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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. Leonor says:

    I made this with three lbs of ground turkey and it was perfect.

  2. Cindy Christian says:

    Delicious recipe!! The whole family loved it. I put some shredded romaine in the bottom of each bowl, topped that with cooked quinoa, then the teriyaki turkey mixture. The boys ate it up just like that, and my daughter and I topped it with cilantro. Yum!

    1. Kristin says:

      Sounds like a great combination! Glad you enjoyed the recipe!

  3. Maria says:

    This was SO good! I only added brown sugar (omitted white). I didn’t have red wine vinegar so I used apple cider vinegar and I also didn’t have soy sauce, so I did 3 tbsp of worschestershire sauce with 1 Tbsp water. Also didn’t have broccoli so I used green beans. So considering it was one of those days where I didn’t have half the ingredients in the house and had to do substitutions, we were all impressed with how good this was. Next time I will try it having the right ingredients! We served ours over quinoa

  4. Laura says:

    Really good -my turkey-hating husband even loved it.

  5. Dee says:

    Can you make ahead and freeze? Anyone tried?

    1. Kristin says:

      I would freeze the meat and sauce separably.

  6. mc says:

    This is a great recipe! I’ve been making it regularly for over a year. One of my sons doesn’t really like turkey but he’ll eat it in this without even realizing it’s turkey! I make it as is and think the recipe is great. Sometimes I make a double batch too. Thank you!

  7. MH says:

    How much did this cost to make?

    1. Kristin says:

      I suppose that would depend on where you shop.

  8. Candice Morris says:

    AWESOME! Two -year-old and one-year-old liked it too. Went with 3 TBSPs of agave and it was great.

  9. Asphodel says:

    I didn`t subtract or add anything. it is absolutely delicious the way it is! Thank you for the recipe 🙂

  10. Brenda Ross says:

    I made this for dinner last night and it was delicious! It was really simple to make, and instead of the homemade sauce, I did have a bottle of teriyaki that I tweaked with(balsamic honey wine vinegar, brown sugar, granulated sugar, white wine vinegar).
    I will probably add more veggies last time, but will put in the regular rotation of meals!

  11. Maret says:

    We really liked this dish! I did add more veggies since I can get away with it! I used 2 small heads of broccoli, cut into florets and added more onion (total 1 cup) and 1 red bell pepper. I also added about 1 tsp chili garlic sauce for a little zing, and used the suggestion of reducing the granulated sugar by 1 Tbsp. I did not increase the sauce and it worked well. Will be making again, and am considering trying coconut aminos for a lower sodium content. Thanks for an easy and tasty recipe!

  12. Jenny says:

    I made this with diced boneless pork chops and it was fantastic! I recommend using the 2 tablespoons of brown sugar and 1 of granulated to start. Then taste the sauce after it starts to thicken, and decide if you want the other tablespoon (which I did). I didn’t have carrots at home, but I had fresh green beans. I threw them in the pan raw just after the pork started cooking. When the pork was finished, I let the pan rest on the lowest heat while my rice finished. This gave my green beans enough time to have a great crunch while still being cooked. I will absolutely make this dish again with other proteins and veggies!

  13. Yanira says:

    Very good!

  14. Christina says:

    I made this last night and it was a hit. I doubled the sauce since I doubled the meat. I ended up with too much sauce. Next time I will double the meat again, but only add 50% more sauce. My kids found the broccoli…but liked it! Yay! Thanks for a great recipe!

  15. Aliki B says:

    The best recipe and dinner ever!!!! I’ve made this countless times and we love it every time!!!!!! Sooooo delicious!!!!

  16. Keshawna James says:

    I meant ground turkey.

  17. Keshawna James says:

    I just made this and it was excellent. I did the sauce as directed but I added 2 pounds of ground turkey instead of one and used celery instead of broccoli. It is perfect and with two pounds of ground beef it’s close enough to my 21 Day Fix goals.

  18. Carmen says:

    I tried it and it was delicious. Next time I’ll put the meat mixture in egg rolls.

  19. E says:

    This was a pretty good recipe. Definitely suited for the ground turkey. Will make it again!!

  20. Diana says:

    This recipe was delicious! My husband and I loved it!