Grilled Teriyaki Beef Skewers

When the sun is shining and it’s warm outside, all I want is to be outdoors enjoying time with friends and family. It’s this time of year that simple, laid-back meals become my go-to. And these juicy and sweet teriyaki beef sticks are at the top of my list.

My family loves Asian-style dishes, and this teriyaki beef skewers recipe is the perfect way to take some of our favorite flavors outside to the grill. I can cook them up with a batch of Asian grilled chicken, and we can enjoy summery rice bowls, then have leftovers to enjoy later in the week!

Mouthwatering Teriyaki Beef Sticks for Grilling

Here’s why you’ll love making them when you fire up the grill…

• Quick and easy. After marinating the steak in a simple homemade teriyaki-style marinade, the skewers cook up in less than 10 minutes on the grill.
• Marinate ahead of time. This is a fantastic dinner to prep ahead of time for your next cookout or BBQ because you can let the meat soak as long as you like, and even prep the skewers before grilling.
• Crowd-pleaser. This dish puts an Asian spin on classic grilled steak with a sweet and savory flavor that even picky eaters enjoy.
• Simple to make gluten free. The key thing is getting your hands on gluten free soy sauce. You use it in the marinade and to make homemade teriyaki sauce, if you can’t find a ready-made gluten free version in the grocery store. It’s a meal you can make for the whole family!

Recipe Ingredients

• Light brown sugar.
• Soy sauce. Make sure you use gluten free soy sauce or tamari, if needed, like the kind from Kikkoman. Learn more about that in my article Is Soy Sauce Gluten Free?
• Rice wine vinegar. Adds acidic brightness to the sauce. While most are, this is another one to confirm is gluten free.
• Vegetable oil. Or another neutral oil like avocado
• Garlic. I recommend freshly crushing your garlic cloves.
• Ginger. Fresh is preferred here.
• Top round beef steak. You can ask your butcher to shave the meat nice and thin.
• Garnish. I like to serve my teriyaki beef with scallions for a pop of green, red chili pepper for some heat, and sesame seeds for crunch and flavor.
• Extra Teriyaki Sauce. For drizzling over the grilled skewers. You can make this easy Gluten Free Teriyaki Sauce while you have the marinade ingredients out, or use your favorite store-bought brand, ensuring it is gluten free if needed. Alternatively, you can change things up by dipping them in Peanut Sauce or Bang Bang Sauce.

How to Make Teriyaki Beef Sticks

Once you have the ingredients out and ready, here’s how to put together your easy steak skewers. The detailed instructions are further down in the recipe card.

• Make the marinade: Stir the brown sugar, soy sauce, rice vinegar, oil, minced garlic and ginger, salt, and pepper together until smooth.
• Marinate the beef: Add the thinly sliced steak to the bowl with the sauce and combine everything well. Refrigerate for at least two hours. While it’s marinating, if you are making homemade Teriyaki Sauce, now is the time to do that.

• Assemble the skewers: If using wooden skewers, soak them for at least 20 minutes in water before making the steak skewers. Then thread the slices of meat onto the soaked skewers.

• Grill the steak: Grill the skewers on a preheated grill over medium-high heat until the steak is cooked through, about 3 minutes per side.
• Serve: Arrange the grilled skewers on a serving platter and garnish with sliced scallions, red pepper, and sesame seeds, plus an extra drizzle of Teriyaki Sauce.

Make it a Meal

I like to round out this meal with a few sides that pair well with teriyaki steak skewers.

• Rice: You can certainly make some basic white rice or brown rice, but you can also add a little flavor with Cilantro Lime Rice or Coconut Rice. And cauliflower rice is always an option.
• Wraps: Turn these beef sticks into fusion tacos by stuffing the steak into Tortillas, or wrap it up in Gluten Free Bao Buns.
• Veggies: Since I’m already grilling, Grilled Zucchini tastes like peak summer. Or some Maple Sesame Roasted Broccoli is always tasty.
• Coleslaw: It’s a cookout staple, so you can go with this classic Easy Coleslaw Recipe, or stick to that sweet and savory flavor profile with Pineapple Coleslaw.
• Salads: Sesame Zoodles are a veggie-packed twist on the classic Sesame Noodles dish, or serve this simple Asian Carrot Cucumber Salad on the side.