These Teriyaki Turkey Bowls are the perfect easy dinner or meal prep option! They’re made with fluffy jasmine rice topped with juicy teriyaki turkey, cucumber, carrots, and cabbage, then finished with homemade spicy mayo and toasted sesame seeds. These bowls are a restaurant-quality meal that’s ready to eat in just 25 minutes.
Ground turkey is a staple in my kitchen. It’s one of my favorite things to make sure I always have on-hand. Why? Because these Turkey Teriyaki Bowls are a go-to anytime I need something easy and tasty to whip up for dinner!
Now, what makes this recipe extra great is that the ground teriyaki turkey can be used in other ways too. I love it in a bowl, but you can make it into stir fry, add it to a lettuce wrap, shovel it into your mouth straight out of the pan (yes, it’s that good)!
This recipe for teriyaki turkey bowls is simple, straightforward, and absolutely brimming fresh textures and tons of flavor!
Why I LOVE this recipe!
- Easy – What’s better than a 25 minute meal made almost entirely of pantry staples?
- Flavor-packed – We all know just how flavorful teriyaki sauce is! That drizzled over fresh, crunchy veggies, juicy ground turkey, and perfectly cooked rice is hard to beat.
- Versatile – The teriyaki ground turkey is delicious served in a rice bowl, but can also be enjoyed as a stir fry, in lettuce wraps, on sliders, you name it.
- Customizable – Keep the recipe as-is or load your ground turkey teriyaki bowl up with any of your favorite veggies or toppings.
- Great for Meal Prep – Prepare any or all of the recipe components ahead of time for an easy and delicious meal prep option!
Recipe Notes
This ground turkey teriyaki stir fry bowl recipe is as simple as promised! Just a few basic ingredients and 25 minutes for a family friendly meal.
In this section I am going to go through a few tips and tricks I use for how to make teriyaki ground turkey to get the absolute best and most delicious results.
Make sure to scroll to the bottom for the FULL recipe card.
Ingredients + Substitutions
- Ground Turkey – You’ll need 1.5 pounds of ground turkey for this recipe. Alternatively, you can make this recipe using ground beef, pork, or chicken.
- Red Pepper – Diced red pepper adds delicious flavor and a pop of color to the turkey. If you don’t have red pepper on hand, feel free to use orange, yellow, or green pepper.
- Teriyaki Glaze – Our homemade teriyaki glaze is made with a blend of soy sauce, water, brown sugar, honey, rice vinegar, minced garlic and ginger, sesame oil, and cornstarch.
- Serving Suggestions – To dress up your turkey teriyaki bowls, I recommend starting with a jasmine rice base, layering on the glazed turkey, then loading them up with sliced cucumber, shredded carrot, shredded cabbage, toasted sesame seeds, and a drizzle of spicy mayo. You can customize the toppings to whatever you and your family like though!
Make sure to see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full quantities and ingredients list.
Recipe Variations
If you love this recipe as much as we do and want some quick ways to change it up for variety, these little tips will do the trick!
- Healthy Teriyaki Turkey Rice Bowl – With carbs, lean protein, and plenty of veggies, this ground turkey teriyaki rice bowl is well-rounded and nutrient dense as-is. However, if you want to lighten it up, try swapping the jasmine rice out for cauliflower rice, or serve the prepared turkey in a lettuce wrap to reduce the carb count.
- Teriyaki Turkey Pineapple Bowl – Add a fruity twist by simmer some chopped pineapple pieces in the sauce before assembling your bowl.
- Spicy Sriracha Teriyaki Turkey Rice Bowl – Give your teriyaki glaze a kick of heat by adding a drizzle of Sriracha sauce. Alternatively, simply serve your bowl with Sriracha on top if you don’t want to add it to the sauce.
Recipe Step by Step
I am going to highlight a few key steps in the recipe here, but make sure to jump down to the recipe card for comprehensive instructions on how to make Ground Turkey Teriyaki Bowls.
Sauté the lean ground turkey with red pepper until browned.
Stir in the stir fry sauce and simmer until thickened.
Create the rice bowl by starting with a bed of jasmine rice.
Add the teriyaki ground turkey, and your choice of toppings including cucumber, lettuce, and carrots. Drizzle with sauce and fresh lime juice.
Recipe Tips
- Make the glaze first – For the best results, I recommend mixing the glaze up before you cook the turkey. That way it’s ready to go. When the meat is done cooking, you can immediately add the glaze.
- Don’t over-cook – Since turkey is a lean meat, it can go from perfectly cooked to dry pretty darn quick. I recommend keeping a close eye on the turkey as it cooks so as not to cook it for too long. For the best results, use a meat thermometer to check the temperature. It should be 165ºF. Once it hits that, pull it off the heat.
- Drain the grease – Once the turkey is fully cooked, there will likely be excess fat in the pan. Drain that off! This excess oil can cause the finished ground turkey teriyaki rice bowl to be greasy.
