Ground Turkey Teriyaki (Made In Under 30 Minutes!)

Name: Ground Turkey Teriyaki
Prep time: 14 min
Cook time: 16 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon cornstarch; 1 cup water ( divided into ¾ cup and ¼ cup); 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce; 3 tablespoons brown sugar; 1 tablespoons apple cider vinegar; 2 teaspoons minced garlic; ½ teaspoon ground ginger; 2 tablespoons oil (divided, I used avocado oil); ½ medium sweet onion (diced); 1 medium bell pepper (diced); 3 cups broccoli florets ( chopped small into bite size pieces); ½ cup water; 1 teaspoon minced garlic; 1 pound ground turkey; 1/2 cup shredded carrots (about 2 medium carrots)

Ground turkey teriyaki is one of those weeknight wins. This dinner is quick, flavor-packed, and full of a few extra veggies in all the right ways. Just add some steamed rice and dinner is done in under thirty minutes!

A wooden spoon holds a serving of ground turkey teriyaki over a pan.

Table of Contents

Why We Love This Ground Turkey Teriyaki

Quick And Easy – Made in about 30 minutes, this easy stir fry with ground turkey is a favorite you’ll want to put in regular rotation. This is a great clean-out-the-fridge meal, an easy lunchbox leftover if your kid can take warm food, or a great post sports practice dinner.
Veggie-Packed But Kid-Friendly – I make this when I want my family to eat a few more vegetables without complaints. That flavorful sauce usually works like a charm.
My Kid Asks For This One – My kid went scavenging for the leftovers in the fridge the next day and has asked for this one again.

Ingredients For Ground Turkey Teriyaki

Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements and directions below in the recipe card.

You don’t need anything fancy to make this ground turkey teriyaki stir fry. Grab a few pantry staples, lean ground turkey, and your favorite fresh or frozen veggies.

For The Sauce

cornstarch
water
low-sodium soy sauce – you can use coconut amino if you don’t want to use soy, or tamari for a gluten free version. If your soy sauce is not low sodium, start with half the amount. You can always taste and add a little more at the end if it needs it, but you can’t take the soy sauce back out.
brown sugar – if you are trying to use less sugar, you can start with half the brown sugar if the flavor works for your family. You can also swap in honey for brown sugar.
apple cider vinegar
minced garlic
ground ginger

For The Turkey And Vegetables

oil – divided, I used avocado oil, but you can use olive oil or your favorite cooking oil
sweet onion – diced
bell pepper – diced
broccoli florets – chopped small into bite-sized pieces
water
minced garlic
ground turkey
shredded carrots

Try adding a little frozen riced cauliflower when you add the pepper and onion. It’s an easy way to stretch the dish a little further to be more filling and add a little more vegetable. The cauliflower just takes on the flavor of the sauce. It’s a sneaky way to bulk up a ground turkey rice bowl. I have a whole list of great healthy ground turkey dinner ideas you should also try!

How To Make Ground Turkey Teriyaki

Making The Sauce

In a small bowl add cornstarch and ¼ cup of water. Mix well and set to the side.
Place soy sauce, ¾ cup of water, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar minced garlic and ginger into a large two cup measuring cup. Stir the mixture well with a spoon.
Place a large deep skillet or a wok over medium high heat. Add the sauce mixture to the pan, stirring and heating until it just begins to boil. Stir the cornstarch mixture, then add it to the sauce stirring well. Let the sauce simmer for about two minutes, stirring as needed. Pour the sauce back into the glass two cup measuring cup and set to the side.

A pan full of teriyaki sauce thickening for ground turkey teriyaki.

Cooking The Turkey And Vegetables

Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan and let it warm over medium high heat. Add onion and bell pepper to the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the broccoli to the pan and sauté for a minute, then add 1/2 cup of water. Cook vegetables for 4-6 minutes or until the broccoli is tender, stirring frequently. Remove the vegetables from the pan to the side.

Chopped green bell pepper, onion and garlic cooking in a pan with broccoli in a bowl nearby.

Cooked broccoli, pepper and onion in a pan for ground turkey teriyaki.

