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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. Heidi says:

    Delicious! I made it tonight with ground chicken. I also food processed the carrots and broccoli because my partner won’t eat them otherwise! Topped with Sriracha and green onions. Everyone loved it! I loved how easy and fresh it was!

    1. Kristin says:

      Nice! Thanks for stopping by to share your feedback Heidi.

      1. Sarah says:

        I always come back to this recipe! It’s one of my favorites. It freezes and reheats super well, so I try to make a big batch every time. I also usually double the veggies 🙂 Yum! I’m doing this in a butter lettuce wrap tonight which I’m excited about.

        1. Kristin says:

          Nice! Thanks for stopping by Sarah.

  2. Brittney Hughes says:

    Made tonight and me, husband, and baby (no sauce) LOVED!! I did 3 tbsp light brown sugar and added a little siracha to the sauce and it is excellent! Also topped with avocado! Definitely adding to the dinner ideas list!

    1. Kristin says:

      Love the feedback Brittney! Thanks for stopping by.

  3. Rachael G says:

    Delish! Used 3 tbs of brown sugar and 1 tbs of granulated sugar. We loved it!

    1. Kristin says:

      Nice! Thanks for stopping by Rachael.

  4. Susanne Murray says:

    I love this recipe. It’ easy, versatile and always delicious. I never get tired of eating this.

    1. Kristin says:

      Awesome feedback Susanne! Thanks for stopping by.

  5. Casey says:

    This was delicious and a hit with the whole family. Each of my kids (11,10,8) asked for seconds. We will be adding this to the rotation! Thank you!!

    1. Kristin says:

      Your so welcome Casey! Thanks for stopping by.

  6. Esperanza says:

    I made this for my bf and I tonight & let me just say this is a very good recipe. At first I hadn’t added enough brown sugar, but I added more and it came out delicious. I meal prepped it in containers for lunch, thank you so much for this recipe 🙂

    1. Kristin says:

      You are so welcome Esperanza! Thank you for stopping by to share.

  7. Melissa says:

    I just found your site tonight when looking for ground turkey recipes, and I’m so glad I did! I didn’t have carrots so I used diced red and yellow bell peppers, then served it over brown rice for my husband and riced cauliflower for me. The only other change I made was to use only 2 tbsp of coconut sugar for the sweetener. It was perfect and definitely will make again!

    1. Kristin says:

      Love your feedback Melissa! Thank you so much for stopping by.

  8. Ogie says:

    Delicious! I added mushrooms, snap peas, and edamame and omitted the carrots. I used 3 tablespoons of brown sugar and no white sugar. Served over brown rice; it was amazing.

    1. Kristin says:

      Nice! Thanks for stopping by Ogie.

  9. Tammie says:

    Haven’t made this yet but I make rice bowls as meal prep for work. With Thanksgiving around the corner, I’m going to try this using chopped up leftover turkey. I would think if you sautéed the vegetables then toss with the turkey to warm them add the sauce it should work similar. Thanks for a great idea!

    1. Kristin Maxwell says:

      I think that would be great!

  10. Perry says:

    This was so easy to make a super delicious. My partner is a bit picky about what he eats and just loved it. I had some basmati brown rice that I cooked in a pressure cooker with chicken broth. The combination was perfect. This will now be a “go-to” in my recipe repertoire. Thanks so much.

    1. Kristin says:

      You are so welcome Perry! Awesome feedback! Thanks for stopping by.

  11. Lucy Wood says:

    Oh my gosh, so good!!! The teriyaki sauce is addictive – I cut the sugar by half and it was delicious. I used thinly sliced brussel sprouts instead of broccoli and added wide lo mein noodles at the end. So good, thank you!

    1. Kristin says:

      You are so welcome Lucy! Thanks for stopping by to share.

  12. Jess says:

    Can you say comfort food?? This dish was absolutely fantastic. The substitutions I made was using coconut aminos instead of soy sauce and of course I didn’t have broccoli so I used cauliflower and holy smokes! I’ve never doubled a recipe I’ve never made before but something told me to do it on this one. So glad I did!

    1. Kristin says:

      Awesome feedback Jess! Thanks for taking the time to share.

  13. Sharon Kast says:

    This is a bomb recipe! So tasty 😋 A family favorite!

    1. Kristin says:

      Thank you for your feedback Sharon!

  14. Susan C. says:

    This is definitely my go to, I double the recipe and family has as leftovers for a few days, it doesn’t last long! Thank you. Excellent instructions too!

    1. Kristin says:

      You are so welcome Susan! Love the feedback, thanks for sharing.

  15. Kelli Novak says:

    This recipe was FANTASTIC! My 3 1/2 year old (that is super picky) LOVED it and so did my 17-month-old. I would love to feature this recipe on my parenting E-Newsletter! <3 Thanks! – Kelli @ohbabyihadnoidea

  16. Nora says:

    Great recipe. Super easy. Tasty. 5 Stars for the recipe but 2 stars for this webpage which is very cumbersome, really slowing down my computer. Thanks for the recipe.

    1. Kristin says:

      Thank you for sharing your feedback Nora.

  17. Bob Z says:

    Followed the recipe except used San-J Teriyaki sauce to taste and it turned out great!

    1. Kristin says:

      Love the feedback Bob! Thanks for stopping by.

  18. Michelle says:

    Loved it! It was a huge hit with all 4 of my boys! I did add heat with red pepper flakes & a few dashes of hot sauce! I substituted a bag of broccoli slaw (contains cabbage, carrots & broccoli) & a bag of snow peas! So yummy!!! Thank you!

  19. Pam says:

    Very salty.

  20. Susan Tobocman says:

    Too much sauce and too salty for my taste, however I like the ingredients – may need to adjust for next time!

    1. Kristin Maxwell says:

      Recipes are definitely subjective. You can use as much or as little soy sauce as you like, or even reduce the sauce a bit. I hope you give it another try with those alterations!