This easy Korean-Style Keema is a fiery twist on traditional Indian keema, combining gochujang (Korean chili paste), soy sauce, and sesame oil with ground meat for a bold, umami-packed dish. Ready in just 30 minutes, it’s perfect for busy weeknights, meal prep, or serving as a crowd-pleasing appetizer in lettuce cups. Gluten-free adaptable and customizable with turkey, beef, or plant-based meat!
🍛 Serves 4 | 🥩 High-Protein | ⏱ 30-Min | 🌿 GF Option
Some weeknight recipes need a million ingredients—this isn’t one of them. That’s what I love about Korean cooking: big taste, no stress. Just like my 20-minute turkey mince noodles or Korean bbq beef bowl, this keema keeps things easy.
The twist? We’re turning basic ground meat into something really tasty using just three everyday sauces. No marinating, no fancy tools—just one pan and a spoon to scoop up every last bite.
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💗 Why This Recipe Works
✅ Fast & flavorful – Ready in 30 minutes, packed with umami from soy sauce, sesame oil, and chili paste.
✅ Budget-friendly – Uses simple ingredients (no hard-to-find Korean staples!).
✅ Meal-prep friendly – Stores well for lunches or lazy dinners.
✅ Customizable heat – Adjust spice to taste (great for kids!).
🍚 Ingredients
*See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
- Minced meat: Pick turkey, beef, or pork, whatever you like best or have on hand.
- Sunflower oil: This helps cook the minced meat without it sticking to the pan and gives it a nice, neutral taste.
- Sesame oil: Adds a nutty flavour to your dish and makes it smell amazing. It's a favourite in Korean cooking!
- Chilli sauce or paste: Add some chilli sauce or paste for a spicy kick.
♻️ Substitutions
- Ground turkey: You can substitute with minced chicken, or even plant-based alternatives like tofu or tempeh.
- Sunflower oil: Other neutral oils, such as vegetable oil, canola oil, or grapeseed oil, can be used.
- Sesame oil: Substitute it with peanut oil, almond oil, or even a small amount of toasted sesame seeds for a similar nutty flavour.
- Soy sauce: Tamari sauce or liquid amino acids are good alternatives to soy sauce, especially if you're looking for a gluten-free option.
- Oyster sauce: Hoisin sauce or a combination of soy sauce and a touch of sugar can be used.
- Chilli sauce or paste: Sriracha sauce, sambal oelek, or crushed red pepper flakes can add a spicy kick similar to chilli sauce or paste.
- Green onions: Chopped fresh parsley or cilantro can be used.
- Long-grain white rice: Jasmine rice, basmati rice, or even brown rice.
📋 Variations
- Vegetarian Korean Keema: If you're a fan of vegetarian dishes, swap out the minced meat for crumbled tofu or cooked lentils. You'll still get all those delicious Korean flavours, just without the meat!
- Korean BBQ Keema: Marinate your minced meat in a mix of soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and brown sugar before cooking. It'll give your keema that mouthwatering Korean BBQ taste that you'll love.
- Kimchi Keema: Throw some chopped kimchi into your keema, it'll give it that extra zing.
- Sweet and Sour Korean Keema: Add some pineapple chunks and bell peppers to your keema for a delicious sweet and sour twist. Finish it off with a splash of rice vinegar and honey for that perfect balance of flavours.
- Korean Keema Bowl: If you're looking for a wholesome meal, serve your keema over a bed of cooked rice and top it with sliced avocado, shredded carrots, cucumber, and a drizzle of spicy mayo. It's a bowl full of goodness that you'll want to dive into!
- Korean Keema Tacos: Who doesn't love tacos? Fill your tacos with Korean keema, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, and a dollop of sour cream or Greek yoghurt. Garnish with chopped cilantro and a squeeze of lime for a burst of fresh flavour.
👩🍳 How To Make Korean-Style Keema
In just 30 minutes, you’ll have a spicy-savory bowl of ground meat glazed in gochujang and sesame. Short on time? Try our even speedier 20-minute turkey mince noodles – high-protein stir fry for another protein-packed meal.
Step 1: Heat 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the minced meat and cook for about 15-20 minutes, until browned and fully cooked.