Place the second 1 tablespoon of oil in the pan. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the ground turkey to the garlic. Cook the turkey for 8–10 minutes, breaking it up as it browns, until it’s no longer pink and there’s no water left in the pan.
Place the cooked vegetables and the shredded carrots into the pan with the turkey, stirring well. Pour the sauce all over the mixture. Allow everything to heat for 1-2 minutes over medium high heat until heated through. Serve over steamed rice and enjoy!

Cooked ground turkey in a pan with cooked broccoli and peppers, shredded carrots and teriyaki sauce in bowls nearby.

Finished stir fried ground turkey teriyaki mixed with vegetables in a bowl on a counter.

Variation Ideas

This recipe is easy to tweak depending on what you have on hand or what your family prefers. Here are some of our favorite swaps.

Swap Another Ground Meat – You can use ground beef, ground chicken or ground pork. Just be sure to drain the ground meat after cooking so the stir fry doesn’t end up oily.

Or Use Other Protein – You could make this with cut up boneless chicken breast, boneless chicken thighs, beef, or even shrimp. You can swap in the protein of your choice, just make sure you cook it thoroughly for the protein you have.

You can also use a precooked meat if you have something leftover, then you’re just warming it instead of cooking it all the way through.

A skillet filled with ground turkey teriyaki being scooped with a wooden spoon.

Try Other Vegetables – I’ve used vegetables my family enjoys, but you can swap out veggies your family likes. Try adding mushrooms, peas or snow peas, baby corn, water chestnuts (I usually grabbed canned water chestnuts), shelled edamame or diced zucchini. You can also add more of any of the vegetables in the dish.

You can use frozen vegetables, just make sure to cook the water out of them before adding the sauce so the sauce doesn’t become too watery.

Serve Over Noodles Or Lettuce – You can swap rice for noodles in this dish. Ramen noodles or rice noodles work great here, whatever’s hiding in the back of your pantry. I have even used spaghetti noodles in a pinch You also can wrap it up in lettuce shells for easy lettuce wraps, like I did with my ground pork lettuce wraps.

Make It Spicy – My kid prefers it mild, but I like a little more spice. Add sriracha to the sauce, toss in red pepper flakes, or drizzle chili crisp on top. I’ll often add these at the table to my own plate, so everyone is happy with dinner.

What To Serve With Ground Turkey Teriyaki

This teriyaki ground turkey stir fry is great over jasmine or brown rice, but it also works with noodles, fried rice, cauliflower rice, or tucked into lettuce wraps like I did with my ground pork lettuce wraps.

We also often will make steamed edamame as a side. I buy it frozen and reheat it in the microwave, then sprinkle with salt. My kid loves popping the beans out of the pod to eat them. We also will sometimes air fry spring rolls or egg rolls, usually ones we’ve bought from Costco! A few frozen dumplings heated up can also stretch dinner a little further.

A plate of white rice topped with ground turkey teriyaki with more in a pan nearby.

Ground Turkey Teriyaki FAQ

Can I use frozen vegetables in ground turkey teriyaki?

Yes, just cook off any excess moisture before adding the sauce so the sauce stays thick and doesn’t water down.

What kind of rice is best with this dish?

White rice, brown rice, jasmine, basmati or even cauliflower rice all work great. We love jasmine rice at our house.

What’s the best way to make this ahead?

You can mix the sauce and chop veggies ahead of time to enjoy fresh more quickly. Or fully prep and store the recipe in the fridge up to 3 days. If possible, store the rice and stir fry separately so everything reheats well. If I am just saving a single portion or leftovers, I’ll sometimes store it with the rice.

Why doesn’t ground turkey brown like beef?

Ground turkey stays lighter in color due to lower fat content. It’s done cooking when it’s no longer pink, and the pan isn’t watery.

How do I keep ground turkey from tasting dry or bland?

Ground turkey will take on all the flavor from the sauce, so it won’t lack in taste. Don’t overcook the meat when you are browning it but do let the meat soak up the sauce a little bit.

How Long Will Ground Turkey Teriyaki Last?

Put this ground turkey teriyaki in a covered airtight container in the fridge. Leftovers will last for about three days.

Leftovers reheat great for lunch or a quick dinner the next day. If I know we have a busy sports or activity week I make a double batch. We love this ground turkey teriyaki stir fry for busy nights.

I haven’t tried freezing this yet, but the meat and vegetables should freeze ok. The broccoli may be a little softer than if it is fresh, but it will still be tasty.