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Hawaiian Beef Teriyaki on a plate garnished with green onion and grilled pineapple slices on the side.
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5 from 28 votes

Teriyaki Beef

Hawaiian Teriyaki Beef is tender, juicy, and so flavorful! Thinly sliced beef drizzled with a simple homemade teriyaki sauce, this dish is a family favorite!
Prep Time6 hours
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time6 hours 20 minutes
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: Hawaiian
Keyword: Beef
Servings: 4
Calories: 431kcal
Author: Erica Walker

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.
    Cutting board with two pieces of skirt steak covered in plastic wrap and flattened with meat tenderizer mallet.
  • 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.
    Cutting board with thin pieces of skirt steak on plastic wrap. Mallet resting on the cutting board.
  • For the marinade, mix together remaining ingredients in a mixing bowl. Stir until sugars dissolve.
    Reserve about 1/2 cup of the marinade and refrigerate for later.
    Glass mixing bowl with beef teriyaki marinade and whisk on the side.
  • 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.
    Hawaiian Beef Teriyaki marinading in a ziplock bag.
  • 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.
    Marinade in saucepan. Wooden spoon on the side.
  • 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.
    Grilling and basting Hawaiian Beef Teriyaki on the grill.
  • 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.
    Hawaiian Beef Teriyaki on a plate garnished with green onion and grilled pineapple slices 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

Calories: 431kcal | Carbohydrates: 61g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 71mg | Sodium: 3328mg | Potassium: 649mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 56g | Vitamin A: 62IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 72mg | Iron: 4mg