Quick Teri Beef helped me to fall back in love with teriyaki beef. Teriyaki beef is often found in plate lunches or in bentos in Hawaii. We ate it so often that I got sick of it after a while. When I would try to eat it as an adult, it was often either overcooked or had too much sinew (tough, fibrous tendons or ligaments in the meat that was not trimmed out). It was just not appetizing.
Now that I do so much cooking at home, it’s so easy to prepare a delicious teri beef that is easy to chew and is not overcooked. It’s so easy. The hardest part is probably picking the cut of beef.
What kind of beef to use
Anything sliced very thin that will cook quickly is your friend for Quick Teri Beef. If it’s thicker than 1/4-inch, then I would use it and call it Teri Steak! Just cook it for a little longer on each side or in the broiler for a few minutes and you’ll have tasty beef in a savory and sweet umami sauce.
I’ve made this with thin-cut chuck steak and cooked it for about 2 to 3 minutes per side. It comes out between medium-well and well done and is tender for a cheaper cut of steak.
Beef cut for butteryaki (a Japanese dish) is thinly sliced and very tender. This cut of meat, or any cut recommended for sukiyaki (another Japanese dish) cooks for only 1 to 2 minutes per side. If you like tender, well-done beef, this cut is for you!
How much sauce to use
Just use about 1/8 cup per 8 ounces (1/2 pound) of thick-sliced protein (thicker than ¼ inch). This will coat the meat nicely and you won’t be dumping out excess marinade that you could have used for another batch of protein.
When using very thin cuts of meat (1/4 inch or less) add 1/4 cup per ½ pound to ensure the surface of the meat is completely coated in the sauce/marinade.
Don’t forget to make these other weeknight-friendly dinners:
Quick Teri Beef
Equipment
- 1 Large bowl or large container with cover
- measuring cups and spoons
- 1 10" saute pan
- 1 tongs or chopsticks
Ingredients
- ½ pound beef thinly sliced
- ⅛ to ¼ cup teriyaki sauce
- 2 tbsp olive oil or canola oil
Instructions
- Place the beef in a large bowl. Add teriyaki sauce and mix until the beef is well coated. Cover and put in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 days. (The longer you marinate the meat, the deeper the teriyaki flavor.)
- Take the beef out of the fridge for 15 minutes before cooking. (You can include this time in your marinating time.)
- Heat 10” saute pan to medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to the pan. Add half of the meat to the pan, flipping the meat after 1 to 2 minutes of cooking and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes on the other side. Removed the cooked meat.
- Add the remaining olive oil to the pan and cook the remaining meat for 1 to 2minutes on each side. Remove the cooked meat and let it rest. (If using a thin-cut beef, you will have to cook this in 3 or 4 batches.)
- Optional: to make a teriyaki glaze, put 1/8 cup teriyaki sauce into the pan on medium heat. While the sauce is warming, mix a slurry of ½ tsp cornstarch and ½ tsp water. Add the slurry to the sauce and mix well to combine. Turn the heat up to medium high. Let it come to a boil and turn the heat off immediately. Stir the glaze and set it aside to top on the teri beef for extra flavor.
