High Protein and Low Carb Tasty Korean Steak Bowl Meal Prep

For this endlessly rainy beginning of spring, this meal prep is perfectly warm and comforting with a large kick of herb-filled freshness.

Rice Options

I made a batch of this with brown rice and a batch with cauliflower rice.

The taste was surprisingly similar but the rice texture was a little bit more comforting in a way.

The recipe and macros below are for the cauliflower rice variety but swapping 1/2 cup brown rice instead will add 14g carbs, 1g of protein, and 60 calories.

Meal Prepping with Cauliflower Rice

I have a hard time with cauliflower rice in meal preps because it just does not reheat well in the microwave. Reheating pre-cooked cauliflower gives it a very funky smell.

What I’ve found works decently well is to leave it undercooked when portioned into meal prep containers and let it finish cooking when the rest of the meal is reheated in the microwave.

Cauliflower rice needs about 4 minutes of cooking total. Less, about 1-2 minutes, if it is previously frozen.

I will portion frozen and thawed cauliflower directly into meal prep containers and let it cook completely in the microwave when the whole meal is heated.

Fresh cauliflower rice can be microwaved or sautéed for 2 minutes before portioning into meal prep containers and again let it cook the rest of the way in the microwave when the whole meal is heated.

It’s best to undercook the cauliflower!

Macros

This is for the cauliflower rice option. Again, swapping 1/2 cup brown rice instead will add 14g carbs, 1g of protein, and 60 calories.

As I’ve mentioned in previous recipes, it is commonly circulated that you can’t absorb more than 20g of protein per meal. This is a false claim and only applies to cases where you are consuming a modified, fast-absorbing protein like whey protein powder and not when you are consuming protein in its whole food form with other foods slowing the movement through the gut. If eating whole food proteins, you are able to absorb about 0.4g of protein per pound of body weight in one meal.

Meal Prep Tools I Use and Love

1. Meal Prep Containers (PBA-free with microwave-safe lids!) | 2. 8 oz Mason Jars (perfect to bring along toppings like cheese, nuts, herbs, etc.) | 3. Sauce Bottles (just the right size and easy to clean) | 4. Mixing Bowl Set (the vertical sides make spills a thing of the past) | 5. Food Processor (worth investing the money – SO many uses and built to last) | 6. Dutch Oven (versatile, durable, and beautiful color)

Print

High Protein and Low Carb Keto Korean Steak Bowls

Tender and sweet steak combines deliciously with funky kimchi and fresh chopped herb salad over a base of light cauliflower rice.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Korean

Keyword beef, cauliflower rice, kimchi, steak

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 3 hours

Total Time 3 hours 30 minutes

Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

Korean Steak

• 2 lb sirloin steak
• 2 pears, cut into chunks
• 4 tbsp chopped garlic
• 2 tbsp chopped ginger
• ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
• ¼ cup water

Other Ingredients

• 2 cups riced cauliflower (about 2 heads)
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 ½ cup kimchi (I like to chop mine into ¼"-½" pieces)
• ¼ cup chopped mint
• ⅓ cup chopped cilantro
• ⅓ cup chopped green onions
• ⅓ cup chopped basil

Yum Yum Sauce

• 6 tbsp mayonnaise
• 4 tbsp Heinz chili sauce
• 1 tbsp sriracha
• 1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce

Instructions

For Korean Steak

• If using a dutch oven in the oven option, preheat oven to 300°F
• Finely slice steak, almost ⅛" or 3mm thick. It can help to put the steak in the freezer for 1 hour to get really precise slices.
• Combine the rest of the steak ingredients in a food processor and blend about 30s to 1 minute until a smooth sauce forms.
• Slow cooker option: Combine all ingredients into a slow cooker on high for 3 hours.
• Dutch oven option: Combine all ingredients into a dutch oven and place in the oven for 3 hours. Stir once or twice during this time.

When steak is done

• Remove steak from heat source and let cool slightly while preparing other ingredients.
• Stir riced cauliflower with rice vinegar and sesame oil. If using frozen caulifower, don't precook. If using fresh cauliflower, either microwave or sauté for about 2 minutes.
• Chop herbs and combine.
• Chop kimchi if desired.
• Combine all Yum Yum sauce ingredients and mix well.

Meal Prep Assembly

• Divide cauliflower rice, steak, and kimchi among 4 containers.
• It's best to add herbs and sauce after microwaving so you can divide these into their own containers to take individual portions with you or plan to just add from their storage containers when ready.

When ready to eat

• Heat cauliflower rice, steak, and kimchi in microwave for about 1-2 minutes.
• Top with herb salad and Yum Yum sauce.
• Enjoy!