This post may contain affiliate links. See our disclosure policy.
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!
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 .
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!
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.
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!
Frequently Asked Questions
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.
We generally use a can of pineapple along with the juice. But fresh pineapple would absolutely work and taste delicious.
This exact recipe serves 4-6 people. I often double the sauce recipe for extra dipping and drizzling.
We like to use flank steak, skirt steak, or carne asada.
READ NEXT: The Best Hawaiian Dessert Recipes
More Authentic Hawaiian Recipes:
Loco Moco
Chicken Long Rice
Hawaiian Teriyaki Chicken
Kalua Pork
Authentic Hawaiian Mac Salad
Haupia
Malasadas
Chocolate Haupia Pie
How to Make Hawaiian Beef Teriyaki
Hawaiian Beef Teriyaki
Video
Equipment
- Outdoor Barbecue Grill
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.
- 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).
- 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.
- Place beef in a large bowl, pour the reserved ½ cup of sauce over the cooked beef and stir until well covered.
- Serve with rice and/or grilled fresh pineapple.
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.
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.