Teriyaki Turkey Rice Bowls

These Ground Teriyaki Turkey Rice Bowls are an great easy and healthy gluten free dinner recipe. It's made with homemade teriyaki sauce!

This Teriyaki Turkey Rice Bowl is a great quick and tasty meal that only takes 30 minutes or so to prepare. It can be enjoyed right away or portioned out for meal prep throughout the week.

If there is one thing we can never have too many of it's quick and easy dinner recipes.

It can be tempting to reach for convenience foods and ingredients when life gets busy but it's totally possible to eat healthy meals even during the busiest weeknights.

The ground turkey is made in a skillet with garlic and ginger and then tossed in a homemade teriyaki sauce. The whole thing is served over rice with your choice of sides or toppings.

This is one of those recipes that provides a lot of flavor with minimal effort. I love to serve it with sautéed veggies like broccoli or zucchini but you can customize it any way you like!

Jump to:

• How Do You Add Flavor To Ground Turkey?
• Ingredients For Teriyaki Turkey Rice Bowls
• How To Make A Ground Turkey Rice Bowl
• Is A Teriyaki Bowl Healthy?
• How To Make Homemade Teriyaki Sauce
• How To Thicken Teriyaki Sauce
• What Goes In A Teriyaki Bowl?
• What To Serve With Rice Bowls
• How Long Do Rice Bowls Last In The Fridge?
• Can You Freeze A Rice Bowl?
• Teriyaki Turkey Rice Bowls

How Do You Add Flavor To Ground Turkey?

Ground turkey is one of those great 'blank canvas' ingredients that tends to pick up the flavors of whatever is added to it. If left unseasoned ground turkey can be somewhat bland, but with the right aromatics and spices it's downright delicious.

It cooks quickly and can be made in a skillet on the stove top so there's no need for any special kitchen equipment.

I love ground turkey because it's a bit lighter than ground beef, economical, and super versatile. It can be turned into everything from meatballs to burgers to chili.

This recipe has an Asian flare and is flavored with ingredients like garlic, green onions, and ginger. A quick teriyaki sauce made with a few simple pantry staples takes it to the next level.

Ingredients For Teriyaki Turkey Rice Bowls

Here's what you'll need to make it.

• 1 lb. Lean Ground Turkey
• 4 cloves Garlic
• 6 Green Onions (aka Scallions)
• 1 inch Ginger Root
• 1 cup Rice (any variety - I used Basmati Rice)
• 2 cups Water
• 2 Tbsp. High-Heat Cooking Oil such as Coconut, Safflower, or Peanut Oil
• ¼ tsp. each Kosher Salt and Pepper
• ¼ cup Low-Sodium Tamari (can use low-sodium soy sauce if not gluten free)
• ¼ cup Gluten Free Hoisin Sauce (can use regular Hoisin sauce if not gluten free)
• 2 Tbsp. Brown Sugar
• 1 tsp. Rice Vinegar
• ¾ cup Water
• 1 Tbsp. Corn Starch
• Sesame Seeds for garnish (optional)

How To Make A Ground Turkey Rice Bowl

This meal requires little preparation and all of the components may be cooked at the same time.

The rice can be made on the stove top the same time as the turkey and teriyaki sauce, in addition to any veggies you'd like to add to the dish.

1. Prepare 1 cup of rice (any variety) according to package instructions. Once the rice is cooked, remove from heat and set aside until ready to use. (The ratio of water to rice is usually 2:1 so most varieties will likely call for 2 cups of water but it's best to check the directions to be sure).
2. Mince 4 cloves of garlic and the bottom portions of 6 green onions (aka scallions). Reserve the darker green top portion of the spring onions for garnish.
3. Peel a 1-inch portion of fresh ginger root.
4. Place a skillet on the stove top and heat to medium-high. Add 2 Tbsp. high-heat cooking oil to the skillet.
5. Once heated, add the minced garlic and green onions. Grate a 1-inch portion of the ginger root into the skillet using a Microplane or small grater (you can mince the ginger root if you like but grating it provides the dish with great flavor without any large, overpowering chunks of ginger).
6. Sauté for 2-3 minutes, stirring often.

Is A Teriyaki Bowl Healthy?

As far as quick and easy meals go these Teriyaki Turkey Rice Bowls are pretty healthy. It's gluten free and ground turkey contains less fat than ground pork or beef.

Preparing your own teriyaki sauce means there is less sodium and fewer preservatives.

You can also lighten it up by using cauliflower rice, zucchini noodles, or adding more vegetables to the dish.

1. Once the garlic, onions, and ginger have sautéed for a few minutes it's time to add the meat to the skillet. Add 1 lb. of lean ground turkey along with ¼ tsp. each of kosher salt and pepper to the pan.
2. Sauté the ground turkey for 8-10 minutes, breaking it apart with a wooden spatula as it cooks. The turkey should be fully cooked before adding the teriyaki sauce.
3. If using a ground meat that contains extra fat feel free to drain the excess fat and dispose of it properly.

