Sweet and Saucy Teriyaki Steak Bites
Saucy, garlicky, sweet and tender, teriyaki steak bites get piled onto a fluffy bed of rice with a pile of crisp tender broccoli for an easy weeknight dinner that is beyond satisfying. YUMMO.
Erica’s Notes
I usually like to have dinner at least somewhat prepped- a few veggies chopped, meat thawed, rice in a pot, before my husband gets home from work at 5:30pm. Because…if I wait until he gets home, then we usually aren’t eating until 6:30pm+ and when toddler bedtime is at 7…well, it gets dicey.
BUT, that being said, there are days when I straight up don’t get any of the prep steps done before Ka-La gets home. The first day I tested out this recipe was one of those days. And usually this is a very overwhelming situation for me, because the girls are hungry and running amuck and it’s just…chaos.
And when I tell you, I was so marvelously surprised at how quickly this meal came together. I got the rice started, broccoli in the steamer basket, whisked together the flavorful teriyaki sauce and cubed up my steak. The beef steak bites cook up in a flash and then the sauce thickens and gets all flavorful and glorious in no time. BAM. Dinner in 20 minutes.
This is a dinner my whole family loved, especially my picky eater, because all of the components can be served separately and God forbid anything touches each other. 🙃 It’s a perfect main dish for a busy weeknight, makes great lunch leftovers and is wildly versatile. Use whatever kind of steak you like, your favorite grain and any veggie- let’s make it!
What You’ll Need to Make Teriyaki Steak Bites
Cornstarch: cornstarch acts as the thickener and creates a silky, thickened, cohesive sauce. You could also use arrowroot starch.
Orange juice or water: I’ve tried this recipe with orange juice, mango juice and water. You can also use pineapple juice. Using juice provides a little extra tang and sweetness that I really love (you can’t taste the fruit btw) but if you don’t have juice, water will work just fine.
Low-sodium soy sauce: soy sauce provides flavor and saltiness. Find it in the international foods aisle at the grocery store.
Honey: honey provides the sweetness that makes this teriyaki sauce balanced.
Sriracha: this is optional, but adds just a little spice! You can use as much or as little as you like. I think we’re in the clear as far as the sriracha shortage goes and you can find sriracha at any grocery store in the Asian foods aisle.
Rice vinegar: seasoned rice vinegar adds great tang and acidity to the sauce. Rice vinegar is usually in two spots in the store: the international foods aisle and the baking aisle along with the other oils and vinegar.
Garlic: fresh garlic cloves add incredible flavor to the sauce. In a pinch, you could use garlic paste, jarred garlic or garlic powder.
Ginger: use a knob of fresh ginger and grate it using a microplane. If you don’t have fresh ginger, sub about 1/2 tablespoon ginger paste or 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger.
Steak: okay, there are multiple types of steak that will work here. If you want to be super bougie, this recipe is ABSOLUTELY AMAZING with beef tenderloin, but of course, that is expensive. I love top sirloin as it is a compromise between great quality steak and a good price.
Oil: you’ll need a little cooking oil to sear the meat. I use avocado oil but you could use olive oil or vegetable oil.
Grain of choice: you can serve this over quinoa, white rice, brown rice, farro or cauliflower rice.
Veggies: steamed broccoli, bell peppers, snap peas, snow peas, green beans or zucchini are all delicious choices!
How to Make Garlic Teriyaki Steak Bites
Make the homemade teriyaki sauce
In a liquid measuring cup or small bowl whisk together the cornstarch and juice or water until no lumps remain. Add the soy sauce, honey, sriracha, rice vinegar, garlic and ginger and whisk or shake until fully combined.
Prep the steak
Let meat come to room temperature by setting it out for about 30 minutes before cooking. Pat the beef dry and use a sharp knife to cut the meat into bite-sized cubes. Season the meat with big pinches of salt and pepper.
Cook the teriyaki steak bites
In a large skillet, heat the avocado oil over medium high heat. Add pieces of steak to the hot skillet in an even layer and cook for 1-2 minutes per side, for a total of 6-8 minutes, until fully cooked through and there is a bit of golden brown caramelization on each piece. The meat will likely release a bit of fat/moisture- I like to take a paper towel and blot up any excess moisture so the steak gets a nice sear, instead of steaming in the excess liquid.
When the meat is cooked, reduce the heat to low and add the sauce. Bring to a simmer and cook for 2-3 minutes until sauce is thickened and coats the steak pieces.
Serve teriyaki steak bites with sides of choice!
Serve steak bites with any grain and veggie of choice and top with thinly sliced green onions and sesame seeds.
Expert Tips and Variation Ideas
- Do your best to cut steak into uniform pieces so it cooks evenly.
- Don’t crowd the pan! You might need to work in two batches if your pan is small. If the meat is too crowded it will steam instead of sear from the excess moisture.
- Ensure the oil is hot before adding meat to the skillet.
- Make sure to pat steak with a paper towel so it is very dry when you add it to the hot oil. This makes for a better sear and more golden-brown color!
- Instead of making the full meal, serve these teriyaki steak bites as a perfect appetizer for any party spread.
- Omit the cornstarch, reduce the water/orange juice by half and use the remaining sauce ingredients to make a killer teriyaki marinade for grilling.
FAQs
Use coconut aminos or tamari instead of of soy sauce.
I like top sirloin, ribeye steak or beef tenderloin but New York strip steak or flat iron steak work great.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Reheat by adding an ice cube and microwaving for 60-90 seconds. The ice will add moisture to the rice and meat so it doesn’t dry out in the microwave.
