Ssambap (Korean Mixed Rice Bowl)
Tender beef, crispy fried egg, and fresh vegetables over warm rice—wrapped in lettuce leaves for interactive eating. A Korean classic that feels fancy but comes together in 35 minutes.
- Total time
- 35 min
- Servings
- 2
- Calories
- 580
- Protein
- 38g
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups cooked short-grain rice (such as sushi rice)
- ½ pound beef sirloin or ribeye, thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1.5 tablespoons sesame oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced until pieces are smaller than a grain of rice
- 8 leaves butter lettuce or romaine, leaves separated
- 2 whole eggs
- ½ medium carrot, cut into thin matchsticks about 2 inches long
- 2 whole scallions, cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces
Instructions
- 1
Pat the sliced beef dry with paper towels, pressing gently to remove excess moisture—this helps it brown evenly and taste better.
- 2
In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of sesame oil, and all the minced garlic—stir until uniform with a spoon.
- 3
Place the carrot matchsticks and scallion pieces in separate small bowls, ready to use.
- 4
Place a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat and wait 1 minute until the surface looks dry.
- 5
Add half the sliced beef to the skillet in a single layer, letting each piece sit without moving for 2 minutes so it browns deeply.
- 6
Stir once and cook another 30 seconds until no pink remains visible on the edges, then transfer the beef to a clean plate.
- 7
Return the skillet to medium-high heat, add the remaining beef, and repeat the same browning process (sit 2 minutes, stir once, cook 30 seconds).
- 8
Return all cooked beef to the skillet and pour in the soy-garlic mixture, stirring for 15 seconds until every piece is coated and smells strongly of garlic.
- 9
Transfer the beef to a bowl and set aside; do not rinse the skillet.
- 10
Lower the heat to medium, add 0.5 tablespoon of sesame oil to the skillet, then crack both eggs directly into the pan.
- 11
Cook without moving the eggs for 3 minutes, watching until the whites turn opaque and the yolk jiggling slows to a gentle wobble—the bottom will be crispy and golden.
- 12
Divide the warm rice evenly between two bowls, mounding it in the center of each.
- 13
Arrange 4 lettuce leaves around the rice in each bowl, propping them against the mound.
- 14
Top each rice mound with half the cooked beef, then slide one fried egg onto the surface of the rice.
- 15
Scatter half the carrot matchsticks and half the scallion pieces over each bowl in separate small mounds.
- 16
Place both bowls at the table with extra lettuce leaves on a side plate; each diner wraps rice and toppings in a leaf and eats with their hands.
Tools you’ll need
- 12-inch skillet
- small mixing bowl
- two small serving bowls
- paper towels
- wooden spoon or spatula
- plate
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