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Ground turkey teriyaki is a meal you can put together in less than 30 minutes that is healthy, lean, and full of Asian flavor! The sweet and salty sauce gives this lean turkey dish the classic teriyaki flavors you know and love without being too overpowering or heavy.
If you’re familiar with teriyaki, then you’ll know that it has classic umami flavors in its thick glaze-like sauce. The teriyaki sauce in general is sweet and salty and has notes of garlic and ginger throughout. It’s honestly one of my favorite Asian sauces to use for weeknight meals because there’s a flavor note for everyone and it’s not too overpowering. You can see that I make a lot of teriyaki recipes on my site as it’s such a versatile sauce!
Why You’ll Love This
- Insanely fast. Ground meats cook incredibly fast and so do finely diced veggies. This meal, from start to finish, can be on the table in less than 30 minutes!
- High protein, low fat, full of flavor. Cooking with ground turkey allows for a significant amount of protein with a low amount of fat, especially if you find lean ground turkey or ground turkey breast. This is a well-balanced meal option for those who enjoy higher amounts of protein at a meal to keep full longer and to also get that protein intake.
- Great for meal prep. This is one of my favorite ways to meal prep for the week. Make a batch of this and divide into equal portions in glass containers with some rice and you have an easy lunch or dinner already prepped!
- Versatile. Ground turkey teriyaki is versatile in the fact that you can substitute the meat, combine various ground meats, and/or change the spice level and the vegetables. Check out the section below for more variations and substitutions.
Ingredients for Ground Turkey Teriyaki
- Ground turkey – lean ground turkey or ground turkey breast works here.
- Broccoli florets – preferably fresh, but frozen can work.
- Onion
- Red bell pepper
- Garlic cloves
- Teriyaki sauce – your favorite homemade or store-bought sauce.
Recipe Tips
- Drain the extra liquid. Lean ground meats tend to give off a lot of liquid so you’ll want to drain the extra otherwise it waters down the sauce a lot.
- Break up the ground turkey into smaller pieces. Breaking the turkey up into smaller pieces makes sure that everything cooks through evenly. My favorite tool to use to break up ground meats into smaller pieces is this meat chopper.
Ground Turkey Teriyaki Variations and Substitutions
- Use a different ground meat/protein. Ground Chicken Teriyaki is a great substitute if you don’t have ground turkey on hand. Alternatively, Teriyaki Tofu is another substitute if you are going the meatless route!
- Add spice. Teriyaki sauce doesn’t naturally have spice and if you love spice, adding in a little bit of chili garlic sauce will kick it up a notch for sure.
- Make your own sauce. If you haven’t found a store-bought teriyaki sauce you love, you can definitely make your own! Here’s my version.
- Swap the veggies. Don’t like the vegetables used in this recipe? Feel free to swap them out for something else.
Storage Instructions
For leftovers or meal prep, here are some tips on how to store your ground turkey teriyaki.
For the refrigerator: allow the ground turkey teriyaki to come to room temperature then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
For meal prep: allow the ground turkey teriyaki to come to room temperature then evenly divide mixture into containers then keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
What to Serve with Ground Turkey Teriyaki
I typically serve this dish with a side of white rice. This dish would also be served great with a side of Chicken Fried Rice, Chicken Lo Mein, or for some fusion, Kimchi Fried Rice.
More Teriyaki Recipes to Try!
- Teriyaki Chicken Meatballs
- Ground Chicken Teriyaki
- Air Fryer Teriyaki Salmon
- Teriyaki Tofu Meatballs
- Teriyaki Beef and Broccoli
- Teriyaki Chicken and Broccoli
- Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Skewers
Ground Turkey Teriyaki
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup diced red bell peppers
- ⅔ cup diced white onion
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups broccoli florets
- 1 pound lean ground turkey
- 1 cup teriyaki sauce, more if needed
Instructions
- Heat up a large skillet over medium-high heat then add a little bit of cooking oil to the skillet.
- Once the oil is hot, add the bell peppers and onions. Cook until softened and translucent, about 3-4 minutes.
- Next, add the broccoli florets and a splash of water then cover the skillet with a lid to lightly steam the broccoli. Once the broccoli is cooked to your desired doneness, add the minced garlic and stir to incorporate.
- Add the ground turkey to the skillet and using a meat chopper or spatula/wooden spoon, break it into smaller pieces.
- Add the teriyaki sauce on top and reduce heat to a medium low. Stir to combine and gently allow to simmer for 5-7 minutes then remove from heat.
- Serve warm with white rice.
I’m so making this! Looks good.