Anything teriyaki is a winner in our house. I recently made this teriyaki ground beef, and it’s now a recipe that’s going to be on repeat. My kids licked their plates clean, they thought it was too delicious. Even my husband said it was better than our local Asian takeout restaurant.
The best part is that it’s a one-pan recipe with a quick homemade teriyaki sauce that is so much more flavorful than store-bought. Serve over jasmine rice or sesame noodles for healthy comfort food with rich layers of flavor.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Easy teriyaki sauce that’s so much better than store-bought. All you need is 6 ingredients to make a sauce that really takes this stir fry to another level.
- Quick 30-minute meal. Make this any night of the week when dinner feels short on time.
- Minimal clean up. It’s a one pan recipe, meaning cleaning will be kept short, I’d say 5 minutes is all it takes!
Key Ingredient Notes
Teriyaki sauce:
- Soy sauce adds a nice saltiness and tang as the base of the sauce.
- Mirin sweet rice wine – Sweet with a little bit of acidity, if you can’t find this easily rice wine vinegar also works well.
- Honey sweetens the sauce just a hint and caramelizes onto the beef. Choose neutral honey with no strong flavor.
- Cornstarch thickens the teriyaki sauce to the perfect glaze-like consistency.
- Garlic cloves infuse every bite with that rich garlic flavor.
- Grated fresh ginger adds fresh, bright, and zesty flavor with a hint of citrus.
Ground beef:
- Lean ground beef – We like lean here so it isn’t too greasy in texture.
- Green onions – Use for garnish and to add light onion flavor.
- Sesame seeds – Another classic garnish that adds crunch and nuttiness.
- Steamed rice or rice noodles – We’ve served this ground beef teriyaki both ways.
How to make teriyaki ground beef
Combine all the ingredients for teriyaki sauce in a 2-cup measuring cup.
Stir the homemade teriyaki sauce to combine.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the beef and brown it, while breaking it apart with a wooden spoon, about 8 minutes.
Add the prepared teriyaki sauce once most of the meat has browned.
Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the meat is cooked through.
Serve over cooked rice with your favorite garnishes and vegetables.
Expert Tips:
- Don’t use oil to cook your ground beef. I find there is already enough fat in the ground beef to brown it perfectly to the right texture and consistency. Adding extra oil risks the chance of the texture becoming greasy.
- If you’re sauce is too thin after adding the teriyaki sauce, make an additional slurry by combining 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water. Add half of this to the beef and stir to combine. Add more as needed to help thicken the sauce.
- Make it spicy. Add sriracha to garnish or to the teriyaki sauce if you like spice.
- Buy frozen grated garlic and ginger to cut down on prep time. This makes it so easy to just add these two flavorful ingredients right into the skillet.
- If you feel the meat is burning before it’s finished coking, simply deglaze the bottom of the pan with a splash of water and scrape any browned bits up from the bottom of the pan (this is where all the flavor is!).
Variations
- Swap out the protein. Ground chicken or pork also work nicely in this recipe.
- Add some vegetables as desired. This would be delicious with small broccoli florets, chopped bok choy, shredded carrots, chopped green beans, or even sliced mushrooms sautéed in the stir fry.
- Make it into lettuce cups. It’s a great filling to put into individual Bibb lettuce leaves for a light lunch or dinner.
Storage
Store any leftover beef teriyaki stir fry in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or in a skillet for a few minutes until warmed through.
Freezing the leftovers also works nicely. Be sure to let them cool to room temperature then place then into an airtight container and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating. We definitely recommend making fresh jasmine rice or noodles to serve as well.
FAQs
You want to make sure you thicken the sauce with cornstarch so it becomes a nice glaze on the meat for the most flavorful bite.
Yes, they are a delicious combination of flavors to pair together for an easy weeknight dinner.
We find both flank steak and strip steak to be delicious. Thinly slice them against the grain before cooking for the best bite.
More easy stir-fry recipes
Teriyaki Ground Beef
Ingredients
Teriyaki Sauce:
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons Mirin sweet rice wine
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
Ground Beef:
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- Green onions for garnish
- Sesame seeds for garnish
- Steamed rice or rice noodles for serving
Instructions
- In a 2-cup measuring cup, combine all the ingredients for teriyaki sauce. Stir to combine.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add the beef and brown it, while breaking it apart with a wooden spoon, about 8 minutes. (TIP: I don’t use any oil when browning ground beef. But if needed, feel free to heat about a tablespoon of olive oil before adding the beef.)
- Once most of the meat has browned, add the prepared teriyaki sauce and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the meat is cooked through.
- Serve over cooked rice with your favorite garnishes and vegetables.
Share your thoughts! If you make this please leave a review letting me know how it was!
Notes
– If your sauce is too thin after adding the teriyaki sauce, make an additional slurry by combining 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water. Add half of this to the beef and stir to combine. Add more as needed to help thicken the sauce.
– Add sriracha to garnish or to the teriyaki sauce if you like spice.
– Buy frozen grated garlic and ginger to cut down on prep time.
– If you feel the meat is burning before it’s finished cooking, simply deglaze the bottom of the pan with a splash of water and scrape any browned bits up from the bottom of the pan (this is where all the flavor is!). Storing Tips:
– Store any leftover teriyaki beef stir fry in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or in a skillet for a few minutes until warmed through.
– Freezing the leftovers also works nicely. Be sure to let them cool to room temperature, then place them into an airtight container and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Nutrition
* Disclaimer: All nutrition information are estimates only. Read full nutrition disclosure.
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