This ground turkey teriyaki rice bowl is juicy and flavorful, with plenty of veggies to make it a complete meal. It's quick, easy, and a leaner option than ground beef.
The teriyaki turkey rice bowl recipe is perfect for busy nights when you want something tasty and wholesome. You can prepare everything in advance, reheat the teriyaki turkey, and assemble the bowls just before serving. The leftovers can also be enjoyed the next day!
The recipe is flexible - swap out veggies and meat and use noodles instead of rice if you like. It's a dish you can make over and over, with endless ways to switch it up!
Check out more Japanese-style recipes, like Bacon Okonomiyaki, Tonkatsu Sandwich, or Hokkaido Cheese Tarts.ย
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What is teriyaki sauce?
Teriyaki sauce is a sweet and salty sauce made from soy sauce, sugar, and other ingredients like garlic, ginger, and sometimes honey. It's used to glaze or marinate meat, especially in Japanese cooking.
Do you like teriyaki sauce as much as I do? Make these amazing Teriyaki Chicken Thighs!ย
Recipe ingredients
Ground turkey:ย Use lean ground turkey for a lighter meal, but feel free to swap it with any ground meat, like ground chicken (also lean), beef, pork, or a beef-pork mix. Any ground meat works well in this recipe. Check out the Turkey Meatballs without Breadcrumbs, too.
Vegetables: I used onions, carrots, red bell peppers, frozen peas, and garlic.ย But the variations are endless.
Rice: For rice bowls, I usually use sushi rice seasoned with rice vinegar, sugar, and salt. However, you can use any type of rice, like jasmine, basmati, or brown rice. Cook according to the package directions, and add the seasoning if you like, or leave it out.
Homemade teriyaki sauce: Soy sauce, water, brown sugar, rice vinegar, honey, minced garlic, fresh ginger, and a bit of cornstarch to thicken the sauce.ย
Toppings: Green onions, toasted sesame seeds, and parsley or cilantro.ย
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations
Meat: As mentioned above, you can use any type of ground meat (or a mixture) you like.
Other vegetables you could use: Broccoli florets, zucchini, mushrooms, sugar snap peas, spinach, bok choy, asparagus, green beans, corn kernels or baby corn, cabbage, water chestnuts, and edamame.
Rice: Basmati, jasmine, or brown rice cooked according to their package instructions. Cauliflower rice is the healthiest option possible.
Noodles instead of rice: You can use soba, rice, udon, ramen, egg noodles, or zucchini noodles instead of rice. Make these amazing Spinach Peanut Butter Noodles next!
Additional toppings: Avocado, cucumbers, pickled ginger, chopped peanuts, and chili flakes. Or one delicious fried egg.ย Try the Gochujang Fried Rice with an egg on top, too.
How to make ground turkey teriyaki rice bowls?
Step #1:ย Cook the sushi rice, fold in the seasoning, and let it cool to room temperature.ย
Step #2:ย Sautรฉ the chopped vegetables in a large skillet or pan in a little oil until softer.
Step #3:ย Add the ground turkey to the vegetable mixture and cook until no longer pink.ย
Step #4:ย In the meantime, mix the teriyaki sauce ingredients in a small bowl.ย
Step #5:ย Add the sauce to the ground turkey and simmer until cooked through.ย
Step #6:ย Add the green onions and assemble the teriyaki turkey rice bowls.ย
Good to know!
Sugar: This teriyaki ground turkey recipe requires a bit more sugar than typical savory dishes. To make it healthier, you can replace it with xylitol or erythritol. Both are sugar alcohols and have fewer calories than regular sugar.
Adjust the sweetness of the teriyaki sauce by adding more or less sugar to your taste.
Rinse the rice well to remove excess starch for a better texture.
Don't overcook the vegetables - they should be tender but still have a bit of crunch.
Make in advance and store
This ground turkey teriyaki rice bowl is perfect for meal prep and makes excellent leftovers!
