Ground turkey teriyaki is a quick weeknight dinner made in less than 30 minutes. This homemade teriyaki sauce has a perfect balance of sweet and savory flavors and is made with just 4 ingredients!
Serve ground turkey teriyaki in a rice bowl with white or brown rice. You can also serve the ground turkey over noodles.
Dinners made from ground meat are convenient and fast. My family loves ground chicken stir-fry and quick and easy ground chicken and rice. We also love this ground turkey teriyaki. If you love the sweet and savory flavor of teriyaki sauce, then you'll love this recipe too!
This is a simple recipe and quick dinner with simple ingredients but it has lots of flavor. It's healthy, easy and quick.
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Ingredients & Substitutions
Ground turkey: Use white or dark meat, lean ground turkey or regular. You can also substitute ground chicken.
Soy sauce: Use lower sodium/reduced sodium soy sauce or the teriyaki sauce will be too salty.
Cornstarch: The teriyaki sauce needs cornstarch to thicken, otherwise the consistency will be too watery. A tablespoon of cornstarch is whisked with 1 tablespoon of cold water before it's added to the simmering sauce.
Oil: Neutral flavored oil works best for this recipe, like sunflower, canola or peanut oil. You can also use avocado oil or toasted sesame oil. I don't recommend olive oil. Here are the five best peanut oil substitutes and here are the best sesame oil substitutes.
Garlic and ginger: Both garlic and ginger add flavor to this simple dish. You can use fresh ginger and garlic or frozen cubes. If you (or your kids) don't like ginger you can skip it.
Brown sugar: Brown sugar is the best sweetener for this recipe. Don't substitute honey, which will make the sauce too sweet and change the flavor.
Step-by-Step Recipe Instructions
Step 1: Saute ground turkey with garlic and ginger.
Step 2: In a separate skillet, simmer reduced sodium soy sauce, brown sugar and water.
Step 3: Whisk cornstarch with water. Stir the cornstarch sluffy into the teriyaki sauce to thicken the sauce.
Step 4: Mix the teriyaki sauce into the ground turkey. Serve the ground turkey teriyaki over rice or noodles.
For detailed instructions and ingredient amounts, see the recipe card below.
How to Serve Ground Turkey Teriyaki
Ground turkey is a lean protein that many people like. My favorite way to serve this ground turkey teriyaki is in a bowl of rice. Serve a turkey teriyaki rice bowl with either white rice or brown rice, or even cauliflower rice.
You can also serve the ground turkey over your favorite type of noodles, such as capellini, rice noodles or ramen noodles.
You can also serve the turkey without rice or noodles. Scoop the ground turkey into Romaine lettuce leaves to make lettuce wraps. Or, serve the turkey with roasted or steamed vegetables or over sautéed greens.
If you'd like to add vegetables to ground turkey teriyaki bowls you have lots of options. This turkey tastes great with lots of different veggies. Serve raw or sautéed snow peas or perfectly cooked boiled broccoli florets. You can also saute strips of bell peppers with the ground turkey. Garlicky Instant Pot green beans also taste great with this meal.
Recipe FAQ
According to the USDA, the safe cooking temperature for ground turkey and ground chicken is 165F.
You will know ground turkey is cooked when the meat is no longer pink and the edges are very lightly browned. In a skillet over medium-high heat this usually takes 8 to 10 minutes.
Yes, you can pour this teriyaki sauce over ground meat for any recipe, including stir-fry. You can also use this teriyaki sauce to flavor cooked, sliced chicken breasts or thighs.
Yes, the turkey makes great leftovers!
Yes, just cook the ground turkey as instructed than add ½ cup or more of store-bought teriyaki sauce to taste.
More Ground Turkey Recipes
📖 Recipe
Ground Turkey Teriyaki
Ground turkey teriyaki is an easy dinner made in less than 30 minutes. The homemade teriyaki sauce is made with just 4 ingredients! Serve ground turkey teriyaki over white or brown rice or over noodles.
This recipes makes 2 large servings or 4 smaller servings. If you're cooking for a family consider doubling the recipe.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 2 to 4 servings 1x
- Category: 30 Minute Meals
- Method: Saute
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons sunflower oil (or other neutral oil)
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons thinly sliced ginger (or 2 cubes of frozen ginger)
- 1 pound ground turkey
- ⅓ cup low sodium soy sauce
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch + 1 tablespoon cold water
- Chopped green onions and sesame seeds for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Set two non-stick skillets on the stove. You’ll need a 12-inch skillet to brown the turkey and the same size or slightly smaller to make the teriyaki sauce.
- In the larger skillet, warm the oil over medium-high heat.
- Add the garlic and ginger and saute for 30 seconds.
- Add the ground turkey. Cook until the meat is lightly browned and no longer pink, 8 to 10 minutes. The meat should be cooked all of the way through. Use a spatula to break up the meat into small pieces as it cooks.
- In the second skillet, mix the soy sauce , brown sugar and 1 cup of water together with a high heat rubber spatula.
- Bring the teriyaki sauce to a simmer over medium heat. Once the liquid is bubbling, continue to simmer for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- In a small bowl, mix together the cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water until smooth. No lumps!
- Turn the heat under the teriyaki sauce down to medium-low. Slowly drizzle the cornstarch into the bubbling teriyaki sauce, stirring as you pour. Continue to simmer for 1 minute, stirring the sauce frequently. The sauce should thicken and have a glossy sheen.Turn off the heat.
- Immediately pour the teriyaki sauce over the cooked turkey. Mix well to cover the ground turkey evenly with teriyaki sauce. Heat the meat for a minute or so to make sure that it’s hot.
- Sprinkle green onions over the top (optional). Serve over rice or noodles.
Notes
Make sure to use lower sodium/reduced sodium soy sauce, otherwise the teriyaki sauce might be too salty.
Store leftovers in an airtight container and eat within 3 to 4 days. To reheat the ground meat, use a microwave or a skillet over medium heat.
If you'd like to add vegetables to the meal, you have lots of options. Serve raw or sautéed snow peas or snap peas. Serve broccoli, either steamed or roasted. You can also saute strips of bell peppers with the ground turkey. Green beans also taste great with this meal.
Jen
My family loves this fast dinner recipe.