Bibimbap Burritos

Bibimbap is a Korean dish consisting of a bowl of rice topped with sautéed and seasoned vegetables, kimchi (fermented veggies), and gochujang (fermented chili paste). Often a fried or raw egg and sliced meat are also served on top. The bowl is mixed up before eating. Instead of doing it in a bowl, this recipe serves it in a tortilla, creating a delicious Korean fusion-style burrito. The recipe makes six burritos. They’re perfect served fresh, but you can also freeze them for reheating later.

On the Ingredients

Gochujang is a fermented sweet and spicy condiment from Korea. It’s made with chili, glutenous rice, soybean powder, barley malt powder, and salt. Gochujang can vary greatly in heat and even has its own heat scale called GHU (gochujang hot-taste units), ranked from 0 (mild) to 100 (Extreme hot). In flavor, gochujang is earthy and mildly sweet. It’s used in classic Korean dishes such as bibimbap and tteokbokki.
Kimchi is a fermented dish from Korea made with salted vegetables, often cabbage, but any vegetable can be used. It’s a staple in Korean cuisine, served with most meals and used as an ingredient in many. There are many varieties, and the flavor will change depending on what’s used, but it’s usually salty, sour, and has strong umami. Kimchi is packed with nutrients, containing vitamins, minerals, and probiotics. Some potential benefits include digestive health, strengthening the immune system, reducing inflammation, preventing yeast infections, aiding in weight loss, and supporting heart health. (Read more about the health benefits.)

Bibimbap Burritos

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Total time

minutes

Ingredients

6 tortillas (12”)
3 cups cooked short-grain rice (hot)
1 English cucumber
1 tsp salt (plus more to taste)
1 large carrot
1 lb spinach
2 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp sesame seeds
1 lb ground beef
1 tbsp tamari
2 tbsp gochujang
2 tsp Chili Oil Sauce (or more if you want more spice)
1 tbs brown sugar or monkfruit sweetener
6 eggs
1 cup kimchi

Directions

Peel the cucumber and cut it into very thin slices. Put the slices into a bowl and sprinkle with the salt. Mix the slices, massaging the salt into each piece using your fingers. Let them sit for 10 minutes.
Using your hands, squeeze the cucumber slices to remove the excess water. You will have wilted, fresh pickle slices. Set aside.
Peel the carrot and grate. Set aside. Heat 1 tbsp of sesame oil in a skillet over medium-low. Sauté the spinach, seasoned with salt to taste, until it’s wilted. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and remove from the skillet.
Grease the skillet again with sesame oil and sauté the ground beef until browned. Add the tamari, gochujang, sugar or monkfruit, chili oil sauce, and salt to taste. Continue to sauté until the meat is cooked through, then remove from the heat.
Heat a separate skillet and grease lightly with sesame oil, and scramble the eggs to preference.
Heat a 12” skillet on low and place a tortilla in it. Warm for about 1 minute on each size, making the tortilla easier to fold without tearing.
Put the tortilla down and spread a 1/2 cup of hot rice in the center (a rectangle about 6x2”). Top the rice with layers of 1/5 of the meat, egg, spinach, cucumber, carrot, and kimchi. Fold in the ends of the tortilla a roll to seal. Repeat with the other four tortillas. Serve hot!
Or, if you’d like to freeze the burritos, let them cool to room temp and wrap them in foil before putting them in the freezer. When you’d like to eat them, thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then bake at 400° F for 15 minutes. If you’re planning on freezing, we recommend that you do not add the cucumbers.