Korean bibimbap

Bibimbap

Amy Hand

Amy Hand

Amy worked as the head pastry chef at multiple restaurants in South Africa. She now shares her professional insights about cooking and kitchen tools here at The Skillful Cook.

The Korean favorite that's as tasty as it is beautiful. Enjoy the flavors and textures in every bite of Bibimbap. Perfect for a nutritious and satisfying meal.
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This bibimbap is a Korean classic that will have your mouth watering!

Bibimbap (Bibim = mixed; Bap = rice) is traditionally served in a bowl with all the ingredients laid out separately across the rice.

A bed of hot steamed rice is topped with julienned, sauteed, fresh, or steamed vegetables of different colors. Then beef, pork, chicken, seafood, or tofu is added.

This bibimbap is a Korean classic

The whole thing is topped with an egg that is either fried or made into omelette and cut into strips. You can even add a raw egg yolk instead. Drizzle it with the spicy sauce and you have one stellar dish!

This dish is colorful and brought to life with the various colorful vegetables. It has the perfect balance of crunchy veggies, juicy meat, and fluffy rice all brought together with the delectable spicy sauce.

This dish is colorful and brought to life with the various colorful vegetables

Why you will love this Bibimbap recipe…

  • Great for entertaining- This is an easy but impressive dish to serve when you have guests over for dinner.
  • Delicious dish in under an hour- All the time is worth is when you taste the dish.
  • Learn a new cuisine- Try out cooking some Korean cuisine with this classic dish.
  • Well-balanced- It has carbs, veggies, meat, and a bright and tasty sauce.
  • Versatile- Play around with adding different vegetables every time you make it.
Why you will love this Bibimbap recipe
Korean Bibimbap Recipe

BIBIMBAP

The Korean favorite that's as tasty as it is beautiful. Enjoy the harmony of flavors and textures in every bite. Perfect for a nutritious and satisfying meal, it's best served fresh and shared with friends or family.
Rate this recipe!
Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Korean
Servings 4 Servings
Calories 165 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups cooked short-grain rice

Red pepper sauce:

  • 3 tbsp Korean red pepper paste (gochujang)
  • 1/2 tsp soy sauce
  • 1/2 tsp vinegar
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 tsp sesame seeds
  • 1 clove garlic, minced

Meat: (Omit for vegetarian version)

  • 1/2 cup beef, pork or chicken; ground (minced) or cut into fine strips
  • 1 tsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp vinegar
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 pinch of salt and pepper

Vegetables:

  • 1/2 cup each of about 6-8 different vegetables (e.g. onions, carrots, zucchini, fresh mushrooms, capsicums)
  • peppers, spinach, mung bean sprouts, and green onions (colourful veges adds impact to the dish).

Assembly:

  • Sesame oil
  • 1 egg for the whole dish or 1 for each serving (optional)

Instructions
 

Ingredients

  • Bibimbap Ingredients
  • For the sauce: Combine all ingredients and set aside. This sauce is served separately, according to each one’s taste. If you don’t like spicy food, you can omit this sauce and use soy sauce or fermented soy bean paste (miso) instead.
  • Korean Bibimbap Recipe Instruction - Mix all the sauce ingredients well
  • For the meat: Mix all the marinade ingredients with the meat and set aside while you prepare the vegetables. After the vegetables are prepared and sauteed, saute the meat over high heat until it is cooked through. Put aside.
  • Korean Bibimbap Recipe Instruction - saute the meat over high heat
  • For the vegetables: Julienne or slice the vegetables. Other than vegetables like lettuce or cucumber, sauté the julienned vegetables very briefly (they should remain crunchy), one at a time, in a pan that has been lightly greased with sesame oil, over medium high heat (you can, of course, keep them raw if you prefer). Add a pinch of salt. Set aside separately. Cut the seaweed into thin strips using kitchen scissors and set aside also.
    Korean Bibimbap Recipe Instruction - Prep and cook the vegetables
  • To assemble: Just before serving, fry the egg (if using), or make an omelette and slice into strips. You can even serve a raw egg yolk if you prefer.
    Korean Bibimbap Recipe Instruction - fry the egg
  • Brush some sesame oil in a large cast iron skillet (fry-pan). Heat the pan on the stove top over medium heat without a lid.
  • Over top, lay out the rice – it should start to sizzle. Arrange the prepared vegetables and the meat, side by side, over top. Finally, place the fried egg (or raw egg yolk) or omelette strips on top (otherwise, you can add individual eggs on top of each person’s plate once you’ve dished them out). Drizzle some sauce over top.
  • Cook for about 5-10 minutes, depending on your stove. Keep a close eye on it, as you want the rice at the bottom to form a thin, crunchy layer, but you don’t want it to burn.
  • When it’s ready, pierce the egg yolk (if using) and stir it through the dish, combining the ingredients, then serve on to individual plates with extra sauce on the side.

