Hawaiian Beef Teriyaki Recipe

5 from 23 votes
45 Comments

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Hawaiian Beef Teriyaki is tender, juicy, and so flavorful! Thinly sliced beef drizzled with a simple homemade teriyaki sauce, this dish is a family favorite!

Plate of Hawaiian Beef Teriyaki with pineapple and sauce. Garnished with green onions.

This Hawaiian Beef Teriyaki is one of my favorite teriyaki recipes, and one that reminds me of my time living in Hawaii. Tender beef strips soak up the homemade teriyaki sauce and creates a sweet, almost candy-like flavor. Served with a simple side of rice or a traditional Hawaiian plate lunch, this beef is my family’s favorite!

Ingredients in Hawaiian Beef Teriyaki 

This recipe really only need a few ingredients, ones you probably have on hand right now! It’s a terrific weekend meal when you want to throw something delicious together without a lot of fuss. Here’s all you need:

  • A pound of skirt steak or carne asada – make sure it’s thinly sliced.
  • Can of pineapple chunks with juice – you’ll use the juice in the sauce and serve the pineapple chunks alongside the meat.
  • Soy sauce – you can also add a tbsp of rice vinegar into the marinade.
  • Brown sugar – dark brown sugar gives the marinade a deep color and delicious flavor.
  • Garlic cloves – mince with a knife or grate into the marinade.
  • Minced ginger – buy fresh ginger and store it in the freezer for maximum freshness.
  • Sesame seeds – optional for garnish
  • Red pepper flakes – a tiny pinch adds a ton of heat to the stir-fry recipe, so you can add just a bit if you want it spicy.
  • You can add all sorts of veggies to this dish too: green onions, sliced carrot, zucchini, green bell peppers, mushrooms, sliced red bell pepper, snow peas, asparagus, onion, or broccoli florets .
Ingredients for Hawaiian Beef Teriyaki including beef, soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, pineapple and green onion.


Tips for Tender Beef Teriyaki

  • In a small bowl, marinate thinly sliced flank steak or Carne Asada in the homemade teriyaki sauce for at least six hours in the fridge to really get the meat nice and tender. If you can marinate it overnight that’s even better, but no longer than 24 hours.
  • Make sure the meat is stored in an airtight container or a Ziplock bag while marinating.
  • Because the beef is so thin, you can even cook this on the stove top instead of a grill. It’ll cook up in just a couple of minutes!
  • You can even use sirloin steak and make this recipe into kabobs. Skewer chunks of meat and marinate as directed. Then throw on the grill with some fresh pineapple. So yummy!
Slicing the thin Hawaiian Beef Teriyaki steaks on a cutting board with a knife.

Simple Homemade Sauce

  • Ditch the bottled teriyaki sauce for this teriyaki beef stir fry and make your own! All you need are a few simple pantry ingredients like soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger and cornstarch. Mix with pineapple juice and you have a flavorful marinade and sauce that you’ll want to drizzle over just about anything!
  • Use the simple teriyaki sauce as a marinade for chicken, shrimp, burgers, stir fry or vegetables.
  • To thicken extra marinade for a sauce whisk a cornstarch mixture into the sauce. Bring to a boil, then drizzle over meat, veggies or rice.
Sliced Hawaiian Beef Teriyaki in a bowl with extra marinade.

How to Store Leftovers

  • Leftovers make a delightful lunch the next day! You can store beef tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to three days.
  • Freeze leftover meat too! Keep it in a freezer-safe container for up to two months. Thaw in the refrigerator then microwave or toss on the grill once more, just to warm it up.
  • Use leftovers to create a delicious stir-fry! Just chop up any kind of veggies you like, then sauté meat with the vegetables in a frying pan, then serve alone or over rice. Delicious!
Plate of Hawaiian Beef Teriyaki with grilled pineapple. Side of white rice on the side.

Frequently Asked Questions

I don’t have a grill. What can I use to cook the meat instead?

Something smaller, like a Foreman grill or a grill pan on top of your stove works great. Or you can use a large frying pan, wok, or skillet. You just won’t have the smoky grilled taste. 

Should I use fresh or canned pineapple?

We generally use a can of pineapple along with the juice. But fresh pineapple would absolutely work and taste delicious.

How many does this recipe serve?

This exact recipe serves 4-6 people. I often double the sauce recipe for extra dipping and drizzling.

What is the best cut of beef for teriyaki?

We like to use flank steak, skirt steak, or carne asada.

READ NEXT: The Best Hawaiian Dessert Recipes

How to Make Hawaiian Beef Teriyaki

Plate of Hawaiian Beef Teriyaki with grilled pineapple. Side of white rice on the side.

Hawaiian Beef Teriyaki

5 from 23 votes
Hawaiian Beef Teriyaki is tender, juicy, and so flavorful! Thinly sliced beef drizzled with a simple homemade teriyaki sauce, this dish is a family favorite!
Prep Time 6 hours
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 6 hours 20 minutes
Course Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine Hawaiian
Servings 4

Video

Ingredients

  • 15 ounces pineapple chunks with juice
  • 1 cup soy sauce
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon minced ginger
  • 1 pound skirt steak sliced very thin (carne asada works GREAT)

Instructions

  • Mix together all ingredients, excluding beef. Set aside about ½ cup of the sauce, cover and refrigerate.
    Bowl of marinade for Hawaiian Beef Teriyaki. Wooden spoon on the side.
  • Place beef in a Ziploc bag and pour marinade over. Press out all the air, seal, and marinate for at least 6 hours (overnight works great).
    Ziplock bag sealed with meat and Hawaiian Beef Teriyaki marinade.
  • Over prepared grill on medium-high heat, grill steak a minute or two on each side until cooked to your desired doneness. With the steak being so thin, you don't have to grill it for too long.
    Two Hawaiian Beef Teriyaki steaks grilling on the BBQ.
  • Place beef in a large bowl, pour the reserved ½ cup of sauce over the cooked beef and stir until well covered.
    Sliced Hawaiian Beef Teriyaki in a bowl with extra marinade.
  • Serve with rice and/or grilled fresh pineapple.
    Plate of Hawaiian Beef Teriyaki with grilled pineapple. Side of white rice on the side.

