Easy One Pot Bibimbap

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You need to try this super easy one pot bibimbap when you have a busy night. This dish is made in the rice cooker and all you have to do is add all the ingredients (rice, beef, and veggies) in the rice cooker (or stovetop pot) and wait for the magic to happen! The result is a savory and spicy rice filled with lots of delicious vegetables and beef!

beef, spinach, bean sprouts, carrots, mushrooms and a fried egg in a stainless steel bowl

My recipe is a popular spin on the famous Korean dish called bibimbap, which translates to mixing rice in Korean. Traditionally, the bibimbap is served in a hot stone bowl known as a dolsot (the one I use is linked from Amazon). You let the rice crisp up on the dolsot and then mix everything together.

For our easy one pot bibimbap, we are skipping the steps of frying the seasoned vegetables and meat on the side. Instead, we will adding all our ingredients: bean sprouts, spinach, carrots, and bulgogi in the rice cooker. Then, we press the button and cook everything at the same time. This one pot recipe is perfect for those that are busy on weeknights or want something delicious that takes little effort. If you’re looking for more one pot meals, check out some here:

Hainan chicken rice – steamed chicken with scallion ginger oil
Pepper lunch inspired one pot rice – beef and corn cooked in a delicious rice dish
Mushroom one pot rice – a flavorful rice dish filled with mushrooms and bamboo

Ingredients:

You can substitute ingredients and customize the bibimbap (Korean rice bowl) to your liking! See below on what ingredients work well with this easy one pot meal!

Equipment:

Zojirushi rice cooker – this is the rice cooker I use and it works great! I bought it at Costco 8 years ago and it’s still reliable to this day. The rice always comes out delicious! I recommend checking Costco if they have this brand or you can buy it on Amazon. Use the ‘white rice’ setting!

Beef Bulgogi Marinade

Note: Marinade time should take as long as it takes for you to prepare the other ingredients (estimate 15 minutes).

sliced beef (can substitute with ground beef) – sliced beef tends to melt in the mouth. When prepared well-done, the beef is still tender so that’s why I prefer to use it for this recipe!
garlic cloves
soy sauce
honey or sugar – this gives the bulgogi the sweet taste!
oyster sauce

One Pot Rice

marinated beef
shiitake mushrooms – you can use fresh or dry shiitake mushrooms
carrots – peeled and julienned for a nice texture when mixing the bibimbap.
black pepper
short grain white rice – this rice yields a chewy and sticky texture. If you want to use short grain brown rice, you can definitely used it! Just be mindful the water measurement may not be as accurate.
water

Garnish

handful bean sprouts – add at the end in the rice cooker to steam
handful spinach – get the spinach without the stem. It cooks faster when you add at the end in the rice cooker to steam.
toasted sesame seeds
fried egg (optional) – usually all bibimbap is served with a fried egg! The creaminess of the egg goes great with the rice.
sesame oil – gives the rice a nice fragrant and nutty taste

Sauce

gochujang paste – this is all you need to add as a bibimbap sauce
1 teaspoon soybean paste (optional) – not traditional but i like the ssamjang taste!
1 tablespoon water (optional – to make the sauce thinner)

Additional Bibimbap Toppings and Variations:

Change up the meats! You can use ground beef instead of sliced beef!
To make vegetarian friendly, omit the beef and add tofu or more mushrooms. Ensure that the plant-based protein is ½ pound (the same proportion as the beef) and you squeezed out any additional moisture (you can use a paper towel to soak up the water) so the rice doesn’t get too soggy.
More vegetable ideas: zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, different types of mushrooms (oyster). Please keep in mind that if you add vegetables, you will need to add the same proportion as the ingredient you substituted. This ensures that everything in the pot can cook evenly. For example, if you’re swapping out zucchini for the beef, ensure that the zucchini is ½ pound proportion.

How to Make One Pot Bibimbap:

Prepare the vegetables:

If you’re using dried shiitake mushrooms, soak them in water 1 hour prior to cooking. Thinly slice carrots and mushrooms. Set aside.

