Bibimbapish- Korean Fried Rice (paleo, grain free, AIP options)

Posted onFebruary 24, 2014December 24, 2021 Updated onDecember 24, 2021

If you love bibimbap but are short on time (and don't like eggs), you will love this dish. It's a Korean Cauliflower Rice / aka Paleo Bibimbap lookalike that is actually a "Busy Person's Bibimbap" dish for busy people who love traditional bibimbap, but don't have time for chopping a bunch of veggies.

No matter what you call it, it's so delicious and super simple--you will for sure want to add it to your recipe rotation!

This summer, while visiting back home, I reconnected with a dear friend.

Her husband is Korean and when he made us bibimbap, our family had a new favourite food.

Bibimbap means 'mixed rice' and is one of those dishes that has much room for variation.

So I sought out to make something that tasted just like it but wasn't as fussy.

Korean Cauliflower Rice? Ground Beef with Cauliflower Rice? Egg-free Bibimbap?

Yes, I'm not sure what to call this dish, but it's amazingly delicious.

I shouldn't really title this bibimbap though- any Korean person would look at this and declare

"THAT is not bibimbap."

- There is no guchujung, red chili paste; the bought paste is full of not-real ingredients and the fermented homemade version requires more dedication than I have.
- The vegetables should be julienned; I have neither a julienne tool, nor extra time to cut vegetables so finely so I grated them.
- Sesame seed oil is not really available where I live, so I used sesame seeds. You could of course use sesame oil instead if you like.

I wanted people to be able to make this without having to run to a specialty store. Technically this is bibimbap inspired but that makes for a rather unwieldy title. Maybe I should call it "bimbimbap-ish".

Traditionally bibimbap is made with short grain rice but I've also made it with cauliflower to make it grain-free.

Truth be told, it's better with rice. But it's also very good with cauliflower 'rice', and that's what I used for the photos.

Recipe Notes

Vegetable Options: Besides the vegetables listed in the recipe, I've also used chopped lettuce, radish, and bean sprouts.
Meat Alternatives: The meat can be substituted with a fried egg or two per person for a vegetarian version. Any ground meat will work, I used beef but pork or even chicken will fit.
Soy Alternative: If you need to be soy free, feel free to substitute coconut aminos + salt for the tamari. The best fat to use is butter, for that nutty flavour, however if you can't eat dairy, olive oil or baking coconut oil will do.

Special Diet Options

AIP: Omit the sesame seeds and the hot red pepper sauce. Use olive or coconut oil for the fat. Also, substitute organic coconut aminos and additional salt for the tamari.

More Easy Dinner Recipes

- Gluten-free Chili Mac - so easy and soo good! Dairy-free option too!
- Ground Beef Curry - our family's favorite meal ever.
- Homemade Hamburger Helper - better than the boxed stuff!
- Egg Roll in a Bowl

Recipe

Ingredients

1/2 large cucumber
1/2 small zucchini
1 large carrot
3.5 ounces crinkly cabbage
10 ounces ground beef
16 ounces cauliflower (or 3 cups cauliflower rice or cooked short grain rice)
1/3 cup sesame seeds (omit for AIP)
1/3 cup butter (or either olive or coconut oil)
3 tablespoons tamari
hot red pepper sauce (omit for AIP)
fat (for sauteing)

Instructions

Grate vegetables into a large bowl.
In a little fat, brown the ground meat in a frying pan over medium high heat and add to bowl.
Process the cauliflower through a food processor until rice sized. Add a little fat into the frying pan and add cauliflower and a bit of water and saute.
The cauliflower should be cooked and soft but still with some bite, not mush. (Omit this step if using rice.)
Add cauliflower (or rice) to large bowl.
Pour sesame seeds onto a clean dry pan and shake to distribute the seeds. Heat at medium heat, occasionally shaking to prevent burning. When the seeds are brown and fragrant, add to the large bowl.
Pour oil or let butter melt on top of the hot ingredients. Pour over tamari and mix well.
Serve and add hot sauce to individual bowls. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is merely an approximation. Optional ingredients are not included and when there is an alternative, the primary ingredient is typically used. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts since they have been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.

Have you heard of or eaten bibimbap before?

Naomi Huzovicova - Writer at Whole New Mom

Naomi is originally from Canada but is now a wife and mom in Slovakia. She tries to live each day as a follower of Christ in the chaos of caring for children. Using real food and creating an environmentally friendly surrounding for her family is a priority. She dreams of a little farm while living in an apartment, enjoys handmade creations, and still doesn't like brussels sprouts. Naomi shares her food creations and photos of Slovakia at Almost Bananas. She looks forward to connecting with you on Pinterest,and Facebook.