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Beef Teriyaki Skillet is an easy dinner with only 6 ingredients and it’s all made in just one pot. Lean ground beef, teriyaki sauce, sesame oil, ginger, and garlic are all you need for this super easy dinner recipe. Serve over rice and garnish with green onions. 

For more teriyaki recipes try these teriyaki chicken rice bowls, this one pan chicken teriyaki, these delicious pineapple teriyaki chicken meatballs, or this crockpot teriyaki chicken

A white plate of white rice and ground beef teriyaki. Garnished with green onions.

Easy Beef Teriyaki Skillet Recipe

One pot dinners literally save my life on so many busy weeknights. With school starting back up here for my kids in just a few weeks, I always make a list of those quick dinners and this beef teriyaki skillet is always on that list. 

Easy to make with only 6 ingredients, ready in 15 minutes, and it’s kid friendly with small chunks of ground beef and it’s served over rice. 

Teriyaki is a sweet sauce that pairs really well with the ground beef and onion. You use a store-bought bottle of teriyaki sauce but don’t let that fool you. It provides so much flavor and there are so many options of teriyaki sauce in the store so you can make this recipe different each time! Read below for all my tips and variation ideas for this recipe. 

A skillet pan of ground beef teriyaki topped with green onions.

What You’ll Need

You only need 6 simple ingredients to make this beef teriyaki. 

  • Lean Ground Beef – I always use 93/7 ground beef but you could go leaner and use 96/4 ground beef. The recipe calls for sesame oil which infuses a lot of flavor in the ground beef and provides a little fat with the oil so it still cooks nicely. 
  • Onion – Use any kind you prefer! I normally use a yellow onion or white onion. But you could use a sweet Vidalia onion if you don’t want a strong onion flavor. 
  • Sesame Oil – Adds so much flavor to the ground beef. Don’t skip this one. You can find it by the other Asian sauces and ingredients, like soy sauce and the teriyaki sauce.  
  • Teriyaki Sauce – So many options for this! I love the Soy Vay brand but I have used them all. 
  • Garlic – 1 teaspoon garlic is equal to one fresh garlic clove chopped or minced. I use garlic paste from a tube and you can also use chopped garlic from the jar. 
  • Ginger – You can substitute with dried ginger if wanted. Use half the amount if using dried (1/2 teaspoon). I use the garlic paste in the tube. You can also use fresh ginger that you peel and then grate. 

How to make beef teriyaki skillet with four step by step pictures in a photo collage.

How To Make This Recipe

Making this beef teriyaki skillet is so easy and requires just one skillet pan plus a cutting board and knife to chop up the onion. I also think a meat chopper is a must-have tool when cooking with ground meats. 

Cook the Ground Beef : In the skillet pan add the ground beef, chopped onion, and sesame oil. Cook and crumble (I use a meat chopper to crumble it) until the ground beef is no longer pink. Drain the excess liquid/grease from the pan. 

Teriyaki Time : Add the teriyaki sauce, garlic, and ginger to the cooked ground beef. Stir and let it come to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for about 5 minutes. 

Eat! : Serve the beef teriyaki over cooked white rice or brown rice. We love it garnished with chopped green onions, it adds a nice punch of flavor. 

A white plate with ground beef teriyaki and chopsticks.

Tips For Success

Here a few of my tips so you can have success making this in your own kitchen!

  • Meat Chopper : My #1 tip for any recipe that uses ground meat. I buy mine from Amazon but you can get them at any store. It’s a kitchen tool that chops up the ground beef into really fine pieces. 
  • Teriyaki Sauce : Use one you love! There are so many different kinds of teriyaki sauce at the store so try a few and see what you like. You can also add more teriyaki sauce to the ground beef if you want more “sauce” in your teriyaki beef. Be sure and shake the bottle before using! 
  • Onion : For an even faster dinner use pre chopped onion. You can find this in the refrigerated area of the produce section and also in the freezer section. I don’t use this because I like onion into really fine pieces, but it’s an option if you are short on time. 
  • Rice : Remember to put rice in the rice cooker, or on the store top, before you start making the beef teriyaki. That way the rice is done when the beef is done and you’re ready to eat!

Variation Ideas

There are not a lot of variations for this recipe but there is one that I think is worth mentioning. 

  • Teriyaki Sauce – Don’t feel like you have to use the same teriyaki sauce each time! Change it up. There are so many choices at the store. Panda Express makes one that is good. There are also some with pineapple in it. Lots of choices so it’s an easy way to mix it up and change the recipe a bit. 
  • Use a Different Ground Meat – If you don’t like ground beef or want to use up what you have in your fridge, try using ground turkey or ground chicken instead. 

A white plate with rice and ground beef with teriyaki. Chopsticks in the background.

Serving Suggestions

We serve this over white rice and garnish with green onion.

You can serve it over brown rice.

Make it really easy and use the microwave pouches of rice. There is a garlic rice (microwaveable pouch from Uncle Ben’s) that is really good. 

