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 in a jiffy 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!

Ingredients you 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

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!

Tools you'll need

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!

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.

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