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These Teriyaki Turkey Rice Bowls are made with healthy ground turkey and veggies in a sweet teriyaki sauce served over white or brown rice.

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

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

Teriyaki turkey is one of my family’s favorites! The sweet and savory richness of the sauce really compliments the mild flavor of the ground turkey. Plus it’s loaded with veggies, which means my kids are eating them! You can pair this with steamed rice chow mein noodles, or wrapped in a tortilla or 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. But these Teriyaki Turkey Rice Bowls always top the list of favorites.

This 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 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 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 light brown.

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use ground beef instead of turkey?

Yes, you absolutely can! Ground turkey can be easily swapped for 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.

Can I cut back the amount of sugar?

Yes. I wrote this recipe to have a sticky sweet teriyaki sauce, but some people have said they prefer it a little less sweet. Feel free to cut back as much as you like. As you are cooking the sauce, give it a quick taste – you can always add more sugar if you want it sweeter.

How to Serve

Sprinkle some sliced green onions and sesame seeds on top before serving. It’s a pretty garnish and adds 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.

Recipe Variations

Feel free to customize this recipe to fit your own personal tastes. Use leftover 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
a hand with chopsticks, bowls with healthy ground turkey teriyaki, vegetables and rice

Storage Tips

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.

Recipe Tips

  • 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 too much but it will swing more towards the savory side.
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

4.74 from 1193 votes
These Teriyaki Turkey Rice Bowls are made with healthy ground turkey and veggies in a sweet teriyaki sauce served over white or brown rice.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 4 servings

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
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Instructions
 

Teriyaki Sauce

  • In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and warm water until cornstarch is completely dissolved. Set aside.
  • In a small saucepan over medium heat, gently whisk soy sauce, water, red wine vinegar, sugars, minced garlic and ground ginger until sugars are completely dissolved.
  • Slowly whisk in cornstarch mixture and simmer until thickened. Remove from heat and set aside.

Ground Turkey

  • Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add diced onions and cook, stirring frequently, until softened. If you notice the onions beginning to scorch, immediately turn down the heat.
  • Stir in minced garlic. Add ground turkey and break apart with a spatula. Cook, stirring occasionally, until turkey is cooked about halfway through; 4-5 minutes. Add grated carrots and chopped broccoli and continue to cook until turkey is no longer pink and vegetables are soft; 5-6 minutes.
  • Pour teriyaki sauce over the turkey and vegetables and stir. Simmer for about 5 minutes.
  • Divide cooked rice into bowls then top with the teriyaki turkey. Garnish with sliced 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 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

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.

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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4.74 from 1193 votes (809 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  1. Sherri says:

    This was so tasty, we both liked it. Thanks!

    1. Kristin says:

      You are so welcome Sherri! Thanks for stopping by.

  2. Kristin says:

    This was delicious!! The whole family loved it, and my pickiest eater asked for seconds!
    My only swap was arrowroot powder instead of cornstarch, It worked great!
    Also, my name is Kristin and I have a son named Maxwell 😀
    Thanks so much for the recipe!

    1. Kristin Maxwell says:

      Love it! So glad you enjoyed the recipe. 🙂

  3. Donna says:

    Very delicious ?, family loved it

    1. Kristin says:

      Nice! Thanks for stopping by Donna.

  4. Kasey Guard says:

    So good!!!! I used lean beef & added red bell pepper. So tasty over jasmine rice!

    1. Kristin says:

      Love the feedback Kasey! Thanks for stopping by.

  5. Elizabeth says:

    Love this recipe! And so do my 6 and 8 year old!

    1. Kristin says:

      Nice! Thanks for stopping by Elizabeth.

  6. Tonia Player says:

    Loved it!??????

    1. Kristin says:

      Nice! Thank you for stopping by Tonia

  7. Kim says:

    Does the nutritional information include the rice or is it for the turkey only. Looks delicious, plan on making it tonight!

