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The delicious, sweet teriyaki sauce and the (kind of) hidden veggies in this Teriyaki Turkey Rice Bowl makes this one of those healthy ground turkey recipes that your whole family will love!

We love quick and easy Asian inspired recipes, and have quite a few here on the site! Some of our favorites are included in our monthly dinner rotation, like Egg Fried Rice and Crockpot Orange Chicken.

light gray bowls with rice and healthy ground turkey teriyaki, chopsticks, sesame seeds, white napkin, green onions

I love Asian inspired dishes, and Teriyaki is a family favorite. The sweet and savory richness of the sauce really compliments the flavors of the turkey. Plus it’s loaded with veggies, which means my kids are eating them! You can pair this with steamed rice or noodles, or even wrap it up in a Lettuce Wrap.

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Ground Turkey Teriyaki Rice Bowls

Ground turkey recipes are always a winner in our house, like Turkey, Kale and Rice SoupTurkey Taco Stuffed Shells and Spicy Turkey Meatloaf. These Teriyaki Turkey Rice Bowls always top the list of favorites.

My kids are not fans of vegetables. Well, quite frankly that is an understatement. They hate them. So I have had to get clever with how I add veggies to our meals.

The ground turkey is juicy and the teriyaki sauce is sweet and flavorful. Add in all the wonderful veggies and you’ve got a perfectly complete meal that makes great leftovers.

Why We Love This Recipe

  • It’s a quick and easy, a healthy alternative to ground beef, and an easy substitution in tons of recipes like chili and spaghetti sauce.
  • We include lots of veggies and dice them up small so it’s very kid friendly and a great way to get kids to actually enjoy eating their vegetables.
  • You can easily customize this recipe to include your favorite veggies or add a different base like rice or noodles.
Cooked ground turkey recipe in a skillet with vegetables and teriyaki sauce. Cast iron skillet.

How to Cook Ground Turkey

Ground turkey is a light, bright pink color when it’s raw or uncooked. As it cooks the color will change from pink to a light brown color. Seasoning is important, since it has a very mild flavor that takes on whatever flavors you add. It’s delicious with just a little garlic, onion and salt added but you can also add it to chili, spaghetti, tacos and more by changing the seasoning.

How to Make Teriyaki Turkey Rice Bowls

  1. Cook the ground turkey. After cooking the meat with some onions and garlic, grate few carrots and chop some broccoli very fine, and toss them in with the meat. This gave the illusion that there weren’t very many vegetables in there, but they couldn’t avoid what they couldn’t see! *Note – if you are serving this as a rice bowl, you’ll want to start cooking the rice before you start cooking the meat.
  2. Make the teriyaki sauce. The teriyaki sauce is made from scratch and is incredibly easy. Some readers have commented on the amount of sugar in the sauce, and you can see in the recipe notes that you can reduce to your liking. Teriyaki sauce is typically sweet on it’s own, but you can adjust the levels based on your needs. It will still taste great!
  3. Assemble the rice bowls. The teriyaki sauce is combined with the meat and veggies and simmered for a few minutes to let the flavors blend and get all happy. Then scoop it on top of white or brown rice, noodles, into lettuce cups or even flour tortillas for some Asian-Mexican fusion!

How to Serve

Sprinkle some sliced green onions and sesame seeds on top before serving. It’s a pretty garnish and add a little flavor, too.

My kids love to eat their rice bowl with chopsticks. If you don’t have any, you can find them here, or try these adorable training chopsticks for kids.

How to Store Leftovers

  • Refrigerating leftovers: This dish will keep for 3-4 days in the fridge if properly stored in an airtight container. Reheat in the microwave or on the stove.
  • To freeze, allow to cool completely, then pour into a freezer bag or airtight container. Freeze for up to 6 months. Thaw in the fridge and reheat as described above. Freeze rice or noodles separately from the meat.
a hand with chopsticks, bowls with healthy ground turkey teriyaki, vegetables and rice

Recipe Variations

Feel free to customize this recipe to fit your own personal tastes. Use cut up veggies and sauté or steam them before adding them to the turkey and sauce.

