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These teriyaki turkey rice bowls are made with ground turkey and finely chopped veggies simmered in a sweet homemade teriyaki sauce, all piled over rice. The whole thing comes together in one skillet in about 35 minutes. The vegetables cook right into the meat, so my kids eat them without a word.
More easy Asian-inspired dinners: Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps | Pork Stir Fry Rice Bowl | Easy Egg Fried Rice.
Before You Get Started
The recipe itself is simple. These three things are what separate a bowl you’ll make on repeat from one that comes out too salty or too sweet.
- Use low-sodium soy sauce — The sauce reduces and concentrates as it simmers, so regular soy sauce ends up considerably saltier than you’d expect. This is the number one thing readers tell me about.
- Start with half the sugar if you like things savory — The sauce is written sweet on purpose, but plenty of readers cut both sugars in half and love the result. You can always stir more in at the end.
- Dissolve the cornstarch completely before it goes in — Whisk it into the warm water until the liquid is smooth and cloudy with no grit at the bottom. Undissolved cornstarch is why a teriyaki sauce refuses to thicken.
RECIPE WALK-THROUGH
How to Make Teriyaki Turkey Rice Bowls
See the recipe card below for full, detailed instructions
Start your rice first, since it takes the longest. From there, the sauce and the turkey come together at about the same pace, and you’ll be eating in half an hour.
Step 1: Make the teriyaki sauce
Whisk the cornstarch into the warm water in a small bowl until it’s completely smooth, then set it aside.
In a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the soy sauce, water, red wine vinegar, both sugars, minced garlic and ground ginger. Keep whisking until you can’t feel any sugar granules on the bottom of the pan.
Slowly whisk in the cornstarch mixture and let it simmer until it thickens. You’re looking for a sauce that coats the back of a spoon and leaves a clean line when you drag your finger through it. Pull it off the heat once it gets there, since cornstarch sauces thin back out if you keep cooking them.
- No red wine vinegar? Rice wine vinegar is the closest swap and works beautifully here. Apple cider vinegar will also do in a pinch.
Step 2: Cook the turkey and vegetables
Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the diced onion and cook until softened. If the onions start to scorch, turn the heat down right away.
Stir in the garlic, then add the ground turkey and break it apart with a spatula. Cook until it’s about halfway done, 4 to 5 minutes. Ground turkey goes from light pink to pale brown as it cooks, so use color rather than the clock.
Add the grated carrots and finely chopped broccoli and cook another 5 to 6 minutes, until the turkey is no longer pink and the vegetables have softened.
- Chop the vegetables small: Grating the carrots and finely chopping the broccoli means they cook down into the meat instead of sitting on top of it. This is the whole trick to getting kids to eat them, and it’s why they can’t pick them out.
- Use whatever veggies you have: Bell peppers, snow peas, water chestnuts, bok choy, bean sprouts, zucchini, corn and cauliflower all work. Sauté or steam any leftover cooked vegetables before stirring them in.
Step 3: Combine and simmer
Pour the teriyaki sauce over the turkey and vegetables, stir to coat everything, and simmer about 5 minutes. This is where the flavors settle in and the sauce clings to the meat instead of pooling in the pan.
- Give it a taste: If you cut the sugar and want it a little sweeter, now is the time to stir more in.
More teriyaki favorites: Teriyaki Chicken Bowl | Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken | Slow Cooker Teriyaki Pork | Teriyaki Meatballs
Step 4: Choosing your base
Steamed white or brown rice is the classic here and the one I make most often. Brown rice holds up better in leftovers and doesn’t soften as much overnight, which matters if you’re portioning this out for the week.
Other Rice Options: If you want the rice itself to bring something to the bowl, my Seasoned Rice with Herbs and Garlic is the easiest upgrade. Coconut Rice goes the other direction, a little sweet and creamy against the salty teriyaki.
Rice isn’t the only option, though. Noodles are excellent under this, and Chow Mein turns it into more of a takeout-style plate. Riced cauliflower keeps it lighter and readers do this often. Butter lettuce cups make it a hands-on dinner, and a flour tortilla is a genuinely good Asian-Mexican mashup if you’ve never tried it.
Step 5: Build the bowls
Scoop the rice into bowls and spoon the teriyaki turkey over the top.
Finish with sliced green onions and a sprinkle of sesame seeds. They look pretty, but the real reason is the fresh bite and the nutty crunch, which keep a sweet-savory bowl from tasting one-note.
- Add a fried egg: A runny yolk over the top turns this into a heartier bowl and takes about two minutes in the same skillet.
How to Cook Ground Turkey
Ground turkey is light pink when raw and turns pale brown as it cooks, which is a subtler change than beef. Cook it until there’s no pink left and the pieces have lost their glossy look.
