Bibi what?! If you know, you know! And if you've never tried bibimbap, you're in for a treat. Meet your new favorite shelf cooking recipe!
Bibimbap is totally a thing right now, and while you can probably find it on your favorite food delivery app, you can also make it at home. This recipe is fun, colorful, just as delicious as the kind you'd get at a restaurant, and WAY cheaper!
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You can use just about anything you have in the fridge to bring this recipe to life, and we'll show you how. You're only a few minutes away from a dinner that's worthy of an Instagram post. And it tastes as good as it looks!
WHAT IN THE WORLD IS BIBIMBAP?
If you haven’t heard of bibimbap before, let us be the first to introduce you! This dish was made for nights when you think you have nothing to eat. It shelf cooking’s best friend and sidekick! So, what is it?
Bibimbap is a Korean rice bowl topped with an assortment of veggies, protein, and gochujang sauce. The gochujang sauce in this recipe is so good; you will want to put it on everything. We suggest doubling it because you WILL want more!
This meal is magical. For real, you guys. Are you ready to learn how to make bibimbap? Let's do this!
HOW TO MODIFY THIS BIBIMBAP RECIPE
Okay, it's fun to say bibimbap. It's also fun to eat it. But the real magic of this dish is that you can customize it about a billion different ways! So, don't feel tied to this recipe line by line. Go ahead and get creative. Here are a few modifications you can try:
- Veggies – You can use any veggies you have! Open a can, pull some veggies out of the freezer, or reach for the leafy variety! Whatever you have on hand will work.
- Rice – We used sushi rice to make our bibimbap, but you can use any rice. Brown, white, or even cauliflower rice would be delicious.
- Eggs – While we love to top our bibimbap with an egg or two, you don't have to! If you're out of eggs, don't stress.
- Meat – This recipe is vegetarian, but you can add any meat to level up the protein. We think leftover sliced roast beef would be amazing. Chicken, pork, or shrimp are great, too.
- Rice Wine Vinegar – If you don't keep rice wine vinegar in your pantry, you can try using Apple Cider Vinegar or lemon juice instead.
Now you're all set! Feel free to experiment with different toppings, too. Crushed cashews or scallions are incredible on this dish!
WHAT TO SERVE WITH BIBIMBAP
If you're new to the world of bibimbap, then you may be wondering what to serve on the side. The truth is, you can easily serve this as a one-bowl dinner. It's got all the food groups in one dish! But, if you're looking for a little something extra, here are a few quick and easy ideas:
- Soup – Make some miso or egg drop soup, or use up your leftovers! Here's how to build your own soup from scratch.
- Salad – Don't let that lettuce go bad! Salad is a great side for bibimbap.
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts – You've got options! Serve your sprouts in the bibimbap, or make these roasted Brussels to serve on the side.
- Crispy Green Beans – Boil them with bacon and butter, or toss them in an air fryer!
Now that you're up to speed on all things bibimbap, what do you say we get to cooking?
WHAT TO DO WITH LEFTOVERS
Bibimbap is one of those dishes that's best served fresh, especially if you including the sunny side up egg. However, you can totally prep these ingredients ahead of time and assemble dinner in no time!
You can also store any leftovers sans egg and use it within 3-4 days. Just keep the rice, meat, and veggies, in an airtight container, and make a quick egg or two when you're ready to eat.
AN INSTAGRAM-WORTHY BIBIMBAP RECIPE
Okay, really quick, let's talk about the sauce! It pretty much makes the whole recipe. The more you add to your bowl, the more spice you will get, but it's not terribly spicy! Even our kids gobbled it up. It would be incredible on your scrambled eggs at breakfast or tossed with some shrimp.
30-Minute Bibimbap
Ingredients
- 4 servings rice, cooked according to package instructions
- 2 cups mixed vegetables we used mushrooms, red bell pepper, carrot, bean sprouts, zucchini, spinach, and kimchi
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
- 4 eggs
Sauce
- 3 tbsp gochujang
- 1½ tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 2 tsp sesame seeds
- ½ tsp ginger
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 tsp soy sauce
Instructions
- Begin by cooking rice according to instructions.
- If using leftover vegetables, warm through. For fresh, cut them into slices or matchsticks, and saute in extra virgin olive oil until tender-crisp. Saute a clove of garlic and 1 tsp of fresh ginger and toss with one of your vegetables (we like mushrooms or spinach for this step).
- Cook eggs sunny side up.
- For the sauce, finely mince garlic and combine all ingredients together. If you want it spicier, add up to 2 tbsp more of the gochujang.
- To assemble, place the rice in the bottom of 4 bowls. Top with egg, then vegetables. Drizzle sauce over the top.
- To eat, break the egg yolk and mix everything together! It is really fun with chopsticks.
How good does that look?! One quick note: if you're wondering where to find gochujang, just head to the international aisle of your grocery store. Target and Amazon sell it, too!
We're SO excited for you to try this recipe and we hope your family loves it as much as ours does! Even your pickiest eaters just might give it a try. Our kids devoured it!
Have you ever had bibimbap? Let us know if you prefer to eat it with chopsticks or a fork!
Looking for a few more creative recipes to try?
- Give this homemade French bread pizza a shot. It's super easy!
- These ooey-gooey bars are our current favorite dessert.
- This egg nog French toast is a dream!
Don't forget to snap a pic before you take that first bite! (#PicsOrItDidntHappen)