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You only need one skillet and about 10 minutes to pull together an easy ground beef teriyaki recipe for dinner tonight!
Table of Contents
- Teriyaki Sauce
- Ingredients
- How to Make this Ground Beef Teriyaki Recipe
- What to Serve with Teriyaki Beef Stir Fry
- Preparation and Storage
- Recipe Variations
- Tips for the Best Beef Teriyaki Recipe
- More Easy Asian-Inspired Dinners to Try
- 10-Minute Beef Teriyaki Recipe Recipe
That’s right — you can have a quick and easy dinner ready for the table in well under 30 minutes! This easy beef teriyaki recipe takes advantage of a handful of simple shortcuts to get supper ready in a flash. Pair the sweet and savory ground beef with veggies in rice bowls, or wrap the meat in flour tortillas or lettuce wraps. It’s always well-received!
Teriyaki Sauce
Teriyaki is a sweet-and-salty sauce commonly used in Japanese cooking. The four main ingredients of a simple teriyaki sauce include soy sauce, sake (or mirin), sugar (or brown sugar) and ginger. It might also include cornstarch as a thickening agent.
When paired with chicken, seafood, beef, or vegetables, teriyaki creates a rich, flavorful, umami dish. It’s a great way to yield a complex, satisfying meal in a short amount of time. While you can certainly make your own homemade teriyaki sauce from scratch, this ground beef teriyaki recipe takes advantage of a store-bought sauce for even quicker weeknight dinners!
Is teriyaki marinade the same as teriyaki sauce?
In some cases, these terms are used interchangeably to describe a thick, rich teriyaki sauce that can be used for both basting and for marinating.
For this recipe, you’ll want to look for a thick, rich sauce for the best flavor and texture. I preferthis Soy Vay Veri Veri Teriyaki brand or this version by Kikkoman, but any similar variety will work. It’s sweet, savory, and adds great umami flavor to the dish. Just make sure that you’re not using a thin, watery teriyaki sauce with a texture that’s similar to soy sauce.
What is the best cut of meat for teriyaki?
There are many different cuts of beef that will work for a classic beef teriyaki recipe. Flank steak is a good option, along with skirt steak, sirloin steak, brisket, hanger steak, or other thinly sliced beef. Here, however, we’re using ground beef. It’s an affordable, quick-cooking, family-friendly option that tastes delicious when stir-fried with the teriyaki sauce.
Ingredients
This is just a quick overview of the ingredients that you need for an easy teriyaki beef recipe. As always, specific measurements and step-by-step instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Sesame oil: lends a rich, nutty, toasty flavor to the dish. If you don’t have sesame oil, you can sub with vegetable oil; however, I highly recommend using the sesame oil for a more flavorful stir fry.
- Ground beef: or sub with ground turkey, ground pork, or ground chicken if you prefer.
- Onion and garlic: for savory flavor.
- Ginger: fresh gingerroot is best (keep it stashed in your freezer so that it lasts!), but dried ground ginger will also work.
- Teriyaki sauce:pick a thick, rich sauce for the best flavor and texture. I preferthis Soy Vay Veri Veri Teriyaki brand or this variety made by Kikkoman. It’s sweet, savory, and adds great umami flavor to the dish. Just make sure that you’re not using a thin, watery teriyaki sauce (that’s similar to soy sauce).
How to Make this Ground Beef Teriyaki Recipe
This beef teriyaki stir fry recipe cooks in about 10 minutes, and you can make it completely prep-free by using frozen diced onion and pre-minced garlic. That eliminates the need to even pull out a cutting board! The detailed instructions are included in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post, but here’s the quick version:
- Cook the ground beef, onion, garlic, and ginger in sesame oil.
- Pour the teriyaki sauce into the pan.
- Simmer for 3-5 minutes, until the sauce thickens slightly.
What to Serve with Teriyaki Beef Stir Fry
This ground beef is delicious in a beef teriyaki bowl made with fluffy white rice. Add steamed or stir-fried broccoli, snow peas, bell peppers, carrots, mushrooms, baby corn, or other veggies of choice, and garnish with sliced green onions, toasted sesame seeds, and/or crushed red pepper flakes.
