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These Asian beef bowls have the perfect balance of savory, sweet, and spicy flavors! Rice is topped with sweet chili ground beef, a fresh mango cucumber edamame salad, and drizzled with an addicting sweet and spicy mayo. They’re nutritious, satisfying, and great for meal prep!
The flavor combination in these Asian beef bowls was inspired by my ground beef and brussels sprouts recipe and sweet chili salmon bowls. Both recipes use sweet chili sauce, which is one of my favorite Asian condiments. It’s sweet, sticky, and a little spicy. It’s a great way to add a ton of flavor to meat or sauces.
A lot of you love my Asian-inspired salmon bowls, so I knew I had to make a ground beef bowl with similar flavors. I already have Asian steak bowls, but wanted to make a recipe that’s more budget-friendly since steak can be expensive. These Asian ground beef bowls have the perfect combination of savory, spicy, sweet flavors, lots of texture, and they’re a satisfying balance of protein, fat, and carbs. They’re one of my favorites to make when I meal prep or just want leftovers the next day.
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
Ground beef – Lean ground beef is best for this recipe so it isn’t too greasy. I like to use 90/10 lean.
Soy sauce – Soy sauce give the beef an extra savory, salty punch of flavor. Use low sodium so it isn’t too salty and for gluten-free, tamari.
Green onions – Green onions work great for this recipe because they’re mild in onion flavor and don’t overpower the other flavors in the mango cucumber salad and they cook quickly in the sweet chili ground beef. It also saves you money so you aren’t buying two kinds of onions.
Chili crisp – Chili crisp, sometimes called chili crunch, is a spicy condiment that combines chili flakes, garlic, onion, and shallots in oil. It’s crunchy, spicy, with a hint of sweet and adds amazing flavor to both the ground beef and sweet chili mayo. I use Momofuku, but Trader Joes also has a good version. If you don’t want to use chili crisp you can substitute with an equal amount of Sambal Oelek.
Sweet chili sauce – Sweet chili sauce is sweet, tangy, and mildly spicy. The consistency is sticky and syrupy making it a great sauce for the ground beef without needing many extra ingredients.
Lime – Lime juice brightens up the flavor of both the mango cucumber salad and the sweet chili ground beef. When adding it to the ground beef mixture, stir it in at the end so the flavor stays vibrant and doesn’t get bitter.
Mango – You can use any variety of mango, but I find that yellow mangos, also called Ataulfo or Honey mangos are extra sweet and have a creamy texture. The mango plays well with the spicy flavors and balances them. You can use frozen mango, but defrost it and pat it dry before adding it to the salad.
Cucumber – English cucumber or Persian cucumbers are best for the salad. They have a wonderful crisp, crunchy bite to them and you don’t need to peel or remove the seeds.
Edamame – Frozen shelled edamame adds a creamy texture along with protein and fiber. You can omit it, but it adds a nice texture and nutrients to the salad.
Greek yogurt and mayonnaise – I use a combination of both plain Greek yogurt and mayo for the sweet chili mayo. It’s a great way to make the sauce extra creamy, add protein, and reduce the amount of fat and calories without sacrificing any flavor. You can use one or the other instead of a combination, but it will alter the consistency and flavor slightly.
Rice – Basmati or jasmine rice are my favorite varieties to use for rice bowls. Basmati rice has a light, fluffy, non-sticky texture, while jasmine rice is softer and more tender. You can also use regular long-grain white rice or brown rice for extra fiber if you prefer. Quinoa works well as a substitute for rice.
Tips for Making Asian Beef Bowls
- Make Ahead. Save time the day you plan to serve the bowls and make the sweet chili ground beef and mayo drizzle 1-2 days ahead of time.
- Brown the ground beef. Browning meat adds extra flavor and gives it delicious crispy edges.
- Use different ground meat. Ground turkey and ground chicken are both good substitutions for ground beef.
- Swap the salad. A great alternative to the mango cucumber salad is this cucumber avocado salad.
- Time saving tip. If you don’t have time to cook the rice, buy a couple pouches of microwave rice. They only take 90 seconds to cook!
Storage and Reheating
Storage – It’s best to store the bowl components in separate containers so they stay fresh and reheating is easy. I love using these glass containers for storage. All of the components will keep for up to 4 days. Make a double batch and freeze the sweet chili ground beef for up to 2 months to enjoy later.
Reheating – Reheat the rice and ground beef together in the microwave for 60-90 seconds or until warmed through.
More Ground Beef Recipes
I love cooking with ground beef because it’s affordable, versatile, and works in so many different meals. Some of my favorite recipes include ground beef tacos, ground beef gnocchi, homemade hamburger helper, ground beef ramen noodles, and sloppy joe bowls.
Asian Ground Beef Bowls
Ingredients
Sweet Chili Ground Beef
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 1/2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 2 green onions sliced thin
- 1 1/2 teaspoons chili crisp
- kosher salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- 1/3 cup sweet chili sauce
- 1 tablespoon lime juice (1/2 of a lime)
Mango Cucumber Salad
- 1 mango peeled and diced
- 1 English cucumber seeds removed and diced
- 1 cup shelled edamame
- 2 green onions sliced thin
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- 2 tablespoons lime juice (1 lime)
- Salt to to taste
Sweet Chili Mayo
- 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 1/2 tablespoon sweet chili sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon chili crisp
- Salt to taste
Other Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked rice I use jasmine or basmati
- sesame seeds for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Combine the ingredients for the mango cucumber salad in a mixing bowl. Stir everything together, taste for seasoning and adjust if needed.
- In a small bowl whisk together the ingredients for the sweet chili mayo. Taste for seasoning then cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Cook the rice according to package instructions.
- While the rice is cooking, add a little olive oil to a large skillet and heat it over medium-high heat. Add in the ground beef and green onions. Crumble the ground beef then season it with salt, pepper, and soy sauce.
- Once the ground beef is cooked through stir in the chili crisp and sweet chili sauce. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until it's hot. Turn off the heat and stir in the lime juice. Taste for seasoning.
- To assemble, add a 1/2 cup of rice to a bowl. Top it with 1/4 of the ground beef, and some of the mango cucumber salad. Drizzle the sweet chili mayo on top along with sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
If you make these Asian Beef Bowls, please leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! I love hearing from you and do my best to respond to your comments. And if you’re on Instagram tag @reciperunner so I can see your beautiful creations!
