You only need one skillet and about 10 minutes to pull together this easy teriyaki ground beef! The sweet-and-savory sauce clings to every bite, and it works over rice, in tortillas, or in lettuce wraps. It’s a fast, family-friendly dinner everyone actually asks for!
More quick Asian dinners:
My whole family lives this. We make this every other week! Great easy meal to teach the teens too.
– Michelle
Before You Get Started
A few small things make the difference between a glossy, well-coated skillet and a thin, greasy one. Keep these in mind before you start:
- Reach for a thick teriyaki sauce. A thin, soy-sauce-style bottle won’t cling or thicken. This one choice makes or breaks the dish.
- Drain the beef before saucing. Pouring off the grease keeps the teriyaki glossy and coating instead of thin and greasy.
- Use fresh ginger and garlic. They carry the flavor here. Stash gingerroot in the freezer so it’s always on hand.
The Teriyaki Sauce
Teriyaki is a sweet-and-salty Japanese sauce built on soy sauce, sake or mirin, a little sugar, and ginger, sometimes with a touch of cornstarch to thicken. That same sweet-savory balance that works so well on chicken and salmon is a natural match for beef, which is exactly why this dish comes together so nicely.
For weeknights, a good bottled teriyaki sauce keeps things fast and tastes every bit as good as homemade. If you’d rather make your own, a quick stovetop version works too. Either way, look for a thick, rich sauce (not a thin, watery one similar to soy sauce) so it coats the beef.
How to Make Teriyaki Ground Beef
This ground beef teriyaki cooks in about 10 minutes, and you can make it truly prep-free with frozen diced onion and pre-minced garlic, no cutting board required. Here’s how it comes together.
Step 1: Brown the Beef
In a large skillet, heat the sesame oil over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef, onion, garlic, and ginger, and cook, breaking up the meat as you stir, until the beef is no longer pink and the onion is tender, about 5 to 7 minutes.
Drain off the excess grease. Lean ground beef keeps the dish from getting oily, and draining well is what lets the sauce stay glossy instead of greasy.
No sesame oil? Use a neutral oil. Vegetable or canola oil works in a pinch, though you’ll miss a little of that toasty, nutty flavor.
Step 2: Add the Sauce and Simmer
Stir the teriyaki sauce into the beef, bring it to a low simmer, and cook another 3 to 5 minutes, just until the sauce thickens slightly and coats the meat.
If it looks thin, let it simmer a bit longer or add a splash more sauce to reach the consistency you like.
Want to add vegetables? Sauté broccoli, snap peas, peppers, carrots, or cabbage first, set them aside, then stir them back in at the end. Double the sauce so there’s enough to coat everything.
For a brighter finish, add rice vinegar. A small splash stirred in at the end adds a little acidity that balances the sweetness.
Step 3: Garnish and Serve
Serve the teriyaki beef over rice, tucked into tortillas, or spooned into lettuce wraps. Garnish with sliced green onion, toasted sesame seeds, chopped cilantro, or a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes.
For a fun twist, stir in fresh or canned pineapple for a sweet, Hawaiian-style spin.
Serving Suggestions
This ground beef shines in a teriyaki bowl over fluffy white rice, brown rice, cauliflower rice, or noodles. Add steamed or stir-fried veggies like broccoli, snap peas, bell pepper, carrots, or mushrooms, then finish with green onion and toasted sesame seeds. It’s just as good wrapped in tortillas or lettuce cups for a hand-held take.
Round out the meal: A few easy sides (and a fried rice if you want to build a bigger, takeout-style spread):
Preparation and Storage Tips
This is a great make-ahead meal, and leftovers reheat beautifully.
Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Cooking the beef ahead makes it an easy meal-prep option.
Freeze: Freeze the cooled beef in an airtight container for up to 3 months. It’s handy to freeze half a batch for a later meal.
Reheat: Warm in a skillet or saucepan over low heat until heated through, adding a splash of teriyaki sauce as needed. Individual servings reheat in the microwave in 1 to 2 minutes.
Made this tonight with ground turkey and it was delicious! One at it over rice and two as a lettuce wrap. Big hit all around!