You can also make some minute rice.

Try it with some coconut rice

I love to cook up some vegetables or put these slow cooker carrots in the crock pot in the morning to serve with this dinner. 

How To Store Leftovers

Leftovers keep well in a covered container in the fridge for 3-4 days. I reheat leftovers in the microwave.

You may want to add some additional water or teriyaki sauce to moisten up the leftovers.

An overhead shot of beef teriyaki over rice on a white plate.

A white plate with rice and ground beef with teriyaki. Chopsticks in the background.
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Easy Beef Teriyaki Skillet


Author Jessica - Together as Family
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 5 servings (3/4 cup each)
Beef Teriyaki Skillet is an easy dinner with only 6 ingredients and it's all made in just one pot. Lean ground beef, onion, teriyaki sauce, sesame oil, ginger, and garlic are all you need for this super easy dinner recipe. Serve over rice and garnish with green onions. 

Ingredients
  

beef teriyaki

  • 1 lb lean ground beef
  • 1 onion finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1 cup teriyaki sauce
  • 1 teaspoon fresh minced ginger
  • 1 teaspoon fresh minced garlic
  • cooked rice & green onions for serving

Instructions

  • In a skillet pan, over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef, diced onion, and sesame oil. Crumble beef as it cooks until no longer pink. Drain.
  • Add the teriyaki sauce, ginger, and garlic, to the cooked beef. Stir together. Let simmer for about 5 minutes. Until it's thickened slightly and the flavors come together. 
  • Serve over rice or in lettuce wraps. Garnish with green onions.

Notes

Nutrition Information : It's for 3/4 cup of the beef teriyaki. It does not include the rice. For less calories and carbs try serving it in lettuce wraps!
Onion : I use either a yellow onion or a white onion. You can also use a sweet Vidalia onion if wanted. 
Ginger & Garlic : I use the tubes of garlic pasta and ginger paste (found by the refrigerated dressings and herbs in the produce section). You can also use fresh ginger, chopped garlic from a jar, etc. Feel free to substitute dried seasonings if wanted. If using dried seasonings then use 1/2 teaspoon dried ginger and 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder. 
Teriyaki Sauce : Lots of different options here. There are some sweeter pineapple teriyaki sauces, or regular teriyaki sauce. I normally use the brand Soy Vay as I think it tastes the best. Depending on what teriyaki sauce you use, you may want to add some salt to the dish (like 1/4 teaspoon or less). Some teriyaki sauces are saltier than others. Taste the meat at the end of the cook time and see if it needs it. I never add salt to mine. 
Ground Meat : Feel free to swap out the ground beef for any ground meat like ground turkey or ground chicken. 
This recipe has been republished with new pictures and updated text. There were a couple changes to the recipe that were for the better. Original recipe called for 3/4 cup teriyaki sauce (I have since found that a full 1 cup is better) and I have since added the sesame oil to the recipe as I think it really helps the flavor of the dish a lot. 

Nutrition

Calories: 193kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 56mg | Sodium: 2269mg | Potassium: 480mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 3mg

Did You Make This Recipe?

I'd love to see it! You can share it with me on @togetherasfamilyblog and follow on Pinterest @together-as-family-blog-recipes or Facebook @togetherasfamilyblog for more!

A wooden spoon with beef teriyaki on it and a close up shot of it.

 

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8 Comments

  1. I appreciate your recipes so very much AND your tips. Thank You! I have never cooked with Teriyaki sauce before and I’m a grandma!! 🙂 I thought (!) I didn’t care for it until last week I had Chicken Teriyaki and simply loved it. I will be trying your recipe this week – as soon as I get to the grocery store!

    1. Together As Family says:

      Thank you so much! I am so happy you’re here. Enjoy this easy dinner recipe. My family sure loves it! I’ve always loved teriyaki because it’s sweet and savory and just really yummy.

  2. 5 stars
    Hi,
    Just wanted to let you know you can purchase canned white chicken breast in broth….i purchase it at Costco or sams club because you can get several cans at a time….i think it is much easier. I use it in some chix casseroles that i make etc…hope this helps you out…Leslie

    P.s., its like working with canned albacore tuna…i make a fabulous tuna noodle casserole super easy that i had to tell my daughter fir years that it was chix noodle casserole, but the flavor was just too boring, the tuna is delightful and i get requests for my recipe ALL THE TIME….
    Anyhow, try the canned white breast of chix….its delicious and will make this casserole even easier…
    Leslie

  3. Pingback: Beef Teriyaki Skillet – Cooking Mama 101
  4. 5 stars
    OMG! This is thee best! So flavorful I absolutely LOVE it! Its so easy just 6 ingredients. Thank you so much for sharing this. This is my NEW go to.

    1. Together as Family says:

      Thank you! I’m so glad you loved the recipe!

  5. 5 stars
    could use some veggies for crunch and nutrition. broccoli, edamame, peanut pods, etc. Has anyone used any?

    1. Together as Family says:

      Adding veggies is a great idea!