Hoisin Beef Bowls
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Hoisin beef bowls are loved by adventurous and picky eaters alike! With customizable toppings, everyone gets to build their own bowl, making it a fun and tasty dinner.
When chatting with other moms about the challenge of getting a well-balanced dinner on the table every night, they often assume that my children are good eaters. Well, I’m sorry to say: wrong! One of my kids, who shall remain nameless, tortures me every night by picking minuscule specks of onions, garlic, or whatever else out of her food. So whenever I find a new recipe that my whole family loves, I’m not just happy…I’m ecstatic.
These Asian-flavored hoisin beef bowls are a godsend: not only do they appeal to kids and adults alike, but they can also be made in just 30 minutes using ordinary supermarket ingredients. And the beauty of “bowls” is that everyone can create their own. Like it plain? Go for it. Want to dress it up with scallions, crunchy veggies, and cashews? You do you. Eating low-carb? Skip the rice and spoon the beef into lettuce cups. I promise, you can’t go wrong!
Table of Contents
“Yes – all 5 family members enjoyed this! It’s a rarity to be celebrated.”
What You’ll Need To Make Hoisin Beef Bowls
- Ground beef: Serves as the main protein; using 90% keeps the dish relatively lean and eliminates the need to drain any fat after browning.
- Baking soda: Acts as a tenderizer for the beef and also aids with browning.
- Hoisin sauce: Infuses the dish with rich, sweet, and savory flavors. Use a good-quality brand, such as Lee Kum Kee or Kikkoman.
- Soy sauce: Provides savory, umami flavor.
- Tomato paste: Adds depth and richness to the sauce, contributing a subtle sweetness and a hint of acidity.
- Sesame oil: Imparts a distinct nutty aroma and flavor, characteristic of Asian cuisine. Look for toasted (Asian) sesame oil, which is dark in color and nutty in flavor, not the light, untoasted variety.
- Sugar: Balances the salty, savory, and spicy flavors by adding a touch of sweetness.
- Red pepper flakes: Infuse the dish with a subtle heat and spice; feel free to adjust to taste.
- Garlic, ginger, scallions: These aromatic ingredients form the flavor base of the dish.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Begin by mashing the ground beef with the baking soda. The baking soda raises the pH of the meat, helping to lock in moisture and make the beef melt-in-your-mouth tender.
While the baking soda works its magic, chop the ginger, garlic and scallions. Then prepare the sauce by mixing together the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, tomato paste, sesame oil, sugar and red pepper flakes.
Once the beef is tenderized, brown it in a sauté pan until almost cooked through.
Add the garlic, ginger and light scallions.
Cook for a few minutes, then add the hoisin mixture.
Stir until the beef is well-coated in the sauce and cooked through. The sprinkle with the remaining scallions.
Spoon the beef mixture over rice and sprinkle with sesame seeds, shredded veggies, chopped cashews, or whatever else you like!
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Hoisin Beef Bowls
Hoisin beef bowls are loved by adventurous and picky eaters alike! With customizable toppings, everyone gets to build their own bowl, making it a fun and tasty dinner.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds 90% lean ground beef
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- 6 tablespoons hoisin sauce, best quality such as Lee Kum Kee or Kikkoman (use gluten-free if needed)
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce (use gluten-free if needed)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger (see note)
- 5 scallions, sliced, light and dark green parts separated
For Serving
- Rice
- Chopped cashews
- Sesame seeds
- Shredded veggies, such as carrots, lettuce or bell peppers
Instructions
- In a large bowl, using your hands, mash the beef with the baking soda. Let it sit on the counter for 20-25 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, tomato paste, sesame oil, sugar, and red pepper flakes. Set aside.
- Once the beef is "treated" and ready to cook, heat the vegetable oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Brown the beef, stirring frequently and breaking into pieces, until just slightly pink, about 5 minutes. (I don't drain the fat - there's not that much and it adds flavor.)
- Add the garlic, ginger, and light scallions. Cook, stirring frequently, until softened, a few minutes.