– Jen
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I add the teriyaki sauce before or after browning the beef?
After. Brown and drain the beef first, then stir in the sauce and simmer for a few minutes. This way the sauce doesn’t get greasy from cooking the meat.
Can I use bottled teriyaki sauce, or do I need to make it from scratch?
Bottled works great and keeps this a true weeknight meal. Just choose a thick, rich sauce rather than a thin, soy-sauce-style one. If you prefer homemade, a quick stovetop teriyaki works too.
Can I make this with a different ground meat?
Yes. Ground turkey, chicken, or pork all work well in place of the beef. Cook them the same way, draining any excess grease before the sauce goes in.
How do I get the sauce to thicken and coat the beef?
Let it simmer a few extra minutes so it reduces and clings, and be sure to drain the beef well, since extra grease thins the sauce. For a thicker glaze, stir in a small cornstarch slurry (1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with a tablespoon of water) and simmer briefly.
More Easy Asian-Inspired Dinners
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Teriyaki Ground Beef
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 the sesame oil over medium-high heat. Add the beef, onion, garlic, and ginger. Cook, breaking up the meat as you stir, until the beef is no longer pink and the onion is tender, about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain off the excess grease.
- Stir the teriyaki sauce into the beef mixture.
- Bring to a low simmer and cook another 3 to 5 minutes, just until the sauce thickens slightly.
- Serve over rice, in tortillas, or in lettuce wraps. Garnish with optional toppings.
Notes
- Thick sauce matters: Pick a thick, rich teriyaki sauce (not a thin, soy-sauce-style one) so it coats the beef. I like Soy Vay Veri Veri Teriyaki or Kikkoman.
- No-prep shortcut: Use frozen diced onion and pre-minced garlic to skip the cutting board entirely.
- Adjust the consistency: Add more teriyaki sauce as needed to reach the consistency you like.
- Add vegetables: Sauté veggies like broccoli, snap peas, or carrots separately, then stir them in at the end. Double the sauce so there’s enough to coat.
- Protein swaps: Ground turkey, chicken, or pork all work in place of the beef.
- Scale it: Halve the recipe to serve two, or double it for a crowd. Freeze half of the cooked beef for a later meal.
- Storage: Keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days or the freezer for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Originally published in October, 2016, this post was updated in August, 2026.
My dinner takes at least 45 minutes every night to make! I can’t imagine it having it done in only 10 minutes and being hearty and delicious like this beef skillet! Love this idea 🙂
Oh, this is definitely NOT a 45-minute dinner! I hope that you give it a try, Bethany!
I love the looks of this 10 minute dish! I’ve never thought to use ground beef before in a teriyaki skillet. Such a time savor and I love the flavor, too!
It’s SO great, Gayle! Thank you so much!
I LOVE a quick meal, of course. Who doesn’t? Cooking isn’t my favorite thing, so I’d like to minimize how much I do it so I can bake more. 😉 We were just at PF Chang’s this weekend and ordered the lettuce wraps – one of my FAVE appetizers. I love the idea of this quick dish as lettuce wraps! So smart.
This looks delicious! We love any kind of Asian inspired dish so I have to try this! I love that you used ground beef so it’s budget friendly too!
I just finished stuffing my face with this new recipe and we absolutely love it! Great flavour and so unbelievably quick we definitely will make again thanks so much!
Thanks, Julia! I’m so glad that you enjoyed it! Thanks for taking the time to let me know. 🙂
Blair,
I have tried so many of your recipes and as usual this one is as great tasting as all of the others.
I wish you an endless supply of new creations in quality, great tasting recipes to continue sharing with all of us.
Please keep up the great site with so much variety.
Thank you so much, Marlene! Your support means the world, and we’re so glad you enjoy the recipes.
Love this, Blair. You are so good at creating quick and easy dishes! I’m always so surprised at the variety of frozen foods you have in the US. You’d never find frozen onions here. That would be so handy!
Love your shots. Sharing 🙂
Thank you, Robyn! Frozen diced onion is my go-to! It’s so much easier and I don’t have to worry about the tears from chopping an onion!
