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.
- Asian sesame oil: Imparts a distinct nutty aroma and flavor, characteristic of Asian cuisine.
- 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 Asian 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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Comments
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Hi Jen! Love your site and this recipe looks delicious! Definitely am going to give this recipe a try tonight. Just wanted to give you a heads up that most asians tend to use corn starch instead of baking soda when marinating and tenderizing the meat. Thanks again for all your hard work!
Good to know Sandy– thanks for the tip (and hope you enjoy the beef bowls)!
It is so encouraging to read your posts! I have two boys, 4 and 2. They take turns being picky at dinner table. I just keep trying. I think I have cooked through almost all of your recipes on this website. My children’s recent favorite is your Italian salad dressing and they insist on dipping everything in it… I am making the beef bowl tonight!
Can this be made ahead of time or is it best served fresh? Thanks! Love ALL your recipes.
Hi Janet, I think it’s best served fresh but don’t let that stop you if you need to make it ahead – it reheats well.
I can’t wait to try this recipe! I would prefer to have cooked vegetables than raw. Would you recommend adding the vegetables to the meat to cook together?
Hi Lily, I’m not sure the veggies will cook properly if you add them with the meat — it really depends on the veggies you use — so I’d probably cook them separately.
I made this tonight and it was delicious! I love that it was quick and easy. I would love more quick recipes from you.
Thank you Jenn!
This looks great! I’m going to try it ASAP….
I would like to substitute ground turkey for ground beef — would you still recommend the baking soda?
Also, do you have any good Passover recipes? Some of my guests don’t eat beef.
Thanks!
Hi Sandy, I think you could use ground turkey, but I’d suggest going with ground chicken if you eat that. Regardless of which one you choose (chicken or turkey), no need to treat it with baking soda.
I have a niece (also nameless – she knows who she is!!) who won’t touch anything that has visible onion or garlic in it. I use the little mini processor that came with my blender stick to whizz them into a mush, then stir it in when I’ve browned the mince or whatever. In anything like this, they then literally disappear. I know in a dish like this, it is a shame not to be able to identify the scallions, but at least it gets some veg inside her – it works with celery too. She doesn’t mind carrots, so I leave those just chopped finely. This dish looks delicious – it’s going on this week’s menu.
Hi Jenn,
Made the Shrimp and Feta…It was so good all the family loved it and might be our favorite shrimp dish. Do you think this dish could use ground turkey instead of beef?
So glad you enjoyed the Greek shrimp! I’d opt for ground chicken over ground turkey, but either would work (and no need to treat the meat with baking soda either way).
Confused by the “shrimp and feta” reference? Is it a different recipe?
The person that left that comment had also made this Greek Shrimp dish. Sorry for any confusion!
Made this last night and split the difference-1/2 ground chicken and 1/2 ground beef. I also made Bok Choy in the wok with toasted sesame and did brown rice and quinoa. So good, the baking soda really helps. Another tested recipe that gets 5 stars.
I love your recipes! I would love to try this one, but I don’t eat red meat. Could you make this with ground turkey? What changes would I need to make?
Thank you!
Hi Jill, Thank you! I do think it’d work with ground turkey, but ground chicken would be better. If you go that route, there’s no need to treat the meat with baking soda. Please let me know how it turns out if you try it :).
Can lean ground turkey be substituted for the ground beef?
Hi Marcia, Yes but I think you’ll have better results with ground chicken (and you can omit the baking soda step – it’s not necessary with poultry).
This is eye crossing good! I accidentally grabbed cilantro lime hoisin sauce at the grocery store. I choose to see it as Divine intervention. It was so good! I think I’ll do some fresh cilantro on top next time to add some fresh flavor. Make this recipe right now!!!