Store the cooked rice and ground turkey mixture in separate containers in the fridge. When ready to eat, reheat the turkey teriyaki on the stovetop or microwave.ย
Freeze: You can freeze the cooked rice and the meat in separate airtight containers. Defrost them in the fridge.ย
Ground Turkey Teriyaki Rice Bowl
Equipment
- Saucepan
- Spatula
- Large skillet wok, or frying pan
- Small bowl
Ingredients
Rice:
- 2 cups sushi rice 400 g/ 14 oz, Note 2
- 2 ยผ cups water 550 ml
- 4 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 4 teaspoons white sugar
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
Ground turkey:
- 1 lb ground turkey 450 g
- 1 small onion diced, about 40 g/ 1.5 oz
- 1 carrot diced, about 50 g/ 1.8 oz
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- โ cup frozen peas defrosted, about 50 g/ 1.8 oz
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 green onions
- 1-2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
- some parsley or cilantro, chopped
Sauce:
- โ cup water 80 ml
- โ cup soy sauce 80 ml
- 1 ยฝ tablespoons rice vinegar Note 1
- 1 ยฝ tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 teaspoons ginger minced
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
Rice (Note 3):
- Rinse the rice in the strainer until the water runs clear, then drain well. Place it in the saucepan.2 cups sushi rice/ 400 g
- Cook the rice: Add the measured water and cover with a lid. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce to medium-low. Cook for about 15 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender. Remove from heat and let it stand, covered, for 10 minutes.2 ยผ cups water / 550 ml
- Seasoning: Mix rice vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small bowl and warm gently until the sugar is dissolved. Alternatively, place the ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 20 - 30 seconds, then stir until the sugar is dissolved. Fold the seasoning into the rice while it's warm.4 tablespoons rice vinegar + 4 teaspoons white sugar + 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- Season rice: Transfer the rice to a large bowl. Add the seasoning and gently combine with a spatula, taking care not to crush the grains. Let it cool to room temperature.
Turkey:
- Chop vegetables: Dice the onions, carrots, and peppers. Mince the garlic and finely slice the green onions, but keep them separated from the previous vegetables and each other.1 small onion + 1 carrot + 1 red bell pepper + 2 garlic cloves
- Sautรฉ: Heat the oil in the skillet. Add onions, carrots, and peppers and cook, often stirring, for about 5 minutes or until the carrots are softer. Add the minced garlic and stir for another minute.1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- Cook turkey: Add ground turkey, stir well, and cook for about 5 minutes or until the ground meat is no longer pink.1 lb ground turkey / 450 g
- Add the sauce and the peas, stir well, and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the green onions.โ cup frozen peas / 50 g + 2 green onions
Teriyaki sauce:
- Make the sauce while the ground turkey is cooking. Mix all the sauce ingredients in a bowl and set it aside.โ cup water 80 ml + โ cup soy sauce / 80 ml + 1 ยฝ tablespoons rice vinegar + 1 ยฝ tablespoons brown sugar + 1 tablespoon honey + 2 garlic cloves + 2 teaspoons ginger + 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Assemble the bowl:
- Divide the rice into four bowls. Top with the ground beef teriyaki and sprinkle with sesame seeds and chopped herbs.1-2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds + some parsley
Notes
- Vinegar: You can substitute rice vinegar with apple cider vinegar.
- Rice: Sushi rice is perfect for this recipe, but you can assemble the teriyaki turkey bowl with any other rice you like (long-grain rice like Jasmin or Basmati, plain white rice, or brown rice). You can flavor the rice if you wish, but you can also leave it plain.
- Rice cooking time: Sushi rice typically takes about 15 minutes to cook. However, check the packet's instructions and follow them for the best results.
K.per says
A truly good recipe
Adina says
I am happy to hear you liked it. Thank you for the feedback.
Adina says
My teenage kids both love this bowl, I made it so often during the last months.