Beef Teriyaki Bowl

We’re obsessed with this flavor-packed beef teriyaki bowl recipe—it’s seriously so tasty, you’ll want to make it on repeat! Ground beef tossed in a sweet and savory teriyaki sauce is served over soft steamed rice, with fresh, crunchy vegetables adding the perfect balance to every bite. This dish is simple, delicious, and comes together in just 28 minutes!

If you’re a fan of rice dishes and bowls, don’t miss out on our other favorite weeknight go-to’s, like our southwest chicken bowl, creamy chicken and rice skillet, and coconut curry.

🤔 What is Teriyaki Sauce?

Teriyaki sauce is a marinade typically made from soy sauce, sugar and other flavors, like ginger, garlic and mirin. The sauce is often used with grilled meats and vegetables. And did I mention it’s amazing and the best when soaked up by rice??

We made our own teriyaki sauce at home, using mostly pantry staples. In fact, we had almost all the ingredients on hand already, like soy sauce, vinegar, and the sugars. You can absolutely use store-bought teriyaki sauce (especially if you’re short on time), but we really recommend our homemade sauce. You can taste the difference in freshness and flavor! See recipe below for details. 

🛒 Ingredients

Notes on key ingredients are provided below. Please see the recipe card for a full list of ingredients and quantities.

• Ground beef– We opted for lean ground beef to reduce the amount of grease in our dish. If using a higher fat content, just be sure to drain excess grease after browning.
• Veggies– Chop the veggies into small pieces for quicker cooking and the ideal texture (like we did for our chicken lettuce wraps!). But we kept our broccoli florets in bigger chunks for added texture.
• Rice– Minute rice or pre-cooked rice pouches are our go-to’s when trying to keep cooking time down. You can also make basmati or jasmine rice if you have extra time.
• Teriyaki sauce– We made our own but you can also use your favorite jarred version. Note: We recommend using lower-sodium soy sauce, as the sauce is on the salty side.
• Corn starch– Adjust the amount to achieve your preferred thickness for the teriyaki sauce.
  

🧑🏽‍🍳 How to Make Beef Teriyaki Bowls

✔️ Expert Tips and Tricks

Don’t overcrowd the pan- Overcrowding can prevent heat from distributing evenly, causing some ingredients to be undercooked while others overcook. Use a large enough pan or skillet for this recipe, and if you want to double it, make it in two batches.

Taste test– Taste the teriyaki sauce as you make it and before adding it to your meat mixture. You can adjust the sweetness or saltiness by adding more soy sauce or sugar, as you like.

🥄 Variations & Substitutions

• Meat– While we love the rich flavor of beef for this dish, you can easily lighten things up and swap for ground turkey or chicken. Finely sliced chicken breast or steak will also work.
• Veggies– Add or swap in some of your favorites, like mushrooms, snow peas, edamame, or zucchini. While we used green bell peppers, any color is fine.
• Vinegar– If you don’t have white wine vinegar, you can also use rice vinegar, apple cider vinegar, sherry vinegar or champagne vinegar.
• Rice– White rice, brown rice or even cauliflower rice all work well with our ground beef teriyaki.
• Spice – You can heat things up by topping your dish with sriracha or red-pepper flakes.
• Gluten-free [GF]– This recipe is GF with the exception of the soy sauce. To make it GF, you can replace the soy sauce with San-J’s Tamari Gluten Free Soy Sauce or almost any tamari sauce – a Japanese soy sauce that is naturally GF.
  

🧊 Storing and Reheating

Store beef teriyaki in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The beef mixture can be frozen for up to 2 months, but we don’t recommend freezing the rice. Simply prepare fresh rice when you plan to serve your dish.

❓FAQ