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This Teriyaki Beef Recipe is tender, juicy, and packed with sweet-savory Hawaiian flavors! Easy to make with a homemade teriyaki sauce, perfect for grilling or stovetop.
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If you’re craving a taste of Hawaii, this Teriyaki Beef recipe is a must-try! Tender beef strips soak up the homemade teriyaki sauce and create a sweet, almost candy-like flavor. This beef is SO addictive and is a family favorite in my home! It’s easy to make, requires just a handful of ingredients, and is perfect for busy weeknights or weekend BBQs.
I first fell in love with Teriyaki Beef when I lived in Hawaii, and I’ve been making it ever since. The combination of thinly sliced beef, homemade teriyaki sauce, and the subtle sweetness of pineapple is simply unbeatable. Whether you’re serving it with rice, making a plate lunch, or even throwing it on skewers, this recipe is a keeper!
Ingredients You’ll Need
What I love about this recipe is how simple the ingredients are. You probably have most of them in your kitchen already!:
- Skirt Steak or Carne Asada: About a pound, thinly sliced. Pound it extra thin using a kitchen mallet.
- Pineapple Juice: I almost always use the juice from a can of pineapple chunks so I can use the juice for the marinade and then skewer and grill the pineapple later.
- Soy Sauce: Adds a savory element.
- Brown Sugar: Dark brown sugar gives the sauce a rich color and deep flavor.
- Garlic Cloves: Minced or grated for an aromatic punch.
- Minced Ginger: Fresh ginger is best, and you can store it in the freezer for later.
- Sesame Seeds: Optional, for garnish.
- Red Pepper Flakes: Just a pinch for a little heat (if you like it spicy).
Want to add veggies? Go for it! Green onions, sliced carrots, zucchini, bell peppers, mushrooms, snow peas, asparagus, onions, or broccoli florets all work great.
How to Make Hawaiian Teriyaki Beef
1. Flatten the Beef – Get that beef as thin as you can without it tearing apart. I like to get it almost as thin as deli meat slices.
2. Prepare the Marinade – In a mixing bowl, whisk together soy sauce, pineapple juice, brown sugar, garlic, and ginger until the sugar dissolves completely. Set aside about a half cup of the sauce, cover, and refrigerate.
3. Marinate the Beef – Place the thinly sliced beef in a resealable bag. Pour the marinade over the beef, making sure each piece is well coated. Press out all the air, seal, and pop it in the fridge. Let it marinate for at least 6 hours, or overnight for the best flavor. (No longer than 24 hours!)
4. Cook the Beef
- Grill Method: Preheat your grill to medium-high heat. Grill the beef for 1-2 minutes per side until cooked to your preferred doneness.
- Stovetop Method: Heat a skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat. Cook the beef in batches, searing each piece for a few minutes until browned and cooked through.
5. Serve & Enjoy – Place the grilled beef in a large bowl, and cover with the reserved half cup of teriyaki sauce. Mix well to coat. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and red pepper flakes (if using). Serve hot with steamed rice, grilled fresh pineapple, or as part of a Hawaiian plate lunch!
Tips and Tricks
- Pound the Beef Flat – The thinner the beef, the more flavor it absorbs!
- Marinate for Maximum Flavor – About 2-4 hours is all you need because the meat is so thin.
- Grill or Stovetop – If using a pan, get it hot for a good sear. Because the beef is so thin, it’ll cook up in just a couple of minutes!
- Try Kabobs! – Cut up some sirloin steak into chunks, skewer the beef chunks with pineapple, and marinate as directed. Then throw on the grill for a delicious and fun twist.
Homemade Teriyaki Sauce
Ditch the bottled sauce, this sauce is so much better than store-bought! This homemade teriyaki sauce is rich, flavorful, and incredibly easy to make. Here’s how:
- Mix: Combine soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, and pineapple juice.
- Thicken (Optional): If you want a thicker sauce, whisk a cornstarch mixture into the sauce, then bring to a boil.
- Use it Everywhere: This sauce isn’t just for beef! Use it for chicken, shrimp, burgers, or stir-fried veggies.
Don’t Discard the Marinade
One thing I noticed when I was living in Hawaii is that any time someone was making a grilled teriyaki dish, they never threw out the marinade. If you think about it, it’s so wasteful so discard a good marinade when it can be saved! Ingredients, especially in Hawaii, are expensive and that’s a lot to toss. Take that marinade and boil it for at least 5 minutes and you’ve got yourself a delicious sauce to serve with your beef and over rice. By boiling it, you are eliminating any possible bacteria making it perfectly safe to use as a sauce. Trust me, you will never throw out your teriyaki marinade again.