Some other veggie options:

  • Bell peppers
  • Snow peas
  • Water chestnuts
  • Bok choy
  • Bean sprouts
  • Zucchini
  • Corn
  • Cauliflower
  • Water chestnuts

I have received lots of comments over the years on how much people love this recipe, but also how they change it up and make it their own for something truly unique and delicious.

  • Ground turkey recipes are the tastiest when the meat is seasoned properly. Add some heat to this dish with some Sriracha or red pepper flakes.
  • Not fans  of rice? Use noodles instead. You can even use spaghetti noodles to mimic a lo mein and toss in some cabbage to saute it with.
  • Feel free to cut the amount of sugar in this recipe. It won’t affect the flavor but it will swing more towards the savory side.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use ground beef instead of turkey?

Yes, you absolutely can! Ground turkey recipes can easily swap ground beef, pork or chicken. You will want to make sure to drain it really well since ground beef lets out a lot of liquid, but it will work just as well as the ground turkey.

How long does raw ground turkey last?

When you purchase lean ground turkey at the store, it has a “sell-by” date. Your meat will likely last 1-2 days past this date if properly stored in it’s original packaging in your refrigerator. To further extend the shelf life, freeze it within 1 day past the sell by date. To maximize freshness, wrap the packaged turkey in foil and place in a freezer bag. Follow these steps to ensure you always have fresh meat on hand for all of your favorite ground turkey recipes!

bowl with lean ground turkey, rice and vegetables

More Ground Turkey Recipes

Recipe
Social media image of Teriyaki Turkey Rice Bowls

Teriyaki Turkey Rice Bowl

4.73 from 1173 votes
The delicious, sweet teriyaki sauce and the (kind of) hidden veggies in this Teriyaki Turkey Rice Bowl makes this a healthy ground turkey recipe that your whole family will love!
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 5 servings

Ingredients
  

Teriyaki Sauce

  • 1/2 cup Less 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 finely chopped broccoli
  • 2 large carrots peeled and grated
  • 2 green onions diced, for garnish
  • 4 cups cooked white or brown rice divided

Instructions
 

  • Mix soy sauce, ¼ cup water, red wine vinegar, sugars, garlic and ginger in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir with a whisk until sugar is dissolved.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons warm water and cornstarch until cornstarch is completely dissolved.
  • Heat sauce over medium high heat. Slowly whisk in cornstarch mixture and simmer until thickened. Remove from heat and set aside.
  • Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add diced onions and cook until soft.
  • Crumble ground turkey and garlic into the pan and cook until turkey is about half cooked. Add grated carrots and chopped broccoli and continue to cook until turkey is no longer pink.
  • Pour teriyaki sauce over cooked turkey and vegetable mixture and stir. Simmer for about five minutes to combine the flavors.
  • Spoon meat over rice or noodles. Garnish with green onions and serve immediately.

Notes

  • Teriyaki Sauce is generally sweet. However, feel free to cut back on the amount of sugar in the sauce. 1 tablespoon of each would suffice if you prefer a more savory than sweet flavor. 
  • The nutritional information is based on serving this teriyaki turkey over white rice. Use brown rice or just less rice to reduce calories and carbs.
  • Feel free to customize this recipe with your favorite vegetables.
  • A note about SERVING SIZE: A serving is approximately ¾ cup of rice and one cup of the meat/veggies.
  • The serving sizes are approximate and will vary depending on a variety of factors, like how much you cook your veggies down and what size your cuts of vegetables are. As a meal, this recipe will make 4-6 servings. 

Nutrition

Calories: 380kcalCarbohydrates: 55gProtein: 28gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.03gCholesterol: 50mgSodium: 994mgPotassium: 606mgFiber: 2gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 4261IUVitamin C: 21mgCalcium: 60mgIron: 2mg
Keyword ground turkey recipes

Kristin Maxwell

Kristin Maxwell is the creator and main recipe developer, writer, and photographer of Yellow Bliss Road. A self-taught cook and self-appointed foodie, she specializes in easy, flavorful and approachable recipes for any home cook.

