Name: Ground Turkey Teriyaki Stir Fry
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: ¼ c soy sauce; 3 T brown sugar; 1 c water, divided; 2 T honey; 3 garlic cloves, minced; 1 tsp fresh ginger (grated or minced); 2 T corn starch; 1 T orange zest; 1 lb Turkey; 2 tsp sesame oil; 3 c broccoli florets (fresh or frozen); 1 small onion (small diced); 1 cup shredded carrots; salt and pepper to taste (as desired)

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A simple weeknight dinner ready in under 30 minutes, this Ground Turkey Teriyaki Stir Fry is just the right amount of sweet and savory. A simple homemade teriyaki sauce is easier than you think–with a hint of orange zest and all the flavor the whole family will love!

Ground turkey teriyaki stir fry with rice in bowl topped with green onion and sesame seeds.

Why You Will Love This Ground Turkey Teriyaki Recipe:
Recipe Ingredients:
Step-By-Step Instructions:
Notes and Tips:
Serving Suggestions:
Storage:
Ground Turkey Teriyaki Stir Fry Recipe

A simple quick weeknight dinner that no one complains about is seriously a dream come true.

This Ground Turkey Teriyaki is the meal that you won’t mind making, and they will sit up straight with big smiles–and maybe even offer to do dishes! Ok, I went too far. That won’t happen, who are we kidding.

Make these pork teriyaki rice bowls too if you love this meal!

Why You Will Love This Ground Turkey Teriyaki Recipe:

Prep time is minimal. The only veggie I chop up is the onion when making this ground turkey teriyaki rice bowl recipe. Other than that, I typically add frozen broccoli and use minute rice or rice I already prepped in the week so this one is easy peasy.
An easy, veggie packed meal. Lots of vegetables and nutrition packed into this tasty meal. You can even add more or different veggies if desired by adding pea pods, bell peppers, etc.
The teriyaki sauce–homemade is the way to go. Do you know how easy teriyaki sauce is to make? Seriously, there is no need to ever go store bought again. I was always intimidated by it until I tried it. Now I am hooked! A touch of orange zest makes for the best flavor–total game changer.
Freezer friendly. If you are into meal prep and like to make dishes ahead of time, this is a great option. You can make a batch and then freeze some in single servings with rice. Then you have a homemade microwave meal for later.

Recipe Ingredients:

ground turkey: For a bit more flavor, I always opt for 85% lean ground turkey. I find anything higher to be too lean for my liking and you lose flavor when you go too low in fat. Ground pork or ground chicken is great in this recipe as well!
sesame oil: a popular cooking oil for stir fries. If you don’t have any on hand, you can certainly use olive oil or another cooking oil.
broccoli: frozen is my preference more often than not. Makes it one less thing to prep! Fresh broccoli florets will work fine as well.
carrots: shredded carrots–you can find these ready to go in the produce section with the other carrots to make a super quick fix!
onion: yellow or white onion works well. I also like to top the recipe with sliced green onion.
orange zest: it’s optional but I find it still to be a total necessity. If you don’t have any oranges, a splash of orange juice could also work.
ginger: I don’t always have fresh ginger on hand so often just use ground ginger. But fresh ginger is much more flavorful in this ground turkey teriyaki recipes. Either is great although the fresh really packs the flavor.
garlic: same for the garlic, freshly minced is ideal but garlic powder is fine.
honey: I believe maple could work instead if necessary
brown sugar: I prefer light brown sugar in this turkey teriyaki recipe.
soy sauce: for gluten free, opt for tamari. I like to use low sodium soy sauce. Coconut aminos is another great option.
corn starch: arrow root can be substituted for the corn starch. It will thicken the teriyaki sauce.

Step-By-Step Instructions:

You can make the homemade teriyaki sauce while you cook the stir fry if you would like. You can also make it in advance and have it ready in the fridge or set it aside until you are ready to add it in.

Combine the 3/4 cup water, soy sauce, honey, brown sugar, garlic, and ginger in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Stir to combine. Allow it to come to a slight boil. (steps 1-2)
In a separate bowl, whisk together the corn starch and 1/4 cup water to make a slurry. The corn starch should be completely dissolved. Once the mixture in the pot starts to bubble, slowly add the cornstarch mixture into the pot and stir continuously until thickened as desired. This will thicken pretty fast. Remove from the heat immediately, stir in the orange zest and set aside until ready to use. (step 3)

While the teriyaki sauce is heating, heat sesame oil in a wok or large skillet at medium-high heat. Add the onions and sauté for several minutes to soften. Add in the ground turkey and cook until cooked through.
Once the turkey is cooked, add in the broccoli and carrots and sauté several minutes or until cooked through (if frozen) or softened and starting to brown slightly (fresh).

Ground turkey and onion cooked in skillet.

Shredded carrots and broccoli added to skillet with ground turkey teriyaki.

Turn the heat to low and pour in the teriyaki sauce. Stir to combine and allow to simmer for several minutes. Sprinkle fresh orange zest over top. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Spoon over rice when you are ready to serve and sprinkle toasted sesame seeds and sliced green onions over top.

Stir fried ground turkey with carrots and broccoli in pan.

Notes and Tips:

You can vary the meat used in this recipe if desired. ground chicken, pork or beef would still be delicious. If using beef especially, make sure to drain excess grease from the skillet after browning.
Add some spice or heat if desired. Add in some cayenne or red pepper flakes to your ground turkey teriyaki. A touch of siracha is great as well!
You can add a variety of veggies to this recipe as desired. You don’t have to stick just with the broccoli. Snap peas, bell peppers, baby corn and more are great additions!
If you like your stir fry extra saucy, double the teriyaki sauce recipe. This will make just the right amount of sauce to coat the meat and vegetables but it is not super saucy. Just double the sauce and add 2/3 of it to start and save extra or add more as desired.
If you teriyaki is too thick, add in some water until desired thickness. You can also add some extra soy sauce or fresh orange juice to thin it out and add a touch more flavor.

Serving Suggestions:

Lots of great ways to enjoy this quick weeknight dinner, you can think beyond the rice bowl!

in lettuce wraps or lettuce cups
over brown rice or white rice
on cauliflower rice
over top of your favorite greens
serve atop a bed of rice noodles or egg noodles
top with: sesame seeds or green onions, avocado, fresh cilantro, and more!

Storage:

This dish makes great leftovers. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 3-4 days. To freeze, allow to cool completely and then transfer to an airtight, freezer safe container or freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.

Rice and ground turkey stir fry with teriyaki sauce on plate.

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Ground Turkey Teriyaki Stir Fry