Teriyaki Ground Beef

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

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.