarding the grand opening in North Ogden, UT.