Bibimbap is one of Korea’s most famous dishes and after one bite, you will know why this dish has become so well loved around the world. Although, it is jam packed with layers of flavor and texture, it is quite simple to make and incredibly customizable. If you were to look at 10 different bibimbap recipes, you would probably get 10 unique versions of this classic Korean comfort food and that is the beauty of this dish… you add your favorites to your bibimbap and eat happily ever after.
Sounds great, right?
So, what in this bowl makes it a “bibimbap”? A traditional bibimbap is a bowl of fluffy white rice topped with a sunny side up egg, some meat, some vegetables and a special sauce. You can imagine how widely the contents of this bowl can vary, so let’s break the elements down a bit more…
- The Sunny Side Up Egg – it is pretty important, as the runny yolk acts as a second “sauce” that adds a rich, lusciousness to your bowl, but if you aren’t a fan of runny yolks, you can absolutely cook yours over medium or however you prefer your eggs
- The Meat – I would like to start off by saying that the meat in this bowl is definitely optional. It could easily be a vegetarian dish! If you are adding meat, thinly sliced beef or pork is most common, but you will also see fish, turkey or chicken, used as well. Today, I am using beef, well leftover beef actually, and bibimbap is the perfect vessel for leftover protein!
- The Vegetables – this is where you can get really creative! It is traditional to combine some cooked and some raw elements in a bibimbap, so maybe you have some sautéed mushrooms and greens, but raw carrots and cabbage. Combining the textures helps to create interesting differences once everything is mixed together, but as far as I know, there are no rules when it comes to vegetables, so add anything you want!
- The Sauce – ok, so this is my personal favorite element of a bibimbap. Although, there are many versions of a bibimbap sauce too, they should all be salty, tangy and sweet. If you don’t have some of the ingredients needed for this sauce, have no fear, take a quick trip down your grocery stores international foods aisle and pick them up. Each one of the ingredients in this sauce are delicious on their own, so you will definitely use them in the future (especially if you try more of my recipes!) and none of them are too expensive either. Pick them up, give them a try and who knows, you may find your new favorite ingredient!
Let’s get started…
To make that special sauce, you will need 3 tablespoons of gochujang or chili paste, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of hoisin, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 teaspoon garlic, 1 teaspoon ginger and 1 teaspoon of fish sauce. I. have been working on this recipe for a few years and this is my very favorite version of a bibimbap sauce.
The gochujang is one of my all time favorites. It is great on chicken, steak or whisked in to many sauces and marinades. If I had to choose to have one vinegar in my pantry, it would be rice vinegar. I love the flavor and use it in cole slaws, salad dressings and various asian inspired sauces. Fish sauce… don’t be intimidated by the sound of it, it is an intensely salty sauce that adds something really special and I am quite confident that if you try it, you will like it.
When you are choosing your vegetables, try to pick veggies with different flavors and textures. Today, I am using raw carrots, red cabbage and mushrooms. I am also adding pickled cucumbers and pickled red onions.
Leftover vegetables are a wonderful addition to this dish too. Steamed vegetables, roasted vegetables or whatever you have needing a job in your refrigerator.
Now that we’ve covered all of the elements and your many options, it is time to assemble! Start by covering the bottom of a wide bowl with fluffy white rice. If you prefer another kind of rice, that is totally fine, just be sure to choose a rice that has a mild flavor and a texture that will soak up the sauce easily.
Next, add your sliced protein and vegetables. Like I said earlier, today I am using leftover beef, but you can use anything from roast chicken to blackened salmon or anything you have on hand.
Now, add your egg. Sunny side up with a soft yolk is my preferred egg for this dish, but remember that this is your bibimbap, so cook your egg exactly how you want it.
Would you take a look at that beautiful bowl? I like to add a little extra black pepper, some red pepper flakes and sesame seeds over the bowl before I drizzle over the sauce. Traditionally, the sauce is added and then everything is mixed together into one very delicious combination…
The way that all of that sweet, salty, tangy goodness coats the veggies and beef is truly spectacular and then when you break that egg yolk open and it combines with all of the other flavors… I literally cannot stop digging into this bowl…
Now that you are familiar with the Korean comfort food classic the bibimbap, start planning your leftovers around building your own version and once you have enjoyed your own custom bibimbap, you will probably start planning your next one because they really are that good….
Bibimbap
Ingredients
Bibimbap Ingredients (per bowl)
- 1 large egg, cooked sunny side up
- 4 ounces of protein (beef, chicken, fish or tofu)
- 1-1 1/2 cups of white rice, cooked
- 1/2 cup of cabbage, thinly sliced
- 1 spring onion, thinly sliced
- 4 inch portion of carrot, julienned
- 1-2 shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
- pickled cucumbers
- clover sprouts
- pickled red onion
- fresh cilantro
- black sesame seeds or red pepper flakes (optional garnish)
Bibimbap Sauce (two servings)
- 3 tablespoons of gochujang or sweet chili paste
- 2 tablespoons of soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons of hoisin
- 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon of honey
- 1 teaspoon of fish sauce
- 1 large garlic clove, crushed or grated
- 1 teaspoon ginger, crushed or grated
Instructions
- Start by combining all of the sauce elements in a small bowl and set aside for now
- Prepare 1- 1 1/2 cups of rice per serving according to the manufacturers directions
- Cook your egg sunny side up or how your prefer
- Layer your ingredients starting with rice, adding vegetables and protein next and then the egg on top
- Drizzle with half of the bibimbap sauce, sprinkle with black sesame seeds, red pepper flakes (optional) and fresh cilantro
- Mix the ingredients to combine
- Enjoy!
