When these Beef Teriyaki Skewers are sizzling on your grill, the aroma will make everyone around you stop what they’re doing and come for a taste of these easy to make flank steak skewers with homemade teriyaki sauce.
As summer comes to a close I’m trying to get as much grilling in as possible, anyone else feeling the same way? This beef teriyaki dish is absolutely perfect for grilling and snacking on in the sunshine! So perfectly salty, tangy, sweet, and tender, this dish is beyond perfect for these last few sunny, glorious days.
I used a flank steak which I cut into very thin strips then threaded the beef on wooden skewers, which I then seasoned generously with salt and pepper. For the teriyaki sauce you simply throw all the ingredients in a small saucepan and bring it to a boil until it thickens nicely.
What Is Teriyaki?
Did you know that teriyaki is actually a cooking method? It’s used in Japanese cooking and just involves cooking your food in a glaze typically made from soy sauce, some type of sugar, and mirin. That’s it! I like to pack a bit more flavor into my Teriyaki sauce, so let’s get into it!
Ingredients
Detailed measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.
Skewers
- Beef – Flank steak cut into very thin strips.
- Seasoning – Salt and pepper.
- Wooden skewers – 16 inch skewers, it’s important to soak your skewers before popping them on the grill to ensure they don’t scorch.
Teriyaki sauce
- Aromatics – Fresh garlic and ginger minced.
- Cornstarch – We’re going to create a slurry using cornstarch and cold water. This is key for getting our sauce to thicken.
- Water – This will help us achieve the consistency we’re looking for with this sauce.
- Soy sauce – Low sodium so that we can control the salt content of our dish.
- Sugar – We’re using brown sugar to add both sweetness and a rich molasses flavor to our sauce.
- Rice vinegar – You can also substitute this ingredient for mirin or cooking sherry.
How To Make Beef Teriyaki Skewers
- Prep the steak: Cut the flank steak across the grain into 1/4 inch thick slices. Season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until using.
- Prep your skewers: Place the skewers in enough water to cover them and let them soak for about 10 minutes.
- Make the teriyaki sauce: In the meantime, combine all the sauce ingredients in a small saucepan and whisk. Place the saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil while whisking. It should thicken. Remove from heat.
- Finish the skewers: Thread the beef onto the skewers. about 2 pieces per skewer. Place the beef skewers on the grill over medium-high heat (350 F to 400 F) and brush generously with the prepared teriyaki sauce on both sides. Grill for 4 to 5 minutes per side, might be more or less depending on how thick you cut your beef. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and parsley, if desired.
Having Trouble Slicing Steak?
If you’re having trouble slicing the steak thin, plate it in the freezer for 10 minutes before hand to make slicing easier.
Are Soy Sauce and Teriyaki Sauce Interchangeable?
These 2 sauces have super different flavor profiles. One is salty and full of umami flavor, but isn’t a complete sauce all on its own since it is pretty one dimensional. On the other hand Teriyaki sauce features salt, sweet, acid, and has a well rounded mouth feel that is both thick and satisfying.
I really recommend utilizing teriyaki sauce for this recipe, it’s perfect for whipping stuff up on the grill.
How to Serve
I served them with a salad but you can serve them over some cooked rice with some steamed veggies!
Veggies
- Steamed broccoli
- Bok choy
- Carrots
- Cauliflower
- Bell pepper
- Asparagus
- Zucchini
Rice
- Brown rice
- Jasmine rice
- Brown rice
Leftovers
Fridge
This beef teriyaki recipe can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 – 4 days. The sauce can be stored separately in the fridge and should last for 1 week.
Freezer
If you’d like to freeze your cooked beef just freeze in an airtight container. Just allow to thaw overnight in the fridge when ready to eat. The sauce can be frozen indefinitely– perfect for other dishes in the future!
Craving More Asian Style Dishes? Try These Delicious Dinners
- Chicken Teriyaki
- Baked Salmon Teriyaki
- Asian Style Pepper Steak
- Pork Rolls
- Asian Glazed Salmon In Foil
- Udon Noodles With Pork And Mushrooms
- Roasted Quail
- Korean Beef Rice Bowls
- Bang Bang Chicken
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Beef Teriyaki Skewers
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb flank steak
- 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
- 1/2 tsp pepper or to taste
- 16 inch wooden skewers 12
For Teriyaki Sauce
- 1/4 cup soy sauce low sodium
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tsp fresh ginger minced
- 2 tsp cornstarch
Instructions
- Cut the flank steak across the grain into 1/4 inch thick slices. Season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until using.
- Place the skewers in enough water to cover them and let them soak for about 10 minutes.
- In the meantime, combine all the sauce ingredients in a small saucepan and whisk. Place the saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil while whisking. It should thicken. Remove from heat.
- Thread the beef onto the skewers. about 2 pieces per skewer. Place the beef skewers on the grill over medium-high heat (350 F to 400 F) and brush generously with the prepared teriyaki sauce on both sides. Grill for 4 to 5 minutes per side, might be more or less depending on how thick you cut your beef.
- Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and parsley, if desired.
Recipe Notes
- If you’re having trouble slicing the steak thin, plate it in the freezer for 10 minutes before hand to make slicing easier.
- You can use any type of steak that you prefer.
- This beef teriyaki recipe can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 – 4 days. The sauce can be stored separately in the fridge and should last for 1 week.
- If you’d like to freeze your cooked beef just freeze in an airtight container. Just allow to thaw overnight in the fridge when ready to eat. The sauce can be frozen indefinitely– perfect for other dishes in the future!
- Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.
I want to make these for the Chinese new year this weekend. Grilling them is not an option because of all of our snow I don’t make or eat red meat very often so I’m fairly inexperienced. Can I cook this in the oven? If so could you give me some guidance on how to do this please. Thank you so very much
You can use a skillet! Instead of the grill, just cook the strips in a pan on the stove as you would with steak etc. The only difference is you won’t get the grill marks! Medium high heat until your steak is cooked to your liking.
This was a real winner! It was surprising how much flavor stayed with the beef with such little time with the sauce on it. We LOVED the flavor and it was so fast and simple to prepare and cook! We rate our dinners on if they are guest worthy or not, and this was so great we will use at our next cookout! Delicious! For that cook out, I will slice up and skewer the meat in advance so all I have to do is whip up the sauce and grill!
Made these for dinner tonight they were a hit with my family thank you for the recipe will become a family favourite
Hi Jo,
These skewers look amazing. I want to make them for an event that I am hosting. What are your suggestions on making ahead of time so I am not out grilling while the guests are here. Have you ever made them or prepped them the day before and heated them?
Thanks,
Vickie
You can make them ahead of time and heat them back up in a 450F oven for a few minutes until they’re warmed through.
Thank you very much for this recipe, looks so delicious. Can’t wait to try it this weekend.
Always fun to make skewers and these are yummy. Thanks for your comments and for being a part of the Jo Cooks community.
psst…jo, I LOVE YOU
I haven’t made these in forever. Partly because I lost my recipe. These look tasty! I’ll be using yours, haha.
These look perfect for the grill today. We’re also smoking a brisket and friends are bringing the rest. Should be a fun BBQ. Cheers and thanks for these!
We bought a smoker a little while ago and we smoked a brisket in it as well, so so good, love that smoker!
These sound like a great addition to the BBQ today. We’re also doing a smoked brisket and friends are bringing the rest. Should be a fun day. Cheers and thanks for this one!
My pleasure!