JUST 3 Main Ingredients! 10-Min Delish! Ground Beef Rice Bowl Recipe

Want a super quick, easy, and incredibly delicious Japanese meal? You’ve come to the right place! This Ground Beef and Bell Pepper Rice Bowl recipe, inspired by our latest YouTube video, focuses on simplicity and flavor, using primarily ground beef, bell peppers, and rice as the stars. It comes together in about 10 minutes (once the rice is cooking!), making it perfect for a busy weeknight.

We’ll also show you how to whip up a simple, complementary Bell Pepper Soup to make it a complete meal. Let’s get cooking!

Ingredients (Serves 2)

For the Addictive Ground Beef & Bell Pepper Donburi:

• Rice & Prep:

  • 1 cup Japanese Rice (Note: 1 Japanese rice cup ≈ 180ml or ¾ US cup)

  • 200 ml (~0.85 US cup) Water (or amount according to your rice cooker/preference)

  • 2 tbsp Sake (for cooking rice)

• Main Topping:

  • 3 Bell Peppers (any color you like, approx. 90g / 3.2 oz), cut into bite-sized pieces

  • 200g (approx. 7 oz) Ground Beef

  • 1 tsp Vegetable Oil

• Sauce:

  • 2 tbsp Mirin

  • 2 tbsp Soy Sauce

  • 2 tsp Sugar

  • 1 tsp Oyster Sauce

  • A pinch of MSG (Ajinomoto) (Optional)

• For Serving:

  • Cooked Rice

  • Rayu (Japanese Chili Oil) (Optional)

For the Simple Bell Pepper Soup:

• 1 Bell Pepper (approx. 30g / 1 oz), cut into bite-sized pieces (reserved from above)

• 340 ml (~1.4 US cups) Water

• 1.5 tbsp Soy Sauce

• 0.5 tbsp (or 1.5 tsp) Sesame Oil

• 1 tsp Sugar

• A pinch of MSG (Ajinomoto) (Optional)

Instructions

Part 1: Making the Addictive Ground Beef & Bell Pepper Topping

1. Prepare the Rice: Prepare 1 cup of rice. Rinse the rice. Then, here’s a trick for cooking it up just right. After rinsing the rice and adding 200ml (~0.85 US cup) water (or however much you usually use), toss in 2 tbsp Sake for every cup of rice. Cook the rice according to your usual method (rice cooker or pot). It’ll come out nice and fluffy.

2. Prep Peppers & Sauce: While the rice cooks, cut all 4 bell peppers into bite-sized pieces. Set aside the pieces from 1 pepper for the soup. In a small bowl, combine the sauce ingredients: 2 tbsp mirin, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tsp sugar, 1 tsp oyster sauce, and a pinch of MSG (if using). Mix well.

3. Cook the Beef: Heat 1 tsp of oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef (200g / 7 oz) and stir-fry until it’s lightly browned.

4. Simmer with Sauce: Pour the prepared sauce mixture over the beef in the pan. Stir well and let it simmer, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has reduced and the sauce slightly thickens.

5. Add Bell Peppers: Add the chopped bell peppers (from 3 peppers, approx. 90g / 3.2 oz) to the pan with the beef. Stir-fry for about 1 minute. You want the peppers to be slightly tender but still have a bit of crunch. Turn off the heat.

6. Assemble the Donburi: Fill two bowls with the freshly cooked fluffy rice. Generously spoon the ground beef and bell pepper mixture over the rice. For an extra kick, drizzle with some Rayu (chili oil) if desired.

Part 2: Making the Simple Bell Pepper Soup

1. Prepare the Broth: In a small saucepan, combine the water (340 ml / ~1.4 US cups), 1.5 tbsp soy sauce, 0.5 tbsp sesame oil, 1 tsp sugar, and a pinch of MSG (if using). Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat.

2. Cook Peppers Briefly: Once the broth is boiling, add the remaining chopped bell pepper pieces (from 1 pepper, approx. 30g / 1 oz). Let it boil for just 30 seconds. Turn off the heat immediately to keep the pepper slightly crisp.

3. Serve: Pour the soup into small bowls and serve alongside the donburi.

There you have it! A quick, flavorful, and satisfying Japanese meal. The sweet and savory beef pairs perfectly with the fresh crunch of the bell peppers and fluffy rice. The simple soup complements the main dish wonderfully.

I hope you enjoy this “Addictive Ground Beef and Bell Pepper Rice Bowl”! If you try it, let me know how it turned out in the comments below or on my YouTube video.

Happy Cooking!