The sweet-and-savory beef stir-fry is also delicious wrapped up in tortillas or lettuce wraps. Pair it with a side of egg rolls, dumplings, or ramen noodle salad.
Preparation and Storage
- Make Ahead: Cook the meat according to the recipe instructions above and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. When ready to serve, simply reheat in the microwave or in a saucepan.
- Storage: Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- How to Reheat: warm the cooked beef teriyaki in a skillet or saucepan over low heat until it reaches the desired temperature. Add extra teriyaki sauce, as needed. You can also reheat individual servings in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.
Recipe Variations
- If you don’t have sesame oil, you can substitute with vegetable oil or canola oil. The sesame oil adds great flavor, richness, and toasted, nutty flavor, though.
- Add vegetables to the stir-fry. For instance, saute broccoli, snow peas, asparagus, bell peppers, carrots, mushrooms, or cabbage. Remove it to a plate, and then cook the beef mixture as instructed. Return the cooked vegetables to the skillet at the end to warm through, adding extra teriyaki sauce as needed to reach the desired consistency.
- Cut all of the ingredients in half to serve just 2 people, or freeze half of the cooked beef mixture for a later meal. Similarly, you can double all of the ingredients to feed a larger family.
- Swap out the beef and use ground turkey, ground chicken, or ground pork.
- Add fresh or canned pineapple chunks or slices for a touch of Hawaii in your beef teriyaki!
- Add a splash of rice vinegar towards the end for a bright, acidic finishing touch.
Tips for the Best Beef Teriyaki Recipe
- Pick a brand of teriyaki sauce that has a thick, rich consistency (rather than other varieties that have a thinner consistency that’s similar to soy sauce). I like Soy Vay Veri Veri Teriyaki or this variety made by Kikkoman.
- For even less prep, use frozen diced onion and pre-minced garlic. You won’t even have to pull out a cutting board or a knife!
- Add more teriyaki sauce, if needed, to reach the desired consistency.
- Garnish the finished dish with sliced green onion, toasted sesame seeds, chopped fresh cilantro, or crushed red pepper flakes for even more flavor.
More Easy Asian-Inspired Dinners to Try
Egg Roll in a Bowl
20 minutes mins
Shortcut Sesame Chicken
25 minutes mins
Honey Garlic Shrimp {15 Minutes!}
15 minutes mins
10-Minute Beef Teriyaki Recipe
5 from 13 votes
Cook: 10 minutes minutes
Total: 10 minutes minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 220 kcal
You only need one skillet and 10 minutes to make this easy ground beef teriyaki recipe!
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 cup finely diced onion
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger (or about ¼ teaspoon dried ground ginger)
- ¾ cup thick teriyaki sauce (such as Soy Vay Veri Veri Teriyaki Marinade & Sauce)
- Optional Garnish: sliced green onion, toasted sesame seeds, crushed red pepper flakes
- Optional, for serving: cooked rice
Instructions
In a large skillet, heat sesame oil over medium-high heat for about 1 minute.
Add beef, onion, garlic, and ginger to the skillet. Cook, breaking up the meat as you stir, until the beef is no longer pink and the onion is tender (about 5-7 minutes). Drain off excess grease.
Stir teriyaki sauce into the beef mixture. Bring to a low simmer and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes, just until the sauce thickens slightly.
Serve over rice, in tortillas, or in lettuce wraps. Garnish with optional toppings.
Notes
- Pick a brand of teriyaki sauce that has a thick, rich consistency (rather than other varieties that have a thinner consistency that’s similar to soy sauce). I like Soy Vay Veri Veri Teriyaki or this variety made by Kikkoman.
- For even less prep, use frozen diced onion and pre-minced garlic. You won’t even have to pull out a cutting board or a knife!
- Add more teriyaki sauce, if needed, to reach the desired consistency.
Nutrition
Serving: 1/4 of the recipeCalories: 220kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 27gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 70mgSodium: 2146mgPotassium: 572mgSugar: 9gVitamin C: 3.2mgCalcium: 33mgIron: 3.7mg
Keyword: beef teriayki recipe, Beef teriyaki, Easy Beef Teriyaki, ground beef teriyaki recipe
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Asian, Japanese
Author: Blair Lonergan
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This recipe was originally published in October, 2016. The photos were updated in March, 2023.
