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This teriyaki ground beef recipe makes the best easy rice bowls! It’s ready in about 30 minutes, so skip the takeout and create a simple and delicious family meal that everyone will enjoy.
Love ground beef? Try my Easy Beef Bowls, this Ground Beef and Broccoli, or Beef and Cabbage Stir Fry.
Why you’ll love it
This Asian-inspired dish is one of my go-to skillet recipes with ground beef. It has a wonderful homemade teriyaki sauce that you can make with a handful of grocery store ingredients. It’s much more economical than getting takeout, and you can customize it to your exact preferences.
It’s an especially fantastic meal for those busy weeknights when you want something quick since it’s on the table in just half an hour. The flavorful garlic ginger sauce has a touch of sugar, so chances are it’ll be a hit with picky kids as well!
What you’ll need
For the stir fry
- Ground beef – I recommend 90% lean
- Scallions, bell pepper, and carrots – we chose a really simple veggie mix, but you can totally change it up
For the sauce
- Brown sugar – for a hint of sweetness
- Garlic – use more than suggested if you’re a garlic lover
- Ginger – for a zesty kick
- Mirin – it’s a sweet Japanese rice wine. For this recipe, it’s fine to use the grocery store version found in the Asian foods aisle in most major grocery stores near soy sauce and rice wine vinegar. I use Kikkoman brand.
- Soy sauce – we chose regular, but if salt is a concern, try a low sodium variety
- Rice wine vinegar – apple cider vinegar will work too
- Beef broth – to enhance the savory flavor
- Cornstarch – for thickening the sauce
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- Fresh ginger is very easy to grate if it’s frozen. I always keep some whole fresh ginger in the freezer (in a ZipLoc), and I use my Microplane grater/zester to grate it. This way, I also don’t have to worry about running out of ginger or forgetting it in the back of my fridge somewhere.
- This garlic press makes mincing garlic effortless. You don’t need to peel it first!
How to make beef teriyaki bowls
This is an overview, and full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Brown the beef in a skillet. While it’s cooking, prep the veggies and then add the sauce ingredients to a bowl and whisk them together.
- Add the veggies to the skillet and let them cook for a few minutes, then pour in the sauce and continue cooking for a little bit longer until the sauce thickens up a bit and the vegetables finish cooking. Keep in mind it’s not a super thick sauce.
- Serve over rice or noodles. Simple!
Substitutions and variations
- Want to make this recipe spicy? Add in a tablespoon or two of sriracha to the sauce, or sprinkle in some crushed red pepper flakes while cooking the beef!
- I kept it very simple by just using the red bell pepper, matchstick cut carrots, and scallions for veggies, but you could definitely incorporate some small broccoli florets, snow peas, or even mushrooms. Just be sure to cut them small enough that they cook fast.
- You can find pre-cut matchstick carrots in most major grocery stores. If you can’t find them and don’t want to julienne them yourself, cut the carrots into very thin slices (so they cook faster) or omit them from the recipe.
What to serve with teriyaki ground beef
- We like it as a rice bowl. Jasmine or basmati are my favorite varieties with it.
- Noodles will work great as well. Try Udon or ramen noodles.
- You could even do zoodles (zucchini noodles) or cauliflower rice if you want a lower carb/calorie option.
Leftovers and storage
- Ground beef teriyaki will keep for a few days in the fridge in a covered container.
- Reheat on a low heat in a small saucepan until warmed through. I’d make fresh rice or noodles for leftovers, though.
- You could also try making tasty lettuce wraps with the leftovers.
More Asian-inspired recipes
Did you make this teriyaki ground beef and rice? Let me know in the comments below! As always, tag me #saltandlavender on Instagram if you’ve made one of my recipes.
Teriyaki Ground Beef
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1/3 cup scallions chopped
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- 1/2 cup matchstick cut carrots
Sauce:
- 1/4 cup (packed) brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger grated
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons mirin see note
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup beef broth (or chicken broth)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- Add the beef to a skillet over medium-high heat. Brown it for 8 minutes, breaking it up with your spoon as it cooks. If there's a lot of fat released, spoon most of it out.
- Meanwhile, add the sauce ingredients to a bowl and whisk together. Prep the veggies.
- To the skillet, add in the scallions, bell pepper, and carrots. Cook for 3 minutes.
- Pour in the sauce and cook for another 3 minutes or so (the sauce will thicken up a bit and the veggies will become tender-crisp).
- If needed, season with salt & pepper to taste. Serve over rice or noodles. I topped the bowls with sesame seeds and extra scallions, but that's totally optional.
Notes
- Mirin is a sweet Japanese rice wine. For this recipe, it’s fine to use the grocery store version (found in the Asian foods aisle near soy sauce etc.). I use Kikkoman brand.
- The fresh ginger is very easy to grate if it’s frozen. I always keep some fresh ginger in the freezer (in a ZipLoc) and I use my Microplane grater/zester to easily grate it.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Yummy!! I made this just like the recipe! It was delicious!!! I will definitely make this again. Perfect for make ahead lunches.
Thanks, Bonnie! 😀
Way too sweet for our taste, I should have realized when it said brown sugar and miran. I was in a rush to make a quick meal and was not thinking.
Hi Frank! Sorry to hear you didn’t like it. I’ve received positive reviews on it, so I guess you just prefer your teriyaki sauce to be less sweet than most people.
My family loved it. Definitely will be making this again. Served with seapak shrimp spring rolls. Delicious
That’s great to hear, Melodie! Thank you!
Seriously make this dish once a week! The sauce is perfectly seasoned and my family loves it!
That’s so nice to hear, Miranda!! 😀 Thank you!