Notes

  • You can also use sirloin steak, cut into chunks. Thread marinated beef onto skewers and grill.
  • Use this same marinade for amazing teriyaki burgers.
  • Nutrition information does not include rice.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 431kcalCarbohydrates: 61gProtein: 31gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 71mgSodium: 3328mgPotassium: 649mgFiber: 2gSugar: 56gVitamin A: 62IUVitamin C: 10mgCalcium: 72mgIron: 4mg

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About the author

Erica Walker

Erica lives in Boise, Idaho with her husband, Jared, an attorney, and her three beautiful girls. Beyond the world of recipes, she loves adventuring with everything from kayaking, to cruising, to snowboarding and taking the family along for the thrill ride.

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Comments

  1. Sounds like it is amazing — hoping to try this soon for adult children — BIG thing for me is the recipe for the teriyaki sauce — allergies mean I need to make much of what I use — keeping the chemicals/preservatives out of my diet.

  2. In this dish, “ Hawaiian beef teriyaki “ I don’t think you used skirt steak as you stated in the listings. Is seems like from what I see, it’s rather a sirloin steak.
    So which one is it?😂

    1. We use canned most of the time, out of convenience, but fresh pineapple can also be used. Thanks for asking!

  3. 5 stars
    Great Teriyaki recipe. I doubled it and modified slightly:
    20oz crushed pineapple
    2 cups low sodium soy sauce
    1-1/2 cup brown sugar
    5 garlic cloves, microplaned
    1 tablespoon fresh ginger, microplaned
    Combine ingredients in bowl and whisk until combined. Put beef into large plastic baggie and pour just enough of the teriyaki over beef to marinade. Pour remaining teriyaki into a large pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to medium and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until desired consistency is achieved. Remove from heat and strain in to a storage bottle and refrigerate.

  4. 5 stars
    My family loved this recipe and they keep begging me to make it again, thank you so much for sharing!

  5. 5 stars
    Wish I was back in Hawaii!! This is so mouthwatering! The flavors are incredible & the meat is so tender!

  6. 5 stars
    I will be keeping this sauce in stock in my fridge!! It is the best teriyaki sauce! Excited to try this with chicken next!

  7. 5 stars
    We loved the pineapple in this meal. A perfect dinner with rice and a salad. I doubled the sauce recipe so that we had extra to pour over the rice too. Such a good meal.

  8. 5 stars
    This was so tender and full of sweet and savory flavor. We love to put this over rice or just eat it plain.

    1. You ar very welcome! Let us know how this recipe compares to the recipes you have tried in Hawaii!

  9. Another wonderful teriyaki recipe! I’m excited to try it. Tonight I’m making your Hawaiian teriyaki chicken recipe. Excited!!i love Hawaiian foods thank you!

    1. We have lots of yummy Hawaiian recipes and will keep adding more! Let us know how you like the chicken 😀

    1. Do you have something smaller like a Foreman grill? If you don’t have a grill you can use a large frying pan, wok, or skillet– you just won’t have the smoky grilled taste. Hope this helps!

  10. Do you warm up the reserved sauce before pouring over the cooked meat? This recipe sounds fantastic and I will be trying tomorrow!

    1. Yes, we love simmering the leftover marinade on the stovetop until it reduces a little bit and then pouring it over the cooked beef.

    2. 5 stars
      A marinade that meat has been sitting in for 6 hours to overnight? Take it from a doctor who cooks, you want to bring the marinade to a light boil, for safety reasons

      1. She says to reserve half a cup of the sauce for later. That’s what she’s talking about. Not the marinade that had raw meat in it.

  11. Can you substitute the pineapple for something else due to being allergic to them, if so what would you suggest best??

    1. You can leave it out or if you want a citrus flavor you can add a little squeezed orange and a touch of orange zest!

      1. Sorry to ruin your suggestion about the orange juice or zest but this person may also be allergic to citric acid such as oranges, lemons, grapefruit, etc. but not necessarily. My oldest Daughter is allergic to the aformentioned fruits but not pineapple. The person with the pineapple allergy needs to be tested for fruit allergies. Good luck.

    2. You don’t need the pineapple in Hawaii we don’t use it. if the shoyu is too strong add some water . THIs is a pretty authentic recipe

    1. This is the authentic Teriyaki marinade recipe from the International Marketplace (and several other establishments) in Oahu, Hawaii in 1966:

      Teriyaki marinade sauce
      1 bottle soy sauce 5 oz. (Kikkoman)
      1 teaspoon garlic powder
      1 teaspoon ginger powder
      1/3 cup white granulated sugar
      1/2 cup boiling water to dissolve above ingredients

  12. I like to use the REAL stuff, the flavor is better. I am sure you can use the ginger spice though. Just remember to use a little less because it has been dried.

  13. Question??? Is the minced ginger a spice or you actually bought ginger? Can it be done with a ginger spice?

    Thanks