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Comments

  1. Eating as I leave a comment as well. Absolutely DELICIOUS. My hubby loved it too. Definitely will be making this again. The flavors are so so good!

  2. All three of my picky eaters loved this recipe. There were no left overs to be had. Definitely a keeper.

  3. Thank you so much for this incredible recipe. It is so good, healthy and easy that I have made it numerous times. It’s definitely one of my go to’s! I add red pepper flakes for sure ☺️

  4. Trying to use more ground turkey and less beef this was very good and easy to make my husband loved it will be making again and trying a few different veggies

  5. Eating this as I leave a comment. I normally don’t leave comments, but I have to say this is the best Teriyaki ground turkey recipe I’ve ever tried and I’ve tried lot! Followed the recipe exactly as written, adding a little less sugar and throwing in a red pepper that needed to be used. Not only is the finished recipe beautiful to look at but also beautiful to eat! I love that it feels healthy and that it’s so versatile, thanks for a great recipe!

  6. This was a delicious recipe, tysm! I added various produce from my garden, including hot peppers and oh-so-good!

  7. Made this tonight and was not disappointed !! Added cauliflower and red pepper and a little Thai Red Curry as someone suggested and halved the sugar….. It was quick, easy and delicious, even my picky husband loved it 👍🏼

  8. Made recipes written except used green beans instead of broccoli. Delish! I might reduce sugar next time.

  9. This recipe is amazingly tasty and so easy to follow! The sauce is incredible and I want to use it on everything. I halved the sugar and added some cauliflower that I had on hand. Definitely adding this to our dinner rotation!

  10. Just made this. Great! Only tweak from me was tripling the garlic, but that’s cuz I’m a garlicoholic. Thanks for sharing!

  11. This is a regular go-to weeknight recipe for my family. I use any and all veggies in the fridge (zukes, cauliflower, peppers, mushrooms, etc.) and use bottled teriyaki sauce if I’m short on time. Always add extra fresh ginger as we’re big ginger fans. Easy, delicious, healthy recipe!

  12. I have made this recipe so many times and it is honestly my favorite ground turkey recipe! Thank you so much for sharing it! Also, I was wondering if you think maybe frozen vegetables would work if you don’t have any fresh veggies on hand? Thanks so much!!

    1. Hi Lauren, I’m so glad you enjoy the recipe and yes you can use frozen vegetables. I would steam them first.

  13. It was very good! I doubled the recipe and only used half the sugar. Probably will use even less sugar next time. Also added some Thai red curry paste to add some extra flavor
    The family loved it 🙂

  14. This is a wonderful recipe! I have switched to ground turkey in place of ground beef for most all of my cooking and this recipe proves that ground turkey can be flavorful and enjoyable in Asian cuisine. I love the incorporation of the veggies that enhance the flavor in the recipe also. I am definitely going to try some of the other ground turkey recipes on Yellow Bliss Road as well! Thank you so much!!!

  15. Have made this many times. I have used turkey and chicken and other veggies, such as squashes and peppers. It is always excellent. I agree with the reviewer that says it takes longer than recipe says.

  16. Hey Kristin. I can’t count the times I have made this easy delicious dish. My son does not like turkey so I make it with ground chicken. We all love this so much.
    Thank you for posting. Love from Canada 🇨🇦

  17. So so so delicious! My whole family eats it and that’s a win in my book! Making it for the 4th time and it’s a double recipe for leftovers, I hope!

  18. I haven’t tried it yet because I’m trying to get to the recipe but all these things keep on popping up. I would be happy to leave a comment once I get to try it

  19. Made it to exactly as directed except I used fresh minced ginger and I skipped the broccoli. Turned out great! I will say that the prep took longer than stated but otherwise it was straightforward.

  20. This one is a keeper! We’re a busy family, so I appreciate a quick and easy meal. I made this along with some coconut rice and it was a hit! Next time, I’m definately adding some more veggies!