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ground beef and broccoli quinoa in a large blue skillet with a small amount scooped onto an orange spatula
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Healthy Korean Beef and Broccoli Quinoa

If you're in search of an easy, healthy weeknight meal, this Korean ground beef and broccoli quinoa is for you! It tastes like bulgogi and this one pot meal is also baby and toddler-friendly! 
Course Dinner, lunch, Main
Cuisine Asian
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 299kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil (or other oil you have on hand)
  • 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced (or 1-2 teaspoons garlic powder, depending on your preference)
  • 1 medium carrot, diced
  • 12 ounce bag frozen broccoli (can use fresh - about 3 cups)
  • 1 ½ cups yellow quinoa
  • 2 cups low-sodium beef broth (can use 1 cup broth + 1 cup water)
  • Bulgogi Sauce

Instructions

  • Heat oil in a large skillet (or Dutch oven) over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking apart and stirring, until no longer pink.
  • Remove beef from the pan and drain any excess grease. Add oil to the pan and cook onion, garlic, and carrots over medium-high heat until soft and fragrant, about 5 minutes.
  • Add beef back into the pan along with broccoli. Give everything a good stir. 
  • Stir in quinoa and cook for 1-2 minutes.
  • Pour in the broth and bulgogi sauce. Bring to a boil, making sure to scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pot. Cover, reduce heat and simmer until quinoa is cooked through, about 20 minutes.
  • Optional: serve with fresh chopped green onion and crushed seaweed sheets

Notes

  • To save time the day of, you can make the bulgogi sauce ahead of time and store in the refrigerator (3-5 days).
  • To add or not to add soy sauce to the bulgogi sauce: If serving to older kid(s), you can add 1-2 tablespoons of low-sodium soy sauce to the original bulgogi sauce recipe. Otherwise, set aside a portion for your baby and add some soy sauce at the very end. Honestly,  you can add a little bit to the sauce even when serving to your baby. Remember the amount is distributed throughout the entire dish and your baby will eat only a small portion of it. Nonetheless, I always like to give you options! 
  • You can use ground chicken or turkey if you wish.
  • You can also use a different cut of meat besides ground.  If you go to an Asian grocery store, you can find ones labeled. "bulgogi meat." If you can't find it, just be sure to slice your meat very thinly. Tip: Freeze the meat for about 2 hours or so. And working with a sharp knife, slice thinly (about ⅛ inch or so) across the grain.
  • While I used frozen broccoli, you can certainly use fresh.

Nutrition

Calories: 299kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 47mg | Sodium: 145mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin C: 52mg | Calcium: 59mg | Iron: 4mg