Spicy Korean Ground Beef with Cucumber Salad

A quick and flavorful Korean-spiced ground beef served with a cool cucumber salad, balancing heat and freshness.

Scale

500 g (1.1 lb) ground beef (85–90% lean)
2 tbsp (30 g) gochujang
2 tbsp (30 ml) light soy sauce
1 tbsp (12 g) brown sugar
1 tsp (5 ml) sesame oil
3 cloves garlic, minced (≈12 g)
1 tsp (5 g) ginger, finely grated (optional)
1 tbsp (15 ml) rice vinegar
1 tsp (2 g) toasted sesame seeds
2 scallions, sliced on the bias
2 medium Korean-style cucumbers or Persian cucumbers (≈300 g / 10–11 oz), thinly sliced
½ tsp (1 g) red pepper flakes (optional)
1 tbsp (15 ml) neutral oil for cooking

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Prep the cucumber salad: Thinly slice cucumbers and toss with rice vinegar, sugar, salt, and sesame oil. Let sit for 5–10 minutes.
Mix the sauce: In a bowl, whisk together gochujang, soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger.
Brown the beef: Heat neutral oil in a skillet over medium-high. Add ground beef, sear for 2 minutes, then break up and cook until mostly browned.
Finish with sauce: Reduce heat, pour in sauce, and cook for 1–2 minutes until thickened. Stir in scallions and sesame seeds.
Serve immediately over rice or in lettuce cups with cucumber salad on top.

For extra crunch, let cucumbers sit in ice water after salting. Adjust sweetness and saltiness of the sauce to taste before serving.