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Sweet and savory Beef Teriyaki is a quick, flavorful main dish perfect for adding to salads, meal bowls, or just plating with a side of rice and stir-fried veggies. It’s so juicy and tender!
Beef teriyaki is a classic—bold, umami, and savory with just the right amount of sweetness. The sticky sauce clings to the beef, coating it in all that flavor and allowing it to get caramelized to perfection. And it’s EASY too—it’s a stir fry recipe and stir fries always come together lickety-split.
When it comes to serving beef teriyaki, the possibilities are endless. Plate it with a mound of fluffy jasmine rice and a colorful array of stir-fried veggies. Set it atop this No Cook Asian Rice Noodle Salad. If you appreciate Teriyaki Meatballs and Teriyaki Chicken Rice Bowls, you will love this beef teriyaki recipe too!
Ingredients for Beef Teriyaki
Here’s a quick rundown of what you’ll need for this recipe. For the full measurements, scroll down to the recipe card.
Teriyaki Sauce:
- Soy Sauce – You can substitute tamari for a gluten-free option.
- Water – Helps balance the consistency.
- Sweet Rice Wine – Provides a touch of sweetness and depth.
- Brown Sugar – You can use dark or light brown sugar.
- Garlic and Ginger – These add aroma and flavor, while the ginger also adds a little warmth.
- Cornstarch – Thickens the sauce.
Beef Teriyaki:
- Sirloin steak – Sliced thin across the grain.
- Cornstarch – Helps create a crispy exterior.
- Salt and pepper – I use kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Olive oil – Or another oil you like to cook with.
How to Make Beef Teriyaki
Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the page for full printable instructions.
- Make the teriyaki sauce. Combine all the ingredients except the cornstarch in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Thicken the sauce. Whisk the cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water in a small bowl, then gradually whisk the cornstarch mixture into the saucepan to thicken. Remove from heat.
- Prepare. Toss the steak with cornstarch, salt, and pepper. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.
- Cook the beef. Shake off the excess cornstarch and add the beef to the pan in a single layer without crowding. Cook for 3-4 minutes without stirring, then flip and cook for 2 more minutes. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining beef.
- Put it all together. Return the beef to the pan, pour the sauce over the top, and toss to combine. Simmer for 3-4 minutes, until the sauce thickens. Serve hot with rice.
Tips for Making Beef Teriyaki
Here are some helpful tips to ensure your beef teriyaki turns out perfect every time.
- Don’t skip making your own sauce. Yes, you could use a store-bought bottle of teriyaki sauce if you’re in a time-crunch, but it’s really not the same. Store-bought sauces are often cloyingly sweet and made with corn syrup. Homemade Teriyaki Sauce is the best!
- Slice the beef across the grain. When slicing your beef for teriyaki, make sure to cut across the grain. This will result in more tender pieces of meat that are easier to chew.
- Garnish if desired. If you’d like, you can add sesame seeds and/or thinly sliced green onions as garnish.
Variations and Substitutions
Here are some variations of teriyaki beef to try if you want to get creative:
- Make it spicy. Add a kick of heat to your dish by incorporating sriracha, crushed red pepper flakes, or even a dash of cayenne.
- Add pineapple. Stir chunks of fresh pineapple into the dish when adding the sauce to the beef.
- Veg it up. Boost the veggie factor by including vegetables such as broccoli, snap peas, or carrots. I recommend stir-frying them, then adding in the cooked beef and sauce and stirring it all together until everything’s well-coated. If you add a lot of veggies, you may want to increase the amount of sauce.
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
To store leftovers, refrigerate the beef teriyaki in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days. If you plan to keep it for longer, consider freezing it in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months; thaw it in the fridge before reheating.
You can warm up your leftovers in the microwave or in a nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray set over medium heat.
What to Serve With Beef Teriyaki
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Beef Teriyaki Recipe
Equipment
- wok or skillet
- whisk
- spatula
Ingredients
For the Teriyaki Sauce
- ½ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tablespoons sweet rice wine
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons minced ginger
- 1 tablespoons cornstarch
For the Beef Teriyaki
- 1 pound sirloin steak, sliced across the grain approximately 1/4 inch thick
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
Make the Teriyaki Sauce
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, add the soy sauce, water, rice wine, brown sugar, garlic and ginger.
- Bring the mixture to a boil and then turn the heat to low.
- Simmer for 5 minutes.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water.
- Slowly whisk the cornstarch into the soy sauce mixture and turn off the heat. Set aside.
Make the Beef Teriyaki
- Toss the steak with the cornstarch, salt and pepper, to coat.
- Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the oil and heat until shimmering.
- Shake off the excess cornstarch from the beef and carefully add to the pan in an even layer being careful not to crowd the pan. You may need to work in batches, if necessary.
- Cook the beef for 3-4 minutes without moving it around. Using tongs, flip the beef over and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining beef, adding more oil if necessary.
- Return all the beef to the pan and pour the sauce over the beef tossing to combine. Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook for 3-4 minutes or until thickened.
- Serve immediately with rice.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
