Teriyaki Beef

This tender ground beef is simmered in the most silky, sweet, salty, tangy, Asian-inspired sauce, and it comes together with pantry staples in about 20 minutes. No kidding! You're gonna want to bookmark this one...

As I was creating this recipe, I thought to myself, "Why should steak have all the fun?" Think about it, when it comes to teriyaki dishes, chicken and steak are the lucky proteins that get to swim in that saucy pool. But ground beef, ground chicken and ground turkey are incredible alternatives, and the dish becomes a complete bowl of comfort when you spoon the meat and sauce over rice or Asian noodles.

You're going to love the balance of flavors in the sauce. It's a little east/west marriage because I partnered salty soy sauce and nutty sesame oil with sweet mirin (Japanese rice wine) and ketchup. Yes ketchup! The tomato-based condiment adds the perfect amount of sweetness (without adding plain sugar or honey) and the hint of tomato adds tremendous depth to this unique sauce.

I made the recipe below to serve four and my boys ate the entire thing! That's a good sign...

Teriyaki Beef

1 pound lean ground beef
Salt and ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups beef broth, divided
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons mirin (Japanese rice wine)
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 cups cooked rice (1 cup uncooked), or substitute Asian noodles of choice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped green onions

Brown the beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat, breaking up the meat as it cooks. Season the beef with salt and pepper. In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 1/4 cups of the beef broth, soy sauce, mirin, ketchup, sesame oil, onion powder, and garlic. Add the mixture to the beef and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Dissolve the cornstarch in the remaining 1/4 cup of broth and add the mixture to the skillet. Simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, until the mixture thickens.
Spoon the beef and sauce over the rice and top with cilantro and green onions.
Serves 4