Spicy Ground Beef Teriyaki
Sweet, tangy, and slightly fiery, this ground beef teriyaki is beyond delicious. Gluten-free, made with a handful of ingredients, and ready in about 20 minutes.
This recipe is so easy and so delicious!
And it’s super easy to to swap in ingredients as desired. You can use teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, or tamari sauce – they all work to add that great salty/savory quality only fermented soybeans can add.
I used sambal oelek for the heat because it adds a blast of red chile flavor
Sambal oelek is an Indonesian condiment made with red chilies, vinegar, and salt. The thick paste adds heat and richness at the same time. If you don’t have sambal oelek, you can use sriracha hot sauce, Chinese red chili paste, or crushed red pepper flakes. And you can adjust the heat level by adding a little or a lot.
I added honey for sweetness, which partners perfectly with the heat in the sauce. If you don’t have honey, you can use brown sugar or molasses.
I made this dish with ground beef, but poultry works too. If you rather swap in ground chicken or ground turkey, go for it! Ground pork works too!
How should you serve you spicy ground beef teriyaki? I served the beef and sauce over fluffy white rice, but you can also serve the mixture over Asian noodles or in lettuce leaves.
Spicy Ground Beef Teriyaki
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, or tamari sauce
- 2 tablespoons honey or brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon sambal oelek, or sriracha sauce, or 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or more/less to taste
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar, unseasoned or seasoned
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Cooked rice or Asian noodles for serving
Equipment
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the teriyaki sauce, honey, sambal oelek, sesame oil, rice vinegar, and onion powder. Mix well and set aside.
- Brown the beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat, breaking up the meat as it cooks. Add the teriyaki sauce mixture and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium, partially cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Dissolve the cornstarch in 1/4 cup of water and add the mixture to the pan. Simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, until the sauce thickens. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Serve over rice or Asian noodles (or in lettuce leaves).