The growing hype around Korean food is truly undeniable. You’ll be able to find restaurants that serve classics like Korean fried chicken, kimbap, and japchae. But making these kinds of dishes at home? Now that’s an experience I’d recommend even more! This way, you are able to be sure of the freshness of your ingredients, while upping your cooking skills. That’s why today, I’ll be teaching you how to make your very own Kongnamul Bap!

What is Kongnamul Bap
Compared to Kimchi Fried Rice, Kongnamul Bap is less common outside Korea, but it’s a popular Korean rice dish, nevertheless. It’s made with bean sprouts, called kongnamul, and served over a flavorful bed of rice. This simple meal is often garnished with chopped green onions, toasted sesame seeds and a sprinkle of salt. Kongnamul Bap is a staple in Korean cuisine, commonly enjoyed as a side dish or light lunch. I know that egg fried rice is irresistable—this one is too. How about trying Kongnamul bap for a change?

What Makes This Korean Rice Bowl Special
I used minced beef sirloin for this recipe because it is tender, flavorful, and contains less fat. The sauce was the total dealmaker for this dish. Pouring the sauce over the soybeans and rice is simple perfect in terms of visual appearance and flavor. The resulting flavor is just unexpectedly good.
Another good thing that I added to the sauce (which really worked for me) is the Gochujang. It is condiment made that came from soybeans (although these are fermented). Other components are glutinous rice, chili, and some seasonings. I also love to use this condiment in Asian soups to make it spicy.

Ingredients in Kongnamul Bap
- Rice – We all need a great base for our food, and in this case, we are using some delicious rice!
- Ground beef – I utilized beef sirloin in particular to make sure that the meat is perfectly tender and has lower fat content. This also tends to be more flavorful, which is why I love it especially for fried rice recipes like this!
- Soybean sprouts – To get some texture into our dish.
- Sesame oil – There really is a satisfying flavor that we can get only from sesame oil. We utilize that savory quality for Kongnamul Bap too!
- Water – To cook the rice.
- Cooking oil – And to cook most of the ingredients in this recipe!
- Salt – Seasons the meat well.
- Ground black pepper – Yet another spice that makes our ground beef tastier.
- Egg – We top everything off with the simply savory egg!
Sauce Ingredients:
- Green onions – For a slightly sharp flavor.
- Soy sauce – There’s a reason why you’ll often see soy sauce in recipes like this one. We can get that umami flavor thanks to soy sauce!
- Gochujang hot pepper paste – A condiment coming from soybeans, Gochujang truly is a great ingredient because even just a little bit of this would go a long way in improving the flavor of most dishes. I sometimes add this to Asian soups for an element of spiciness.
- Korean hot pepper – Speaking of spiciness, this gives us some heat to really elevate the sauce.
- Garlic – For an exciting salty taste.
- Red pepper flakes – You’ll want this to take the heat up a notch too with red pepper flakes.
- Roasted sesame seeds – We definitely want the roasted version as this has a more intense flavor and better, crunchier texture.
- Sesame oil – Let’s double up on that sesame oil flavor by using it in our sauce too.
- Honey – For a hint of sweetness to complement all that heat.

How to Make Kongnamul Bap
Preparing the Beef and Rice
First, mix ground beef with sesame oil, salt and pepper for added flavor. Next, rinse rice twice in water to remove excess starch, then drain.
Cooking Rice and Beef with Soybean Sprouts
Place the rice in a cooking pot and arrange the Soybean sprouts and beef mixture on top. Add water and cover. Cook on low heat for 12-13 minutes, or until the rice is half-cooked. This step ensures the rice cooks evenly.
Preparing Sauce
While the rice cooks, combine green onions, hot pepper, garlic, red pepper flakes, Gochujang, sesame seeds, sesame oil and honey. Stir well. This sweet and spicy sauce adds flavor.
Cooking Egg
Heat oil in a pan and cook an egg sunny-side-up. Use a spatula to distribute oil evenly.
Finishing Touches and Serving
After 12-13 minutes, gently mix the half-cooked rice with beef and Soybean sprouts. Cover and cook 10 minutes more. Transfer to a serving bowl, top with the fried egg and drizzle with sauce. This is, after all, a rice bowl, and so you can enjoy this plenty on its own! It’s best to serve with cold beverages or salads like the ones I have below:
- Cucumber Salad – The crunch from the cucumbers and sweet vinegar revitalizes your taste buds, balancing the beef and sauce.
- Asparagus Salad – Soybean sprouts are awesome, but greens take a meal to the next level!
- Couscous with Tomato Cucumber Feta and Mint Salad – This African dish never fails! A few spoonfuls and your meaty meal ends on a cool note with a minty fresh salad.
Love those mouthwatering Korean drama meals? Kongnamul Bap’s a standout! Good news: it’s easier to make than it looks. Happy cooking!

Kongnamul Bap – Soybean Sprout Rice Bowl Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups rice
- 1/4 lb. ground beef
- 3 cups soybean sprouts
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 3 tablespoons cooking oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 egg
Sauce
- 1/4 cup green onions chopped
- 5 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Gochujang
- 1 Hot pepper Korean hot pepper
- 3 cloves garlic crushed
- 1/2 teasoon red pepper flakes
- 2 teaspoons sesame seeds roasted
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 to 2 teaspoons honey
Instructions
- Combine ground beef, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, salt and pepper. Mix1/4 lb. ground beef, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- Place the rice in a cooking pot. Rinse the rice twice in water. Drain.1 1/4 cups rice
- Arrange the Soybean sprouts and ground beef mixture over the rice. Pour-in the water.1/4 lb. ground beef, 3 cups soybean sprouts, 1 1/2 cups water
- Cover the cooking pot. Cook in low heat until the rice is half cooked. This will take around 12 to 13 minutes.
- While the rice is cooking, make the sauce by combining the green onions, hot pepper, garlic, red pepper flakes, Gochujang, Sesame seeds, Sesame oil, and honey. Stir to mix well. Set aside.1/4 cup green onions, 1 tablespoon Gochujang, 1 Hot pepper, 3 cloves garlic, 1/2 teasoon red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, 1 to 2 teaspoons honey
- Heat the cooking oil in a pan. Once the oil gets hot, start to cook the egg sunny-side-up. It will help to push the oil towards the egg using a spatula so that the top part gets cooked evenly.1 egg, 3 tablespoons cooking oil
- Once the rice is half cooked, gently mix the rice with the beef and Soybean sprout. Cover and cook for another 10 minutes.1/4 lb. ground beef, 3 cups soybean sprouts
- Transfer the cooked rice, beef, and Soybean sprout in a serving bowl. Top the fried egg with roasted sesame seeds. Season with the sauce.2 teaspoons sesame seeds, 5 tablespoons soy sauce
- Serve. Share and enjoy!
Video

Leave a Reply