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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We loved this dish! I only had 1 pound of beef but supplemented with broccoli, zucchini, onions, and red peppers. I still made the same amount of sauce and everything was perfectly coated. We will definitely add this quick, easy, delicious meal to our rotation!
Hi! This has become one of our favorite meals. I was planning to make it tonight and had a bunch of groceries delivered with all the ingredients. Alas, they did not deliver the hoisin sauce. Can you think of any decent substitute? – Jane
That’s frustrating, Jane! You can make your own hoisin sauce. There are several recipes online that you can browse. This one looks good and gets good marks (please keep in mind that I haven’t tried it myself). Hope that helps!
I made this for dinner tonight and it was a wonderful meal, my husband raved about it. It will be on our list of favorite meals. Thanks Jenn.
Jenn,
I’ve made this recipe before and it’s delicious. I would like to make it for my daughter who has a tomato allergy. Can you recommend a substitute for the tomato paste? Or can I just leave it out?
Thanks
Hi Vivian, I think you can get away with omitting the tomato paste (and glad you like it)!
Great flavor, easy and quick.
Adding yet another Once Upon A Chef recipe to my favorites list – this one is awesome! I follow a pretty low fat diet so I’m always looking for ways to modify good recipes. I made this with extra lean ground turkey – I didn’t use any of the vegetable oil as it releases so much moisture when it cooks. I added a few cups of chopped cabbage coleslaw mix and some matchstick carrots along with the sauce at the end, love the added volume and crunch this gives, not to mention the fibre. Served on top of a 50/50 blend of jasmine rice and cauliflower rice. So satisfying!!
So easy and a hit with everyone in the family! Love that you can throw fresh veggies on top. Has become a staple recipe for us!
I’ve made this recipe a couple times and both my mom and husband LOVE it! I did make some changes but that’s what’s so good about it. Works well with changes too. The first time I made it with the beef and baking sofa and loved it. I ended up putting veggies I had planned on topping it with, into the meat mixture so that it was easier for mom to eat. Left some raw for hubby and I to add on top too. That one I felt needed a bit more hoisin sauce. Last night I basically did it the same but with ground turkey (no baking sofa). It was delicious too. I top it with peanuts, sesame seeds and crunchy deep fried onions. Mom says it’s her favourite dish and is enjoying leftovers as we speak
I served this beef mixture with Jenn’s Szechuan Green Beans on top of rice. Killer results. Beyond yummy!
Very good. I do a lot of food preparation so I can take breakfasts and lunches to work (the cafeteria is truly awful). This recipe freezes very well in single serving portions (I even froze the portions with sliced green onion on top) and, after thawing in the fridge, its easy to reheat in the microwave. Pre-cooked white rice (my own, frozen then thawed) is also nuked. Then I just top the rice with the beef and add whatever condiments I want. Very tasty and filling too. This is a keeper recipe for my workplace menu planning. Thanks much!
Hi Debra, What other OUAC recipes do you make to freeze to take to work?
Big hit with my family.