Nutrition

Calories 165kcal (8%)Carbohydrates 31g (10%)Protein 3g (6%)Fat 3g (5%)Saturated Fat 1g (6%)Polyunsaturated Fat 1gMonounsaturated Fat 1gSodium 127mg (6%)Potassium 107mg (3%)Fiber 2g (8%)Sugar 2g (2%)Vitamin A 0.2IUVitamin C 0.5mg (1%)Calcium 20mg (2%)Iron 1mg (6%)
Keyword Bibimbap
Tried this recipe?Let us know if you liked it in the comments below!

Serving Suggestions

This dish is so well rounded and balanced that it can be served as is without any side dishes.

If you like this Korean classic, here are some other Asian dishes from various countries that you may enjoy:

Expert Tips 🧑‍🍳

  • Make it vegetarian. Swap the meat for marinated and fried tofu.
  • Adjust the spice. If you don’t like spicy food, you can omit this sauce and use soy sauce or miso paste instead.
  • Think about the textures. Make sure you have a good mix of softer sauteed vegetables, and crunchy fresh ones.
This dish is so well rounded and balanced

Storage Suggestions

  • To store- This dish is best made fresh and doesn’t store well. If storing is unavoidable, place the vegetables, sauce, meat, and rice into separate airtight containers and place in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Bibimbap FAQs

Is bibimbap actually healthy?

This dish is packed with veggies, protein, and carbs so it’s a very well-balanced and healthy dish that tastes delicious!

Does bibimbap have raw egg?

The most traditional version of bibimbap uses a raw egg yolk but you can use a cooked egg if this doesn’t suit your tastes.

What is bibimbap in english?

The closest translation for bibimbap in English is mixed rice.

Amy Hand
About the author
After finding the chef life a little too high-paced, Amy decided to take her cooking skills and use them to teach others through food writing. She uses her knowledge as a pastry chef and experience as a head chef to write articles that are engaging and helpful while being as entertaining as possible.

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12 responses
  1. Avatar
    Renata

    Serving on a plate is absolutely ok! By the way, your dish looks gorgeous and delicious! Thanks for joining in! I’m really happy you enjoyed it!

    1. Susan, AKA Kiwicook

      Thanks Renata and thanks for the great challenge!

  2. Avatar
    Petit World Citizen

    I didn’t know about your challenge until now. I also recently posted a recipe for dolsot bibimbap. http://petitworldcitizen.com/2014/07/07/dolsot-bibimbap/. It’s such a tasty, easy and versatile dish!

    1. Susan, AKA Kiwicook

      And yours looks a whole lot better than mine to boot!

      1. Avatar
        Petit World Citizen

        Not at all! I think the variety of colorful vegetables and textures used are what makes bibimbap so lovely and special and you nailed it! Bravo! 🙂

  3. Avatar
    Petit World Citizen

    Hi! I recently wrote a post about bibimbap. http://petitworldcitizen.com/2014/07/07/dolsot-bibimbap/. It’s one of my favorite Korean dishes! Yum!

  4. Avatar
    Sam Kumar

    I do love Korean dishes and this bibimbap looks so perfect! Thanks for posting and more Korean dishes soon.

    1. Susan, AKA Kiwicook

      Thanks Sam and yes, I must try out some more Asian inspired dishes!

  5. Avatar
    Amira

    It was really a fun and tasty challenge. Your dish looks so delicious.

  6. Avatar
    Varada

    Your bibimbap looks great. Love your choice of vegetables.

    1. Susan, AKA Kiwicook

      Thanks Varada! Normally I’m not a huge vege fan, but I loved eating them this way.