Easy One Pot Beef and Rice

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This easy one pot beef and rice is inspired by the popular Japanese fast-food chain, Pepper Lunch. All you have to do is add all the ingredients (rice, corn, thinly sliced beef and your sauce) in the rice cooker (or stovetop pot) and wait for the magic to happen! We are using short grain rice so the rice is tender and chewy (think sushi rice!) and the thinly sliced beef just melts in your mouth.

You won’t regret making this super flavorful and easy one pot beef and rice during a busy work night!

Inspired by Pepper Lunch Sauce & Recipe

The popular Japanese chain, Pepper Lunch was to provide customers with a unique and interactive dining experience, where they could cook their own meals right at their table. The most popular meal that is served are their sizzling hot plates of beef, rice and corn. The success of the first Pepper Lunch location in Japan led to its expansion across Asia and beyond, with restaurants now located in over 15 countries worldwide.

Instead of using a sizzling plate, we are cooking all the same ingredients and sauce (garlic pepper sauce) in the rice cooker. Check out the recipe below for this copycat pepper lunch that requires minimal dishes!

Recipe 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 sauce and green onions. 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.

Looking for more one pot meals?

Ingredients for your easy one pot beef and rice:

*note: use the standard measuring cups, not the rice cups*

rice

• 1 cup short grain rice – soak with 2 cups of water prior to cooking
• ½ cup water
• ½ pound thinly sliced beef – I get thinly sliced beef at H-mart or 99 Ranch. I prefer the chuck cuts or anything that has lots of marbling and fat for this dish!
• ½ cup corn – frozen or canned corn works for this recipe
• ½ white onion, finely diced
• 1 tablespoon ginger, minced
• 2 garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

sauce: (use half and save a little to pour on top when eating)

• ¼ cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoon water
• 1 tablespoon mirin
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 garlic, grated
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• lots of black pepper, to taste

garnish:

• sauce
• 1-2 green onions, thinly sliced

How to make your one pot beef and rice:

Step 1. Soak 1 cup short grain rice with 2 cups water. Soaking the rice in water helps soften the rice as short grain rice can be hard in the center if not soaked.

Step 2. Prepare the sauce by mixing ¼ cup soy sauce, 2 tablespoon water, 1 tablespoon mirin, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 grated garlic, 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, and lots of black pepper to taste. Mix until sugar has dissolved. OPTIONAL: scoop out a few tablespoons of sauce and put it to the side if you want to use as a garnish when the rice is finished cooking.

Step 3. Add the thinly sliced beef to the sauce you prepared in Step 2. Let the beef marinate for a few minutes while you prepare the next steps.

Step 4. Mince 2 cloves garlic and 1 tablespoon ginger. Dice ½ white onion.

Step 5. Wash 1 cup of rice in a strainer (or in the same bowl you used before) until water runs clear. Make sure your strain all the water to ensure that you add the right amount of water in the next step. The water should barely cover the surface of the rice. We don’t need to add too much water because the beef will provide some moisture to the rice and we don’t want soggy rice.

Step 6. In the pot with rice, add ½ cup water, marinated beef from step 3, ½ cup corn, onion, ginger, garlic and 1 tablespoon butter. Place pot in rice cooker and press the cook button. If you don’t have a rice cooker, use the alternative cooking instructions below.

Step 7. When the rice is done, mix everything together. Garnish the rice with some sliced green onions and leftover sauce. Hope you enjoy!

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ALTERNATIVE COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:

I understand that not everyone has a rice cooker, so some of us might use pots on the stovetop to cook the beef and rice. If that is you, get your medium sized pot ready. Add the rice, corn, and beef according to the recipe directions. Once your pot is filled with rice and all the ingredients…follow the instructions below and you can make your one pot beef and rice!

1. Heat pot to medium high 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 ◡̈
2. 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.
3. Then turn off the heat and do not open the covered pot. Leave for 20 minutes covered. After the 20-25 minutes is up, mix the rice together and garnish with sliced green onions. Hope you enjoy.

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