- Add the reserved hoisin sauce mixture and cook until the beef is well-coated and cooked through, about a minute. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
- Gently stir in the remaining scallions and spoon the beef into bowls over rice. Top with sesame seeds, chopped cashews, and shredded veggies, if you like.
- Note: To get this dish done in 30 minutes, chop the garlic, ginger, and scallions while the meat is being treated with baking soda.
- Note: Check out easy guidance on how to peel, grate, and chop fresh ginger here.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The meat mixture can be frozen for up to 3 months. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 347
- Fat: 19 g
- Saturated fat: 6 g
- Carbohydrates: 11 g
- Sugar: 6 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 32 g
- Sodium: 979 mg
- Cholesterol: 99 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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I only had 1 lb of ground beef, so I treated that and sauted 2 bell peppers. I kept the sauce measurements the same (cuz we like saucy!) It turned out great!
Next time I think I’ll add some water chestnut and edamame for more veggies!
Well-written recipe and easy to follow. Very good flavors, and it was requested again by family. Be aware that you may want to drain the meat after browning and that the chopping of ingredients and toppings takes time. I have knife skills and am a trained cook, and this took far longer than the suggested time. I would probably try two part prep if making this on a busy work/school night – chopping much of it and toasting sesame seeds a day or two before. YMMV.
I was super excited about this recipe. It’s similar to a recipe I’ve been making for years, but I was getting bored of it. But I really just didn’t care for the flavors here. Only thing I changed was that I omitted red pepper for my toddlers. I’m thinking that either the sharp flavor of the baking soda was coming through a bit, or else I’m just used to a sweeter sauce. Either way, I will have to make adjustments if I try it again. However, I LOVED the idea of having the kids build their own bowls. My kids were super excited when I told them about that and they enthusiastically added things to their bowls. My 3-year-old then ate about five bites of food, and my 5-year-old just tasted it, made a face, then gobbled up the cashews and peppers I put out.
Granted, my toddlers’ reactions are probably not the recipe’s fault. But next time maybe I’ll add more sugar, and I might try skipping the baking soda and just striving not to overcook the meat maybe I’ll cook the garlic, onion, and ginger with the meat initally then just drain off any excess fat.
Yum.
I’m having a couple for dinner and will be making this for the entree. Can you kindly suggest what to serve as a starter? Maybe egg drop or hot/sour soup?? Thanks!
Hi Andi, either of those would be nice!
Hi Jen! I plan to make this for dinner tomorrow, so excited! Just a quick question, I love my veggies so I was wondering if I could use celery or spinach with it? I know it may seem a little orthodox but it would also help clean out all those veggies from my fridge haha x
Sure, that’s fine – enjoy!
Jen I accidentally added too much salt . It’s just a little tad bit too salty . What can I do to fix this ?
Hi Asra, you can add a bit more hoisin or sugar. Hope it helps!
Added sugar and white wine vinegar ! All fixed thank you
So glad!!
I love this recipe and have made it several times now! So easy and delicious. I just have one question- if you end up leaving the beef with baking soda for longer than expected, any ill effects?
Hi Kaite, Glad you like it! It’s okay if the mixture sits for an hour or two, but I wouldn’t wait much longer than that.
One of my family’s all time favorite recipes. I keep coming back to it!
I have tried a lot of different recipes that are similar to this, but this is the best by far! Absolutely delicious! I love the fact that you are only using a small amount of sugar. The flavor of the sauce is great and has me wondering what else I could use it on. If you like a flavorful, slightly sweet taste you will love this beef bowl. I added chopped coconut dusted cashews on top…best meal I have made in a long time hands down and super easy to make. Thank you for this great recipe! One of my new favorites for sure.
I make this for our family about a dozen times a year, and it’s delicious every time. Comfort food! If you don’t have fresh ginger, no worries. This works with dried ginger — to taste. Not sure how much I shook in there, but it was quite a bit. Tastes great, although I miss the tang and crunch of the fresh ginger. Also, if you don’t have a bottle of soy, three small Chinese restaurant packs of soy will do it. Each is just about a tablespoon. I used mine in a pinch tonight. Then, a half hour later, my son found the bottle of soy at the back of the fridge (of course!), and we splashed in a bit more. Anyway, thank you for a popular family staple!