    1. Kristin Maxwell says:

      Yes, it does. I go over that in the post and in the notes. 🙂

  8. Laurie Allen says:

    Made this tonight for the first time. Followed other posts and doubled the sauce with all the ingredients except the sugar. Added shredded red cabbage (because I had some) and fresh ginger (again because I had some). This recipe is really good. Most ground turkey recipes end up so dry. Very good. Into the rotation!

    1. Kristin says:

      Fantastic feedback Laurie! Thank you so much for stopping by.

  9. Christina says:

    Hello I just wanted to share that I substituted coco aminos for soy sauce and it came out great. I left out the white sugar,( I’m sure it would have been even more delicious but I’m watching my sugar intake.) I had a frozen bag of black rice with edamame and mango so I served it over that. Thank you for this recipe, I’m always looking for ways to use turkey or chicken and less red meat.

    1. Kristin Maxwell says:

      Sounds delicious! I actually just tried black rice for the first time and it was so good!

  10. Erin says:

    This was so much better then I thought it would be! Definitely a keeper! Thank you for sharing!

    1. Kristin says:

      You are so welcome Erin! Thanks for stopping by.

  11. Mike says:

    Thank you for this! Cooking this tonight a little something different!

    1. Kristin says:

      You are so welcome Mike! Thanks for stopping by.

  12. Marisol says:

    I love this recipe. We have cut beef out and making this for my family they fell in love and didn’t notice the difference and so easy to make! Thank you!

    1. Kristin says:

      You are so welcome Marisol! Thanks for stopping by.

  13. Amara says:

    I made this for my family last night and it was amazing! Definitely a new family favorite. Thanks!

    1. Kristin says:

      You are so welcome Amara! Thanks for stopping by.

  14. Christina Norris says:

    Excellent! I wish I had made more of the teriyaki sauce, it is so good. We served this with rice and chutney. I used frozen Asian vegetables in place of the fresh broccoli.

    1. Kristin says:

      Love the feedback Christina! Thanks for stopping by.

  15. Mary D says:

    Very delicious!

    1. Kristin says:

      Thank you Mary! Thanks for stopping by.

  16. Sous says:

    Outstanding. I usually hate Turkey but this recipe is a keeper. I will make it again and again

    1. Kristin says:

      Nice! Thanks for stopping by Sous.

  17. Cookin' Grandma says:

    Made this today. Had no red wine vinegar, substituted white wine and balsamic vinegar. Ooops! It was a bit too much and made the ginger overpowering so I added about 1/3 cup of cream cheese and it came out DELICIOUS. Thanks for this great recipe. Next time I’ll be prepared for the orginal ingredients.

    1. Kristin says:

      You are so welcome Cookin’ Grandma! Love the feedback! Thanks for stopping by.

      1. Yay! says:

        I had all sorts of issues tonight trying to make this, but I persevered and it turned out great! I started up and realized I was out of cornstarch, I had no onions (what?), I couldn’t find an extra pot to do the sauce in anyway. Finally I said forget it and I used teriyaki sauce I had in the fridge. I did everything else as directed and we all loved it.

        You may think the entire point of the recipe is making the teriyaki sauce, but for me, I needed to make dinner and it was accomplished thanks to this recipe so yay! Also I have never chopped broccoli very small, but I followed the directions to do so, and we all ate more broccoli because it was small and manageable and cooked just right and in the perfect combo. So thank you Kristen! It was a near fail, but pulled out a win.

        1. Kristin says:

          You are so welcome Yay! Thanks for stopping by.
          Kristin

  18. Sarah says:

    Made this tonight, the family loved it!!

    1. Kristin says:

      Nice! Thanks for stopping by Sarah.

  19. Randi says:

    Added this one into our regular rotation. So good and filling! And good the next day as well!!

    1. Kristin says:

      Nice! It’s an honor to be added to your regular rotation. Thank you so much for stopping by Randi.

  20. trevella silas says:

    do you use raw or cooked broccoli

    1. Kristin Maxwell says:

      raw.