Soak the rice:

Soak short grain rice in water. This helps ensure that the center of the rice is soft when cooked. Soak as long as it takes for you to prepare the beef and chop the vegetables (roughly 15 minutes).

Marinate the beef:

In a bowl, add soy sauce, honey, and oyster sauce. Mix sauce well and add the thinly sliced beef. Marinate the beef as long as it takes for you to prepare the other ingredients (roughly 10 minutes)

Wash rice and add all ingredients in the rice cooker:

After washing rice, add ¾ cup water, sliced carrots and mushrooms in the rice. Mix together and add your marinated beef and black pepper on top. Place pot in rice cooker and press the cook button. If you don’t have a rice cooker, use the alternative cooking instructions below.

Add spinach and bean sprouts:

When the rice is done cooking, add spinach and bean sprouts and close the lid. This helps steam them for 1-2 minutes. Serve with a sunny side egg, sesame oil and gochujang paste. Mix together and enjoy!!

Serve:

When serving bibimbap, the dish is accompanied with Korean side dish dishes such as kimchi or kimchi radish. You can also serve the bibimbap with a tasty soup such as this kimchi tuna jjigae. I love eating the rice with roasted seaweed for a nice crunch as well!

beef mixed with rice. the bowl has bean sprouts, carrots, spinach and more mixed inside.

Expert Tips:

Use short grain rice for this dish. Don’t forget to wash the rice in a strainer a few times until the water runs clear. If you don’t wash off the excess starch in the rice, the rice clumps together and tastes a little grainy when cooked. After washing the short grain rice, the grains will separate and make the rice smooth and soft!
Use high quality (I prefer USDA prime chuck cuts) thinly sliced beef so the beef is tender and melts in your mouth. If you use thicker slices of beef, the beef will get overcooked and may have a tough texture.
Soak the short grain rice in water while you prep the vegetables and beef. This helps soften the rice and give you great texture. Don’t worry, the rice is still chewy and tender, it will not be mushy after doing this.
Gochujang can vary on spice and saltiness. When adding gochujang to your bibimbap, add a little bit at a time so you can taste if it’s good for you.

Will my rice cooker work for this?

I’ve tried a few different rice cookers for this recipe: Cuckoo, Zojirushi, and Instant Pot. When I used these rice cookers, these were the cooking settings I used for delicious results:
Cuckoo: The settings are ‘pressure cook, high heat, gluten rice.’ I’ve found that this rice is stickier and more wet. I recommend to add ¼ cup less water (total water: ¾ cup water).
Zojirushi (the best result!): The settings are ‘white rice.’ Follow the recipe and the rice will turn out great!
Instant Pot: The settings are ‘rice setting, more, 15 minutes, high pressure.’ Then let the rice sit for 10 more minutes without opening. I’ve found the rice to be more soft and saucy. The flavor is still great and this recipe works well in the Instant Pot.

How do I store the leftovers?

You can place them in a bowl with a tight lid. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. When you want to reheat the rice, place an ice cube or a damp paper towel on the rice and microwave for 1 minute.

Where can I buy thinly sliced beef?

I buy my thinly sliced beef at H-mart (Korean grocery store). Thinly sliced beef can also be purchased at other asian groceries like 99 ranch and Nijiya. If you can’t find it, you can also substitute with ground beef.

StoveTop Cooking Instructions (if you don’t have a rice cooker)

Follow cooking instructions up until using a rice cooker. Use a pot and follow directions below.

Heat pot to medium and cook for 5-7 minutes covered with a lid. The water will start boiling. Make sure to watch over the fire because the water might boil over ◡̈
After 5-7 minutes, turn heat to low and cook for 10 more minutes covered. Do not open the lid during the entire cooking process.
Then turn off the heat and do not open the covered pot. Leave for 15-20 minutes covered. After the 15-20 minutes is up, mix the rice well. Garnish with sunny side egg, toasted sesame oil, sesame seeds, and gochujang paste. Hope you enjoy with some roasted seaweed!