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.

Beef on top of sticky white rice garnished with green onions.

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!

Ingredients:

Here’s a look at what you need to make this One Pot Beef and Rice at home. The highlights are here but the full ingredient list and quantities of each are in the recipe card.

short grain rice – soak with 2 cups of water prior to cooking
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!
corn – frozen or canned corn works for this recipe. It brings a little sweetness to your rice and pairs well with the soy pepper sauce.
white onion – adds lots of flavor to your white and pairs with the beef.
ginger – helps with the gaminess of the meat.
garlic – needed to flavor the rice and the sauce.
unsalted butter – makes the rice soft and smooth.
soy sauce – the base for your beef marinade.
mirin – add this to your marinade to gives sweetness to your beef. If you can’t have alcohol, you can omit this ingredient.
oyster sauce – adds umami and extra savoriness/sweetness to your beef and rice. You can buy this at an Asian grocery store.
black pepper – add lots of black pepper to enhance the flavor of the beef. Be careful, the more you add, the spicier it may become.
green onions – adding this will give your rice some freshness and feel that the dish is not too heavy.

How to make your one pot beef and rice:

Adding water to rice and soaking it pot.

Step 1. Soak 1 cup short grain rice with 2 cups water.

Step 2. Prepare the sauce by mixing soy sauce, water, mirin, sugar, grated garlic, oyster sauce, and lots of black pepper to taste. Mix until sugar has dissolved. Save a few tablespoons for garnish!

Marinating thinly sliced beef in soy sauce.

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.

Adding onions and garlic on rice in a pot.

Step 4. 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. Mince 2 cloves garlic and 1 tablespoon ginger. Dice ½ white onion. Add on to the rice.

Step 5. Then, add ½ cup water, marinated beef from step 3, ½ cup corn, and 1 tablespoon butter.

Cooked beef and corn rice in rice cooker.

Step 6. Place pot in rice cooker and press the cook button. If you don’t have a rice cooker, use the alternative cooking instructions below. When the rice is done, mix everything together.

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!

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 ◡̈
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 20 minutes covered. After the 20-25 minutes is up, mix the rice together and garnish with sliced green onions. Hope you enjoy.

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 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.

Recipe FAQs

What rice cooker do you use?

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.

Can I use brown rice?

Yes, you can use brown rice. Keep in mind that the recipe I created is for jasmine rice and the water measurements may be slightly off. You may want to change the rice setting in your rice cooker as well.

Can I use other types of protein?

I recommend to use sliced beef for the best flavor. If you can’t have beef, you can try thinly sliced pork or sliced vegan meat. Remember to use the same proportion size to ensure that the rice is not too mushy and all the ingredients get cooked!

What can I serve this with?

The rice is very filling on it’s own. If you want a more balanced meal, add some delicious Chinese Cabbage Stir-Fry or Tomato and Egg Stir Fry. This meal also great with Korean Soft Tofu Soup.

See More Delicious Beef Recipes:

Easy Ox Bone Soup – Korean beef broth with sliced beef, noodles and green onions for an easy 20 minute meal!
Galbi Jjim (Korean Braised Short Ribs) – tender beef ribs in a spicy gochujang sauce topped with cheese and green onions
Ram-Don from Parasite – stir fried spicy noodles with jjajang sauce and soft tender beef.