Spoiler alert: what follows is just meat and rice. Simple enough, right? Exactly–but better. We’re drawing from the same hearty pleasures you’d get from a street cart, or KBBQ, or kabobs: think late night sustenance, just fine tuned for the needs of a small child. Keep it flavorful and wholesome; keep it simple. It’s almost impossible to have a dinner fail this way. Which makes it a perfect dinner for picky eaters.
For the version below, I look towards Korean cuisine, liberally borrowing from the flavors of bulgogi (albeit with ground meat rather than steak); as you’ll see in the Adapt section, though, the variations are endless–say, ground lamb over rice with yogurt sauce.
(Check out our other great toddler ground beef recipes and recipes for picky eaters! Check out other ways to utilize leftover ground meat, too!)
This dish centers on ground meat mixed with a mild Korean-inspired marinade made from soy sauce, a small amount of sugar, garlic, and sesame oil, then quickly cooked until tender and lightly caramelized. It’s served simply with plain rice to keep flavors familiar and textures predictable for toddlers. The ingredient list is intentionally restrained—no heat, no overpowering aromatics—making this an approachable, protein-forward dinner for selective eaters.
After a short marinade, this dinner comes together quickly on a weeknight. First, mix your protein with a bit of sweet and savory seasoning and let it rest so the flavors mellow. Then sauté until golden and tender, plate with rice or another grain, and offer a kid-friendly vegetable on the side. Minimal fuss means less pressure at the table and more chances your picky eater will take a bite.
What if my toddler doesn’t like ground meat?
You can swap in small pieces of diced chicken or turkey breast; just cook thoroughly and keep the pieces bite-sized for easy chewing.
Can I use brown rice or another grain?
Yes — brown rice, quinoa, or even barley are good swaps if your child already tolerates them. Adjust cook times as needed.
Do I need to serve sauce?
Sauce isn’t required, but mild teriyaki or hoisin on the side can help increase engagement for kids who like dipping.
This easy bulgogi-style rice bowl is a simple, flavorful dinner for picky eaters that feels familiar but tastes delicious. Tailored to toddlers’ preferences with mild seasonings and flexible components, it’s a weeknight dinner that grows with your child’s palate
Plate with preferred grain next to it, along with the vegetable in a separate plate compartment. Sauce shouldn’t be necessary, but if requested or needed a bit of hoisin or teriyaki will help.
Pretty much any part of this–the meat, the flavorings, the grain, the vegetables–can be swapped out, but stick to lean proteins if using a sweet element (i.e., maple syrup) and stick to fattier proteins–and skip the oil in the marinade–if using a creamy sauce on top. As alluded to above, we’re big fans of doing a NYC-style “halal cart” lamb over rice: couldn’t be easier, and it makes a weeknight dinner with the kid feel a bit like those days when you could down a whole Styrofoam shell at 11PM.
Brad (the Dad) is the founder and Chief Recipe Officer of New Dad's Kitchen. His own cooking/feeding journey started humbly during his son's infancy, preparing and managing his son's bottle intake in order to support his wife; it has since blossomed into a full-on passion to feed his child and family delicious and healthy meals that can satisfy both a toddler and his very tired parents.