A Few Things

• You can sub ground chicken, beef, or pork for ground turkey if you prefer.
• Any variety of rice or grains may be used in place of white rice. Brown rice, quinoa, or wild rice are all great options.
• Cauliflower or any veggie rice may be used in place of regular rice if you'd like to keep this dish low-carb.
• Feel free to serve it with any sautéed veggies of choice.

How To Make Homemade Teriyaki Sauce

It may seem daunting, but preparing teriyaki sauce from scratch is a breeze and can be made on the stove top along with all the other components of the dish.

1. Add ¼ cup low-sodium Tamari (can use low-sodium soy sauce if not gluten free), ¼ cup gluten free Hoisin sauce (can use regular hoisin sauce if not gluten free), 2 Tbsp. brown sugar, and 1 tsp. rice vinegar to a small sauce pan. Stir until combined and bring to a low boil.
2. Add 1 Tbsp. corn starch to ¾ cup of water. Stir until completely combined using a fork or small whisk, creating a slurry.
3. Slowly pour the corn starch mixture into the sauce pan and stir until completely combined.
4. Bring the mixture to a low boil and cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring often. The mixture will thicken as it cooks.
5. Remove from heat when thickened.

If you like teriyaki sauce be sure to check out these Crockpot Teriyaki Turkey Meatballs!

How To Thicken Teriyaki Sauce

Teriyaki sauce should be a little thick and sticky. The key to thickening a sauce like this one is starch or thickener such as corn starch.

If corn is an issue for you feel free to substitute arrowroot powder, tapioca starch, or potato starch.

• Bottled teriyaki sauce may be used in place of the homemade stuff if you're running short on time.
• If using bottled sauce simply combine ½ cup of gluten free teriyaki sauce (can use regular teriyaki sauce if not gluten free) along with ¼ cup water in a small bowl and stir to combine.
• Use this in place of the homemade sauce as directed.

Looking for more turkey recipes? Don't miss these!

• Korean Turkey Rice Bowls
• Spaghetti and Turkey Meatballs
• Enchilada Stuffed Peppers
• Slow Cooker Turkey Chili
• Turkey Stuffed Poblano Peppers

What Goes In A Teriyaki Bowl?

After the teriyaki sauce is thickened and the ground turkey fully cooked it's time to add the sauce to the meat.

1. Pour the sauce into the skillet and stir until completely combined.
2. Cook on medium-low for a few minutes or until the sauce has reduced slightly and is warmed through.
3. Remove from heat and get ready to serve.

There is no right or wrong way to serve one of these bowls. The great thing about rice bowls is that they can be customized any way you like.

1. To serve, place a few scoops of cooked rice into a bowl. Add desired amount of the cooked ground teriyaki turkey along with any veggies you have prepared.
2. Garnish the turkey with sesame seeds (optional) and the minced top portion of the green onions.
3. Feel free to add fresh herbs like cilantro, Thai basil, or mint along with a squeeze of lime (optional).

What To Serve With Rice Bowls

I love to serve these Teriyaki Turkey Rice Bowls with veggies like Sautéed Broccoli or Sautéed Zucchini.

Other vegetable sides include sautéed carrots, mushrooms, bok choy, kale, bell peppers, snap peas, or cabbage.

You can also prepare roasted vegetables such as garlic roasted green beans, maple sesame Brussels sprouts, or sweet spicy Brussels sprouts.

Kimchi or any type of pickled veggies are a great addition and help to balance out the richness of the teriyaki sauce.

To make it even more decadent this rice bowl can be served with a fried egg over the top.

Love rice bowls? Check out these recipes!

• Asian Chicken Rice Bowls
• Mexican Shrimp Rice Bowls
• Thai Chicken Rice Bowls
• Smoked Salmon Rice Bowls
• Vegetarian Fajita Bowls
• Mediterranean Chickpea Quinoa Bowl

Love Asian inspired recipes? Don't miss these!

• Miso Ginger Coleslaw
• Spicy Garlic Shrimp Salad
• Thai Basil Pesto Noodles

How Long Do Rice Bowls Last In The Fridge?

Any leftover teriyaki rice bowl may be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days.

Allow to cool completely before transferring to the fridge for storage and be sure to store in an airtight container.

Can You Freeze A Rice Bowl?

This meal can be frozen but it's best to freeze the rice and cooked turkey separately as the processes for freezing both are different.

How To Freeze

1. Allow the cooked turkey in sauce to cool completely before transferring to the freezer for storage.
2. Transfer the cooled turkey to a heavy-duty freezer back, press any excess air out of the bag, label with the date, and store up to 3 months in the freezer.

How To Reheat

1. Place the bag of frozen turkey in the fridge and allow to thaw for 24 hours before reheating.
2. Once thawed, place the turkey in a skillet along with a bit of water and cook until heated through.

If you would like to freeze the rice check out this tutorial to learn How To Properly Freeze Cooked Rice.

Love Rice Bowls? Check out these recipes!

Korean Chicken Coconut Rice Bowls

Avocado Salmon Bowls with Spicy Mayo

Easy Korean Beef Bibimbap