Lean ratio matters more than people expect. The 93% lean is the sweet spot for this recipe, since it has enough fat to stay juicy while the sauce does the rest. The 99% lean will work but it dries out quickly, so keep the heat moderate and don’t walk away from it.
Seasoning is the other half of it. Ground turkey has a mild flavor that takes on whatever you add, which is exactly why it works so well here. A little garlic, onion and salt is all it needs before the teriyaki sauce arrives.
Ground turkey is on the menu here most weeks, and my collection of Best Ground Turkey Recipes includes my favorites.
What to Serve Alongside
One of these bowls is a full dinner on its own, so you don’t need to add anything. But when we’re feeding a crowd or the kids have talked us into a takeout night at home, this is what goes on the table alongside it.
- Egg Drop Soup
- Vegetable Egg Rolls
- Crab Rangoon
- Air Fryer Wonton Chips
- Napa Cabbage Salad
- Oven Roasted Broccoli
Storage Tips
Storing and Reheating
Refrigerating: Store leftovers in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or in a skillet over medium heat. A splash of water over the rice before reheating keeps it from drying out at the edges.
Freezing: Cool completely, then transfer to a freezer bag or airtight container and freeze up to 6 months. Freeze the rice or noodles separately from the meat, since they hold their texture much better that way. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Meal prep: This is where the recipe really pays off, and plenty of readers double the batch for exactly this reason. Portion the turkey and rice into four or five containers and you have lunches for most of the week. Brown rice is the better choice here since it stays firmer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why didn’t my teriyaki sauce thicken?
Almost always the cornstarch. If it wasn’t fully dissolved in the water before going into the pan, it clumps instead of thickening evenly. It also needs to reach a real simmer to activate, so a gentle warm-through won’t do it.
If the sauce is still thin, whisk another half teaspoon of cornstarch into a tablespoon of cold water and stir that in. And if it thickened beautifully and then loosened again, it simply cooked too long. Pull it off the heat as soon as it coats a spoon.
Can I use ground beef instead of turkey?
Yes, and ground pork or ground chicken work too. Ground beef releases a lot more liquid, so drain it well before the sauce goes in, or you’ll dilute the teriyaki. Everything else about the recipe stays the same.
How do I keep the ground turkey from drying out?
Use 93% lean rather than 99%, keep the heat at medium-high instead of ripping hot, and stop cooking as soon as the pink is gone. The five-minute simmer in the sauce at the end also adds moisture back, so don’t skip it.
More Ground Turkey Dinners
- Ground Turkey Taco Casserole
- Ground Turkey Tacos
- Turkey Taco Soup
- Ground Turkey and Rice Soup with Kale
- Burrito Bowls with Ground Turkey
Teriyaki Turkey Rice Bowl
Ingredients
Teriyaki Sauce
- 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar or less as desired
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar or less as desired
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons warm water
Ground Turkey
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 cup broccoli finely chopped
- 2 large carrots peeled and grated
- 2 green onions diced, for garnish
- 4 cups cooked white or brown rice
Instructions
Teriyaki Sauce
- In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and warm water until the cornstarch is completely dissolved and no grit remains at the bottom. Set aside.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, gently whisk the soy sauce, water, red wine vinegar, sugars, minced garlic and ground ginger until the sugars are completely dissolved.
- Slowly whisk in the cornstarch mixture and simmer until thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and set aside.
Ground Turkey
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion and cook, stirring frequently, until softened. Turn the heat down if the onions begin to scorch.
- Stir in the minced garlic. Add the ground turkey and break it apart with a spatula. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the turkey is about halfway cooked, 4 to 5 minutes.
- Add the grated carrots and chopped broccoli and continue cooking until the turkey is no longer pink and the vegetables are soft, 5 to 6 minutes.
- Pour the teriyaki sauce over the turkey and vegetables and stir to coat. Simmer about 5 minutes.
- Divide the cooked rice into bowls and top with the teriyaki turkey. Garnish with sliced green onions and serve immediately.
Notes
- Use low-sodium soy sauce: The sauce reduces as it simmers, so regular soy sauce will taste noticeably salty in the finished bowl.
- Sugar is adjustable: Cutting both sugars in half still gives you a sweet-savory sauce and is the most common adjustment readers make. One tablespoon of each works well if you prefer savory.
- Dissolve the cornstarch completely in the warm water before adding it, or the sauce won’t thicken evenly.
- If the sauce won’t thicken, whisk another ½ teaspoon cornstarch into 1 tablespoon cold water and stir it in. Pull the pan off the heat once it coats a spoon, since cornstarch sauces thin out if cooked too long.
- Vinegar swap: rice wine vinegar is the closest substitute for red wine vinegar.
- Lean ratio: 93% lean ground turkey stays juiciest here. 99% lean works but dries out quickly.
- Chop the vegetables small: Grating the carrots and finely chopping the broccoli lets them cook into the meat, which is what makes this kid-friendly.