Frequently Asked Questions
A stovetop skillet, grill pan, or even a Foreman grill will work just fine. You just won’t have the smoky grilled taste.
I usually use canned pineapple because the juice is perfect for the marinade. But fresh pineapple works great too!
This recipe serves 4-6 people. I love extra sauce, so I’ll often double the sauce recipe for extra dipping and drizzling.
I like to use skirt steak, flank steak, or unseasoned carne asada.
Teriyaki Beef
Equipment
- Outdoor Barbecue Grill
Ingredients
- 2 pounds skirt steak (unseasoned carne asada works great)
- 1 cup pineapple juice (see notes below if using the juice from a can of pineapple chunks or slices)
- 1 cup soy sauce
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
Instructions
- The key to getting this teriyaki beef perfect is to get it as thin as possible. Bring the steak to room temperature and cut it into 4-6 pieces, with each piece being about the size of your hand.
- Place each piece of beef between two sheets of plastic wrap and use a kitchen mallet (the flat side) to pound it as thin as possible without it breaking apart. Aim for 1/8" thickness or thinner.
- For the marinade, mix together remaining ingredients in a mixing bowl. Stir until sugars dissolve. Reserve about ½ cup of the marinade and refrigerate for later.
- Place beef in a Ziploc bag and pour remaining marinade over. Press out all the air, seal, and refrigerate for 2-4 hours. Remove beef from marinade (don't discard the marinade) and let it sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes before grilling.
- You can use the marinade from the beef to make a sauce as long as you cook it immediately after marinating. Heat the marinade in a saucepan over medium-high heat and boil for at least 5 minutes before serving. Keep an eye on it because it may bubble up while cooking. Reduce the heat and simmer it longer if you want to reduce it to a thicker sauce. I usually just let it simmer away while I am grilling the beef.
- 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. Brush with reserved marinade while grilling.
- When beef is cooked through, tightly wrap in foil and allow to rest for at least 5 minutes before serving. Serve with sauce on the side.
Video
Notes
- Using juice from a can of pineapples: Most of the time, I get my juice for the marinade from a can of pineapple, chunks or sliced. After draining off the juice I marinate the pineapple separately, then skewer and grill it to serve with the beef. This isn’t required but it’s definitely worth the couple extra steps!
- You can also use sirloin steak, cut into chunks. Thread marinated beef onto skewers and grill.
- Nutrition information does not include rice.
Nutrition Information
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
- Fridge: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
- Reheat: Microwave, stovetop, or toss on the grill for a quick warm-up.
- Use Leftovers: Chop up the beef and stir-fry with veggies for a quick, delicious meal!
More Teriyaki Recipes
More Authentic Hawaiian Recipes
If you love this recipe, you’ll definitely want to try these Hawaiian favorites:
Wish I was back in Hawaii!! This is so mouthwatering! The flavors are incredible & the meat is so tender!
I will be keeping this sauce in stock in my fridge!! It is the best teriyaki sauce! Excited to try this with chicken next!
Holy cow, this is mouthwatering!! So much flavor & so tender!! Adding this to the rotation!!
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.
This was so tender and full of sweet and savory flavor. We love to put this over rice or just eat it plain.
Thanks a lot for sharing this beef teriyaki recipe! It’s really amazing and easy to make!
Can I just use pineapple juice?
I haven’t tried it that way, but I don’t see why not! Let us know how it works if you try it!
Also my favorite “street” food from when I lived in Hawai’i. Thanks for the recipe.
You ar very welcome! Let us know how this recipe compares to the recipes you have tried in Hawaii!
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!
We have lots of yummy Hawaiian recipes and will keep adding more! Let us know how you like the chicken 😀
How many servings is this recipe? Thank you
It should serve 4-6. Hope this helps!
What can u use to cook marinade beef if NO GRILL
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!
Can I use chicken thighs with this marinade?
Yes, they would be great!
Do you warm up the reserved sauce before pouring over the cooked meat? This recipe sounds fantastic and I will be trying tomorrow!
Yes, we love simmering the leftover marinade on the stovetop until it reduces a little bit and then pouring it over the cooked beef.
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
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.
Can you substitute the pineapple for something else due to being allergic to them, if so what would you suggest best??
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!
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.
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
What do you do with the pineapple chunks from the marinade? Could you grill them?
You can– just make sure they are cooked well as to kill any bacteria
Made this last night and it was a big hit, even my usually anti beef six year old had seconds.
This was awesome! My family loved it!
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
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.
Question??? Is the minced ginger a spice or you actually bought ginger? Can it be done with a ginger spice?
Thanks
My family loved this! Especially my husband and my mother-in-law (they are Samoan). Wonderful recipe.