I made this tonight! It was liked by everyone and will definitely make a repeat performance! I added snap peas to it and served it over spinach. I bet it would be good with spinach wilted mixed up in it, too. Quick and easy. Thank you!!!
Wonderful! Thanks so much for letting me know, Theresa! I bet it was delicious with the snap peas and spinach!!! Great idea. 🙂
I might add some baby carrots. I need to sneak veggies in that’s the only way they get eaten in this house.
Awesome! Sounds perfect!
This dish was so easy to make and so yummy. My kids loved is.
That’s wonderful! Thanks so much for letting me know, Christine! My kids love it, too. 🙂
Quick meal. My family enjoyed it, but I found it to be too salty. I served it as a lettuce wrap.
Thanks, Terri! I think the lettuce wraps work really well for this meal! 🙂
So yummy quick and easy! I thinly sliced some Napa cabbage while cooking the meat and it melted in barley noticeable but adds texture. I made my own sauce- 1/4 soy, 1/4 Brown sugar, table spoon sweet chili sauce, a lime, 1/2 tbl garlic, and 3 thinly sliced green onions. I had all the ingredients on hand so it was only an extra one or two minutes.
Hi, Rayne! Your homemade sauce sounds delicious — especially since you had the ingredients on hand (so easy)! Thanks for sharing, and I’m glad that you enjoyed the meal!
It was very good.
We all loved it.
Can’t wait to make it again.
Thanks
Wonderful! Thanks so much for letting me know, Vicky!
My family and I have been using this recipe for a while now but I’m just getting around to commenting. We LOVE this! I swap the ground beef for turkey since we’re not big red meat eaters, and it works great. The meat is so flavorful we often put it on top of salads the next day for lunch. This is one of those super easy, quick ideas that is so delicious I can’t believe I didn’t think of it myself. Thank you so much for posting!
That’s awesome, Lauren! I’m so glad that you’ve found a quick go-to meal. I bet the turkey is great — I need to try that next time! Thanks so much for your note!
This smelled great but was far too salty. If you look at the nutrition facts, that’s a day’s worth of sodium in just one cup of food.
But I like the idea of it and will try the option one of the reviewers mentioned where she made her own sauce.
Mrs Dash has salt free teriyaki sauce
I just made this (literally still on the stove). I dropped some broccoli in it! It’s delicious and I will be making it again. Thank you for sharing!!!
Awesome! I’m so glad that you liked it, Melissa. Broccoli is the perfect addition!
Made it for my family Saturday….HUGE HIT! Making it again tonight and doubled the recipe to freeze half for next week. Yuuuuum!
Wonderful! Love the idea of freezing a double batch, too. So smart!
This was a hit with my whole family and so easy!
Thanks, Anna! 🙂
I have made this a few times now and it is so good! I also make coconut jasmine rice for it to go over. The 2 together are very very yummy!
Thanks, Linda! I’m so glad that you enjoy it! 🙂
I added water chestnuts, cashews, mushrooms and served in lettuce wraps. Delicious and easy.
Currently making right now ! So excited to try. Will definitely try water chestnuts and snap peas next time, great recipe and great ideas! Love quick and easy. Such great ideas
I made this ahead of time for lunches – scooped it into lettuce wraps and it was so good! So quick and easy 🙂
Wanting to make this dish (I kinda specialize in quick, easy dishes with few ingredients, but never tried this one!). Sure I will love it! The nutrition label, however, did not list the serving size. Can you tell me how much a serving size is for this dish and the nutrition information listed? I like full flavored food and not diet food, but I watch my serving sizes. Thanks!
Hi, Lynn! If you look at the top of the recipe card it says that there are 4 servings (about 3/4 cup each). Hope that helps! 🙂
Found it! Thanks! Plan on having a version of this tomorrow night.
Can I use a red onion instead of yellow? That’s all I have.
Yes! 🙂 Enjoy the meal!
Thank you! This is so good my hubby is gluten free and I was scouring the internet for meal ideas! I used GF teriyaki sauce in this and even my kids love it! It is so yummy! Thanks for the recipe.
Awesome! I’m so glad that you enjoyed it, Madison! 🙂