- Simmer the sauce – After the meat and sauce are combined in the pan, let them simmer together for 3-6 minutes. This gives the turkey time to really soak in all those tasty teriyaki flavors, but also allows the sauce to get nice and thick.
Recipe Short Cuts
If you need to make this recipe, but are extra short on time, here are a few ideas that can help make this recipe even faster!
- Make the glaze ahead of time – Get a little bit ahead by simply mixing the glaze up a day or two ahead of time. Just store it in an airtight container until you’re ready to prepare the best of your recipe.
- Prep the turkey in advance – Cooked ground turkey will last in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months. If you want to get ahead on prep, feel free to cook the turkey with the glaze, let it cool completely, then store it as desired. When you’re ready to serve it, let it thaw in the fridge if frozen, then warm on the stove and assemble your bowls.
- Have your rice and toppings ready – The rice can be cooked in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days. The sliced/shredded veggies can be prepared and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days. The spicy mayo can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Feel free to prepare as many components that you can ahead of time for meal prep!
What to Serve with Turkey Teriyaki Bowls
Since this protein based dinner has the delicious flavors of teriyaki, it will pair well with many of your favorite Asian-inspired side dishes.
Choose one or several of these side dishes to create a wholesome, well-rounded dinner. There are both classic options and some healthy options to keep it light.
Side Dish Ideas
- Asian Cucumber Salad with Ginger Soy Dressing – Keep it fresh with this crunchy cucumber salad. Fresh slices of cucumber tossed in a salty, tangy, spicy, and sweet sauce.
- Spicy Sriracha Asian Coleslaw – Ramp up the flavor even more with this spicy coleslaw recipe. A fresh blend of cabbage, carrots, green onions, and cilantro doused in a simple dressing made with mayo, Sriracha, and lime.
- Sautéed Green Beans – Whip up a quick batch of these sautéed green beans and tie in the teriyaki flavors by dressing them with some of the glaze! Just a few ingredients and a few minutes needed for this fresh side dish.
- Sauce- We love to top off the Turkey Teriyaki Bowls with easy homemade Spicy Mayo or Yum Yum Sauce!
Teriyaki Ground Turkey Leftovers
If you have leftovers after making this recipe, then it is your lucky day! The teriyaki turkey saves and reheats well, and can make the start of another delicious dish.
To save leftovers, separate the turkey into meal sized portions and then place it in an airtight container and store:
- in the refrigerator for 2-3 days
- in the freezer for 3-4 months
Recipe FAQ’s
Is teriyaki hot or sweet?
Teriyaki sauce is usually sweeter than it is spicy. It’s made with a salty soy sauce base, but also features sweet additions such as brown sugar and honey.
Like things extra spicy? Add a drizzle of Sriracha to the teriyaki sauce or make your spicy mayo extra spicy.
Should you marinate ground turkey?
Nope, there’s no need. The ground turkey soaks up all of that delicious flavor from the sauce as they simmer together. No extra marinating step is necessary!
More EASY Meal Prep Bowl Recipes
If you enjoyed this recipe, I really hope you will take a moment to grab a few more easy recipes for another busy night!
You can check out all of my easy dinner recipes here, or see a few of our readers favorite bowl recipes below.
Turkey Teriyaki Bowls
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds ground turkey
- 1 red pepper, diced
For the Teriyaki Glaze
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons cold water
For the Bowls
- 1 cup jasmine rice
- 1 cucumber, sliced
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 1 cup shredded cabbage
- 1 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
- 1/4 cup spicy mayo
Instructions
- Cook rice per package directions.
To make the Ground Turkey Teriyaki
- Create the stir fry sauce by whisking together soy sauce, 1/4 cup water, brown sugar, honey, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, and sesame oil.Mix the cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water, stirring until it is all absorbed. Then pour the cornstarch mixture into the sauce, whisking until fully combined.
- Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the ground turkey and red pepper and cook until meat is browned and the peppers are tender. Drain any excess fat or liquid.
- Place the skillet back on the burner over medium hot heat and pour in the stir fry sauce. Let the meat simmer in the sauce about 3-6 minutes, or until the sauce begins to thicken. Remove from heat.
To assemble the Turkey Teriyaki Bowls
- Place 1/4 of the rice in the base of each bowl. Top with a big scoop of Teriyaki Turkey.
- Top with your choice of sliced cucumber, shredded carrots, shredded cabbage, sesame seeds. Then drizzle a tablespoon of spicy mayo over the top of the bowl.
Recipe Notes
- Ground Turkey – Swap the ground turkey out for ground beef, pork, or chicken.
- Veggies – Add any fresh, crunchy veggies on top of the bowl or cook other stir fry veggies with the beef and pepper.
- in the refrigerator for 2-3 days
- in the freezer for 3-4 months
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