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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. Laura says:

    I was looking for a last minute meal with our ground turkey and found this. My husband and I love it!! Will be making again. Thanks!

    1. Kristin says:

      You are so welcome Laura! Thank you for the awesome feedback.

  2. Jeanette says:

    Our whole family needs to start eating healthier and this recipe absolutely fit the bill for day one. I followed it almost exactly and everyone ate it up! Even served on brown rice which is not anyone’s favorite. The only thing I changed was I used brown sugar swerve and some honey instead of the normal sugars. My 15 year old even told me this could be added to the rotation! Thank you!

    1. Kristin says:

      You are so welcome Jeanette! Thank you for sharing your feedback.

  3. Natty says:

    This was so amazing!!! I made this for my family and they loved it. 100/10 recommend

    1. Kristin says:

      Hi Natty, thank you so much for the awesome feedback and for stopping by.
      K.

  4. Esther says:

    What can I use to replace the red wine vinegar?

    1. Kristin Maxwell says:

      Apple cider vinegar would work, even white vinegar would be fine since its a small amount.

  5. Laureen says:

    I made this last week for my family, and it was delicious! I followed the recipe almost exactly – I did not add carrots or green onions, but lots of broccoli! Next time, the only change I will make is maybe reducing the sugar by a bit, but the teriyaki sauce did come out great.
    3 out of my 4 kiddos loved it (which is truly amazing)! Thank you so much. This will definitely be in our rotation!

    1. Kristin says:

      You are so welcome Laureen! Thanks for stopping by.
      K.

  6. Esther says:

    This is a yummy recipe!!! I’ll be cooking it again!! I doubled the recipe and made a huge pan full. Im having leftovers for lunch today. 😊

    1. Kristin says:

      Nice! Thanks for stopping by Esther.
      K.

  7. Lisa P says:

    This is my go to recipe for an easy, healthy, and forgiving weeknight meal. I say forgiving because you can use, or add, any veggie that you have on hand. I like adding red bell pepper and sliced water chestnuts to the mix and garnish with chopped cilantro. I cut back on the sugar like others have suggested. Tonight I’m going to try it with diced chicken breast instead of the turkey since it’s what I have available. All this said, it is perfect as written and I’ve made it many times this way.

    1. Kristin says:

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

  8. Bethany says:

    This recipe is sooo good! It’s on our weekly meal rotation! I add water chestnuts to mine when I make it for my family. Thank you for posting this!! 🙂

    1. Kristin says:

      You are so welcome Bethany! Thanks for stopping by.
      K.

  9. Robin says:

    My new favorite dinner! Even my husband who doesn’t like ground turkey really liked it. Changed it a little. Didn’t have low sodium soy sauce so doubled water. Halfed sugar, diced twice the amount of carrots and cooked them and onions before adding turkey seasoned with pepper, onion powder, garlic and cayenne pepper to frying pan. Absolutely delicious. Thank you!!!

    1. Kristin says:

      You are so welcome Robin! Love the feedback.
      K.

  10. Lori Jean Finnila says:

    This is one of the best recipes I’ve had in a long time.

    1. Kristin says:

      Thank you Lori!

  11. Mary-Gene says:

    This was so good, so simple and my entire family loved it! From the 20 month old to my husband.

    1. Kristin says:

      Love the feedback Mary-Gene! Thanks for stopping by.

  12. Michaela Byers says:

    My family & I love this recipe. I can pack it so full of veggies that my adult child never knows that he’s eating kale. I reversed the amount of soya sauce & water & cut the sugar in half, double garlic & ginger because I’ve doubled the veggies. It’s a good clean out the crisper recipe. They love it every time & take it for lunch the next day. Thank you

    1. Kristin says:

      Nice! You are so welcome Michaela! Fantastic feedback! Thanks for stopping by.
      K.

  13. Kerri says:

    Used a little less sugar but the carrots added some too. My whole family loved it over jasmine rice. I was so sick of my ground turkey recipes, glad to have a new one! thanks

    1. Kristin says:

      You are so welcome Kerri! Thanks for stopping by.
      K.

  14. Anthony says:

    I made this recipe and it’s so delicious. Thank you for sharing with us. Will be making again soon.

    1. Kristin says:

      You are so welcome Anthony! Thanks for stopping by.
      K.

  15. Camille Mckee says:

    Great recipe, easy and really delicious. I only put in 1 tablespoon of sugar and the sauce still tasted great. I served it with quinoa. Next time I’ll add some heat with chilli flakes or chilli powder and add salt and pepper to the turkey mixture as it cooks.

    1. Kristin says:

      Awesome feedback Camille! Thanks for stopping by.

  16. Makeda Nueckel says:

    This was delicious and a great new use of ground turkey for us. I had corn, bok choy, and red bell peppers on hand and they paired well with the rest of the ingredients in the recipe. Will try it with broccoli and carrots next time. Thank you!

    1. Kristin says:

      You are so welcome Makeda! Thank you for stopping by.

  17. Ashley Buchner says:

    Literally a new staple in our house! This has to be one of my favorite recipes ever and I love that most of the things I need are already in my cupboard! Thank you!

    1. Kristin says:

      You are so welcome Ashley! Thanks for stopping by.

  18. Sara says:

    I loved this recipe! I have been focused on eating healthy and have gotten so bored with ground turkey. This is a fresh take! I like that you can use any vegetables that sound good to you or that you have on hand. I added red bell pepper and zucchini to the recipe and they went nicely. I’d like to try water chestnuts as well.

    1. Kristin says:

      Love your feedback Sara! Thank you for stopping by.

  19. Kathy R says:

    Super easy and super yummy! I didn’t have fresh veggies on hand so I thawed some frozen mixed veggies (broccoli, carrots and parsnips), chopped them up and threw them in. Delicious!

    1. Kristin says:

      That does sound delicious! Thanks for stopping by Kathy.

  20. Kathy says:

    This recipe was very easy to make and I really liked it. I cut the white sugar in half and it was just the right amount of sweet. I didn’t
    have the vinegar on hand, so I didn’t use it and it was still delicious. I plan on making again with the red wine vinegar to see the difference. A great change of pace for my turkey meat.👍

    1. Kristin says:

      Love the feedback Kathy! Thanks for stopping by.
      K.