Step 2: Use a spatula to break up the meat as it cooks.
Step 3: In a small bowl, mix sesame oil, soy sauce, oyster sauce, and chilli sauce to create the sauce. If you want juicier meat, double the amounts of these sauce ingredients.
Step 4: Once the meat is cooked, pour the sauce over it and stir thoroughly to coat the meat evenly.
Step 5: Let it cook for a few more minutes to let the flavours meld together.
Step 6: Serve the Korean keema over steamed rice, you can use my Lebanese Rice and Broken Vermicelli recipe and garnish with green onions.
A full list of ingredients and instructions can be found in the recipe card below.
❓Korean-Style Keema FAQs
Korean Keema is a flavorful and spicy Korean twist on the traditional Indian Keema dish. It typically consists of ground meat (commonly beef or pork) cooked with various aromatic spices and vegetables such as onions, garlic, and bell peppers.
This Korean-style keema is one of my favorite quick meal prep recipes—it’s packed with flavor and super versatile. You can serve it with rice, pasta, roast potato wedges, or even stuffed between two cheesy parathas. It also goes really well with Turkish bulgur pilav or Lebanese rice with broken vermicelli.
✅ Fridge: Store in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
✅ Freezer: Freeze for 2-3 months (portion in bags for easy use).
🔥 Reheating Tip: Add 1-2 tablespoon water or broth when microwaving to keep it juicy!
❄️ Thawing: Overnight in the fridge (never at room temp).
Pro Tip: Label containers with dates – the spicy flavor intensifies over time!
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Korean Keema (30-Minute Spicy Ground Meat)
Equipment
- Rice Cooker (optional): If you're serving the Korean Keema with rice, a rice cooker can simplify the process of cooking fluffy, perfectly steamed rice.
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground turkey (or lamb/beef/pork for richer flavor)
- 2 tablespoon sunflower oil (or any neutral oil)
- 4 tablespoon sesame oil
- 4 tablespoon soy sauce (or tamari for gluten-free)
- 4 tablespoon oyster sauce (or hoisin for sweetness)
- 4 tablespoon chili sauce or paste (gochujang or sriracha)
For Serving:
- Green onions for garnish
- Steamed rice to serve (or cauliflower rice for low-carb)
Ingredients for making the rice
- 1 cup of long-grain white rice
- 2 cups of water
Instructions
- How to prepare the meat: Heat the sunflower oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the minced meat and cook until browned and cooked through, breaking it up with a spatula as it cooks, around 15 -20 minutes.2 tablespoon sunflower oil, 1 lb ground turkey
- In a small bowl, combine the sesame oil, soy sauce, oyster sauce, and chili sauce or paste to make the sauce. If you prefer a juicier meat, double the quantities of the sauce ingredients.4 tablespoon sesame oil, 4 tablespoon soy sauce, 4 tablespoon oyster sauce, 4 tablespoon chili sauce or paste
- Once the meat is cooked, pour the sauce over the meat and stir well to coat the meat evenly. Cook for a few more minutes, allowing the flavors to blend.
- How to make the rice: Rinse the rice under cold water in a fine-mesh sieve until the water runs clear. (Optional: soak for about 30 minutes to improve texture.)Add the rinsed rice and water to a saucepan with a tight-fitting lid.1 cup of long-grain white rice, 2 cups of water
- Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15–20 minutes until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender.Remove from heat and let it sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving.
- Serve the Korean keema over steamed rice and garnish with green onions.Green onions for garnish, Steamed rice to serve
Claudia Ciorteanu says
My family loved this!
Matt says
This dish is a delightful fusion of flavors. The gochujang adds a unique depth.
Chelsea says
Totally out of the norm for me, but so glad I took the dive and tried it! Amazing!
Chelsea says
This was completely different from anything I’ve cooked! So good and so worth trying something new!!
Leslie says
This Korean Keema was absolutely delightful! I love sesame oil and this recipe had the perfect balance of flavors!
Andrea says
This was quick to make and so flavorful—my husband loved it and asked if we could have it again next week.
Swathi says
My family loved this Korean-style keema. It is great to go with a bowl of rice. I am going to make it again.