Korean Bibimbap Bowl (Korean Rice Bowl)

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These Korean Bibimbap Bowls are made with flavor packed marinated shrimp, fresh vegetables, seasoned rice, and are topped with an ooey gooey egg to make you feel good about life.

Everything good about life is in this rice bowl. Juicy, flavorful shrimp. Fresh vegetables. Sticky, seasoned rice. Egg. Runny delicious egg.

And we love a good rice dish around here....this seafood rice is at the top of the list, but we're also big fans of this chicken and chorizo paella!

And really guys, you can add anything you want to this Korean Rice Bowl. Tofu, chicken, beef, fish, bacon, pork belly.....seriously, whatever you like, put it in this bowl. It's great with this Korean purple rice!

If you like this, you're probably going to LOVE this Korean ramen too!

What is Bibimbap?

It's a Korean rice dish that is typically served with vegetables, kimchi, egg, and a protein such as beef or tofu. It is seasoned with Korean seasonings like gochujang, soy sauce and soy bean paste.

Ingredients

Most of the ingredients can be found at an Asian market, but you can also order them on Amazon if you're so inclined. I've included links to the ingredients in the recipe card.

Ingredients for rice bowls:

I like to use a larger sized shrimp (21/30). However, smaller shrimp can also be used.

Ingredients for marinated shrimp:

A short grain rice is used because I think a stickier rice works great in this recipes. Buy short grain rice HERE from Amazon (affiliate link). Short grain rice is also great in this Coconut Sticky Rice or for making Sushi Rice.

Ingredients for rice:

I also use kimchi, gochujang and dashi powder in this recipe.

If you prefer to buy gochujang sauce instead of making it (I have instruction below), you can buy it HERE on Amazon (affiliate link).

You could also substitute this Instant Pot sushi rice!

What is Dashi Powder?

Dashi powder is a Japanese soup stock that is typically made from dried kelp, bonito flakes, and/or anchovies. It has a wonderful umami flavor and adds depth to the soup. You can buy it on Amazon HERE (affiliate link), or learn how to make dashi.

Dashi is also used to make these Korean Rice Cakes which are So GOOD!

What is Gochujang?

Gochujang is a Korean fermented chili paste that has sweet, savory and spicy flavors. The spice level ranges from pretty mild to extremely spicy, depending on your preference. I typically buy a medium spice as I find it has the perfect amount of heat. You can buy it HERE on Amazon (affiliate link).

The flavor of gochujang is incredible. You should definitely also try this Marinated Korean Beef or these Korean Beef Nachos with gochujang cheese sauce.

Step By Step Instructions

First, combine the marinade ingredients in a bowl and add the shrimp. Let the shrimp marinade in the fridge for at least 2 hours, and up to overnight. The longer it marinades, the more flavorful it will be. 

If you're using dried shiitake mushrooms, soak them in hot water for about 20 minutes. When soft and pliable, squeeze any excess liquid out and set aside for cooking.

Heat the oil in a skillet and add the spinach, 1 teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of sesame oil. Cook until the spinach is wilted and remove from heat.

Do the same with the zucchini and the shiitake mushrooms. **You can cook these all together, I just did it separately to make my bowls look pretty.

Set all the veggies aside. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add the shrimp and cook for about 3-5 minutes, until pink all the way through.

Be careful not to overcook so your shrimp stay juicy. It doesn't take long for shrimp to cook.

Place some rice in a bowl and top with a fried egg. You can also use a soft boiled egg if you prefer. And seriously, these Ramen Eggs would be incredible!

Place the veggies and shrimp around the edges of the bowl and top with fried garlic, sesame seeds and gochugaru sauce.

For something sweet after dinner, these Hotteok, or Sweet Korean Pancakes, are so good and easy to make (they can even be made ahead of time and cooked when ready).

How to Make Seasoned Rice

Rinse the rice with cool water in a colander and let it drain. Add the rice, dashi powder, salt, sesame oil and 1 ¼ cups water to a pot. Cover it and bring to a boil.

Let it boil for about 3 minutes, reduce heat and cook for 3-5 minutes, or until all the liquid has been absorbed. Remove from heat and let it sit, covered, for at least 10 minutes.

For more tips on making short grain rice, read this post.

How to Make Gochujang Sauce

Place all the ingredients for the sauce in a small bowl and whisk until the sauce is smooth.

How to Make Pickled Vegetables

The pickled vegetables are optional, but I think they add a wonderful tangy flavor to the rice bowls. Place the coconut sugar, rice vinegar and chopped pepper in a bowl and mix well to dissolve the sugar.

Add the cucumber and carrots (any other veggies will work here as well) and mix to fully cover the vegetables. Refrigerate for 4-6 hours, or overnight.

These pickled veggies are also amazing in this Vietnamese Pork Noodle Bowl or this Lemongrass Beef Bowl. 

 Expert Tips

1. If you're using this marinade for beef, chicken or tofu, you may want to leave it on for an extra hour or so, or even overnight for extra flavor. You can also use this sous vide skirt steak with Korean marinade.
2. To make this dish vegetarian, substitute tofu for the shrimp.
3. Be careful not to overcook the shrimp as they will become tough. They are done when they are pink all the way through. Remove them as soon as they are done (or even a little before).
4. Any vegetables can be used for the pickled vegetables. Try cabbage, zucchini, greens, bean sprouts, radishes, etc. You can also leave the pickled veggies out if you prefer.

Did you make this shrimp bibimbap bowl? Leave a comment below and let me know how it turned out!