I like rice and broccoli but fried rice, a quick noodle stir-fry or nearly any veggie would go great!
If you’re a meat lover, check out my other beef recipes!
Chipotle ground beef and sweet potato skillet
I meeean… just look how saucy and yummy!?
If you try and like this recipe please don’t forget to leave a comment and star rating down below! If you love more lifestyle, behind the scenes and ‘eating in real life’ type of content come find me over on Instagram, @itsaflavorfullife, I love connecting with you all there!
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Sweet and Saucy Teriyaki Steak Bites
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 6-8 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Description
A little sweet, a little spicy and the perfect amount of umami, these teriyaki steak bites are a wicked easy and delicious dinner!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 3/4 cup orange, pineapple or mango juice (if you don’t have juice, can sub water)
- 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup honey or brown sugar
- 1–2 teaspoons sriracha
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 3 cloves garlic, grated
- 1-inch knob ginger, grated
- 2lb top sirloin steak, ribeye steak or beef tenderloin, cubed into bite-sized pieces
- Salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
For serving: jasmine rice, steamed broccoli, green onions, sesame seeds
Instructions
- In a liquid measuring cup or salad shaker whisk together the cornstarch and juice or water until no lumps remain. Add the soy sauce, honey, sriracha, rice vinegar, garlic and ginger and whisk or shake until fully combined.
- Pat the beef dry and use a sharp chef’s knife to cut the meat into bite-sized cubes. Season the meat with big pinches of salt and pepper.
- In a large cast iron skillet, heat the avocado oil over medium-high heat. Add the steak cubes in an even layer and cook for 1-2 minutes per side, for a total of 6-8 minutes, until fully cooked through and there is a bit of golden brown caramelization on each piece. The meat will likely release a bit of fat/moisture- I like to take a paper towel and blot up any excess moisture so the steak gets a nice sear, instead of steaming in the excess liquid.
- Reduce the heat to low and add the sauce. Bring to a simmer and cook for 2-3 minutes until sauce is thickened and coats the steak pieces.
- Serve teriyaki steak bites with any grain and veggie of choice (I like rice and broccoli, see directions in the notes!) Drizzle on some extra teriyaki sauce and top with thinly sliced green onions and sesame seeds.
Notes
Broccoli: Fill a pot with about 2 inches of water and bring to a low boil. Place broccoli florets in a steamer basket and set basket over boiling water. Cover with a lid and cook for 7-10 minutes until the broccoli is perfectly crisp tender. Season with a pinch of salt.
Rice: Rinse 1 ¼ cups jasmine rice in a fine mesh strainer until the water runs clear. Add the rice to a medium saucepan along with 2 ¼ cups water and a big pinch of salt. Bring to a boil uncovered, then reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 10 minutes. After ten minutes, turn the heat off, DO NOT remove the lid and let sit another 10 minutes. Remove lid, fluff with a fork and enjoy!
Air fryer steak bites: Preheat the air fryer to 400°F and pat the beef dry, drizzle with 1-2 teaspoons avocado oil and season with salt and pepper. Arrange steak cubes in a single layer in the air fryer basket, (you may need to work in two batches) cooking for 6-8 minutes, shaking halfway through. While the steak cooks, prepare the sauce on the stovetop by combining all ingredients in a small saucepan and simmering a few minutes until thickened. Once the steak is cooked, toss with the sauce and serve.
See above blog post for tips, ingredient information and answers to frequently asked questions.
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Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 recipe (nutrition info calculated without rice or broccoli)
- Calories: 383
- Sugar: 18.7 g
- Sodium: 710.8 mg
- Fat: 8.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 23.1 g
- Fiber: 0.2 g
- Protein: 52.4 g
- Cholesterol: 134 mg
Such a flavorful meal that came together quickly! Will definitely be making again.
yaaaay thank you Sarah! Glad you enjoyed it 🙂
My son (and my husband I) loved this! Subbed cauliflower for the broccoli because we had it, and made coconut rice with it – quick and easy.
Yay!! I looove the idea of coconut rice! Thanks for making this recipe and for your review Natalie, I appreciate it so much!
This recipe is so easy and great for weeknights! Made it for my family a few weeks ago and my husband LOVED it. The flavors are fantastic. Definitely will be a frequent meal in our household!
Woot woot! Glad it was enjoyed Mallory! Thank you for your review 🙂
I made this for dinner tonight using ground beef and frozen broccoli since that’s what we had. It was such a flavorful and easy dinner, and now we have leftovers for lunch tomorrow! Thank you, Erica! <3
Wooohooo! Happy to hear Samantha, thank you for making it and for your awesome review!
Incredible! Came together quick and easy. Have used the sauce for other proteins as well because my family loved it so much! In the weekly rotation.
Wooohoooo! glad to hear it Julia, thank you so much for trying it and for your review!
OMG! So good! This is a super easy meal that is very satisfying. No leftovers so will double it next time.
Good call on doubling next time haha! Thanks Kim!
Lovely easy to follow recipe. I used wild venison instead of beef as that is what I had. was a little sweet for my taste, so will use a little less brown sugar next time. lovely with the rice and steamed broccoli
Thanks for making it Donna! Great to know it worked with venison 🙂
My newly picky almost 10 year old is very excited about this in her lunch tomorrow. 😀
Yaaaay happy to hear that Deirdre! Thanks for making the recipe and I’m so glad it’s a hit with your daughter!
I don’t have a steamer pot, can I use a metal strainer instead?
Yep!