Korean BBQ Sloppy Joes will be your new favorite weeknight meal – it takes a mere 20 minutes to throw together with only FIVE ingredients! Lean ground beef is sautéed with red bell pepper and green onions, tossed with store bought (or homemade) Korean BBQ sauce, and served on hamburger buns.
There’s nothing I love more than a meal that takes under 20 minutes to make – even better if it has minimal ingredients and easy prep. And even BETTER if I know my whole family will love it – and they sure did!
These sloppy joes are almost like Korean bulgogi, served on a hamburger bun. Authentic Korean Bulgogi is made with sliced beef and a homemade marinade, but using ground beef gives a similar flavor. You may also like to add some gochujang (Korean Chili Paste) for some extra flavor and spice to the sloppy joe mix.
As for the Korean BBQ sauce? Feel free to make your own, but I love using store bought as a shortcut. There are all kinds of prepared Korean BBQ sauce out there – some spicy, some not… I’ll share which kind I used and where to find it in this post!
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Lean Ground Beef – lean is best so you don’t have to worry about draining the fat away. You can also substitute ground turkey for a lighter option, or a vegetarian ground beef substitute for a vegetarian version.
- Korean BBQ sauce – store bought or homemade (see below)
- Red bell pepper – or any other color
- Green onions – white and light green parts separated from dark green
- Burger Buns – I used King’s Hawaiian buns – brioche or regular hamburger buns will work just fine.
- Canola oil – for sautéing the veggies (or any other neutral tasting oil)
- Sesame seeds – for garnish- if you want!
Please scroll to the bottom of the post for the full recipe including ingredient amounts and detailed instructions.
How to make Korean BBQ Sloppy Joes
- First, sauté the bell pepper and white/light green parts of the scallions in canola oil in a large skillet (I used nonstick).
- Then, add the ground beef to the skillet and brown until cooked completely, breaking it apart as much as possible with a wooden spoon.
- Add the Korean BBQ sauce to the skillet and stir together, and simmer for a few minutes until it’s reduced and thickened a little bit.
- Then, add the dark green onion parts to the mix.
- Finally, scoop the filling onto burger buns (grill them in butter if you want them to be extra special!), garnish with more green onions and sesame seeds if you want to, and serve.
Please scroll to the bottom of the post for the full recipe including ingredient amounts and detailed instructions.
What kind of Korean BBQ Sauce to use
Korean BBQ sauce is actually more like a marinade. There are many kinds – spicy, mild (original), and sauces made specifically for ribs, beef, chicken, pork, etc.
I used CJ Original BBQ Sauce for Ribs (and found it at my local Asian grocery store). But you can probably find a suitable product at your local grocery store with the other Asian ingredients or with the other BBQ sauces.
Sure! Here are some easy Korean BBQ marinade recipes to get you started.
What to serve with Korean sloppy joes
I served my spiralized cucumber sesame salad on the side (but I used sliced cucumbers instead of spiralized).
They would also be great with this Thai-Inspired Red Cabbage and Carrot Salad, or with salad greens mixed with this Sesame Miso dressing.
Other warm sandwich recipes
Sandwiches are great for dinner, especially if they are warm. Here are some other ideas:
- Crockpot Pulled Pork Sandwiches
- Greek Lamb Tacos with Tzatziki Sauce
- Ham, Apple, and Swiss Panini
- Tex Mex Tuna Melts
- Leek and Gruyere Grilled Cheese
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Korean BBQ Sloppy Joes
Equipment
- Large Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon canola oil or other neutral tasting oil
- 4 green onions thinly sliced, dark green parts reserved
- 1/2 red bell pepper finely diced
- 1 lb. lean ground beef
- 1/2 cup Korean BBQ sauce see notes
- 4 hamburger buns I like Hawaiian buns, or brioche (optional: grill the buns cut-side down in butter)
- sesame seeds for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Heat the vegetable oil (1 tablespoon) in a large skillet. Add the white and light green parts of the green onions, as well as the diced red bell pepper. Sauté until softened and starting to brown.
- Add the ground beef (1 pound.) to the skillet and cook/brown completely, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon as you go.
- Add the Korean BBQ sauce (1/2 cup) to the skillet. Stir together and bring to a simmer on low, simmering for 5 minutes or so uncovered until sauce has thickened. Stir in the dark green onions parts.
- Divide the beef mixture into the hamburger buns (4), garnish with more dark green onion parts if you have them, and sprinkle with sesame seeds if using. Serve.
Notes
- Alternatively, use slider buns for 8 small sloppy joe sliders.
- There are many different kinds of prepared Korean BBQ sauce – spicy and mild, made for ribs or chicken, etc. I used CJ Foods Original Sauce for Ribs. Aim for one that goes with beef, but you also really can’t go wrong here! You can also make your own.
- Lighten it up by using ground turkey instead of beef.
- Make it vegetarian by using beyond meat or a suitable ground beef substitute.
- Make it gluten free by using gluten-free buns.
Nutrition
Nutrition Information Disclaimer
The provided nutrition information is my best estimate and does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. I use an automatic API to calculate this information. Feel free to calculate it yourself using one of these tools:
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