- Other vegetables that work: bell peppers, snow peas, water chestnuts, bok choy, bean sprouts, zucchini, corn and cauliflower.
- Other bases: noodles, riced cauliflower, lettuce cups or flour tortillas all work in place of rice.
- Storage: refrigerate up to 3 to 4 days in an airtight container. Freeze up to 6 months, keeping the rice separate from the meat.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer Kristin Maxwell of “Yellow Bliss Road” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. For accurate calorie counts and other nutritional values, we recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and other nutritional values can vary depending on which brands were used.
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I love this recipe!
It’s easy enough to whip up during the week.
I baked my brown rice. If you haven’t tried baking your rice, please do.
While it was baking, I prepared the turkey and sauce.
I subbed out the white sugar for flax seed to give it a fiber boost.
I forgot to get red wine vinegar, so had to use rice wine vinegar. It was still flavorful and delish.
Thank you for this recipe!
You are so welcome Carol! Thanks for stopping by to share.
This is a family favorite! It has such great flavoe. The first time making it took a little more time, but I’ve made it many times since and it’s quick & easy – making it on repeat!! 😃
That’s awesome Jenn! Thank you so much for stopping by .
I make this all the time but we omit the rice and eat it in lettuce boats instead. So yummy!
Nice! Sounds fantastic!! Thanks for stopping by Heather.
Phenomenal. Cut the sugars in half. Can’t wait to have it again!
Nice! Thanks for stopping by Brandy.
Excellent recipe
This meal is on weekly repeat in our home
Love it!!
Nice! Thanks for stopping by Karla.
My husband and I both found this to be extremely salty but otherwise liked the recipe. I will be looking for ways to tweak this recipe next time.
Did you use low-sodium soy sauce? Sometimes that can make a world of difference.
very easy, tasty and quick to make. Definitely will be on repeat. I added extra broccoli, chopped red pepper and edamame and made 1 1/2 times the sauce to ensure there was enough. It was excellent.
That’s awesome Nancy! Thanks for stopping by to share.
Ok…I’m desperate. I’ve made this recipe for YEARS. It’s my family’s favorite. For the last six months, my sauce will no longer thicken. I can’t figure it out!! Can someone help me? I’ve not changed how I make it! Losing my mind!
My fiance and I have included this dish in our weekly rotations of meals. Easy simple . Healthier than take out and delicious!
Nice! Thanks for stopping by Sadie.
I made the teriyaki and rice dish. It was delicious
Nice! Thanks for stopping by.
I was so looking forward to this recipe, given all the amazing reviews. However, mine turned out very salty. The only changes I made was to use half the sugar, liquid amino‘s, and I put the sauce right in with the meat instead of cooking it separately. Any ideas on why it was so salty?
I think saltiness can be a personal preference. It may be the brand you used.
Love this recipe. A new repeat in our house for sure and I am super glad that I can make 2x the amount and freeze for make ahead meals.
That’s great to hear! Thanks for stopping by Angela.
I love this recipe. I make it regularly. Today I cooked 3 lbs of ground turkey. It was a bit more difficult to handle but came out great. I put some in the freezer for later. The family loved it. I always use a lot less sugar because we don’t like too much of a sweet taste. Thanks for this recipe. So far this is the only recipe I use for ground turkey.
You are so welcome Jan! Thanks for taking the time to share.
This was delicious! It will definitely be a part of our regular rotation now. I followed the recipe exactly for my husband and subbed the turkey for tofu for myself since I’m a vegetarian. The sauce is fantastic. Thank you for sharing such a wonderful recipe!
You are so welcome MarySue! Thank you for the awesome feedback.
We LOVE this recipe. Can you help if I wanted to do this in a crock pot?
I don’t recommend cooking it in a crockpot unless you cook the ground turkey first.
Wonderful recipe. We used riced cauliflower instead of the rice!
Thank you, Susan! Awesome feedback, thanks for stopping by.
Could I use korean barbeque sauce instead of teriyaki?
You can use any sauce you like.
If I don’t have red wine vinegar . What can I use instead? apple vinegar, rice wine vinegar?
Rice wine vinegar would be a good substitute.
This is yummy. I cut back both sugars by half and it was still pretty sweet and tastes good.
I had one question though, the nutrition guide is that just for the turkey mix or does that include the rice? Trying to track my food a little.
Yes it does include servings of white rice.
I am a hero when it’s Turkey teriyaki night 😊 Perfect recipe. Wouldn’t change a thing.
Thank you Jossely!
Easy, tasty recipe. Only pushback is the amount of sugar but I suspect less sugar would take away from the flavor so would be interested to hear how others supplemented the sugar.
Fantastic feedback Jamie! Thanks for stopping by.
I cut both the brown and white sugar in half…and it was it was still a hint of sweet…sweet and savory delicious!!! 😋