Low Sodium Teriyaki Beef and Vegetables Recipe
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Jump to RecipeThis low sodium teriyaki beef and vegetables recipe is sweet, savory, hearty, and a great weeknight meal! Tender slices of steak are cooked with peapods and onions and simmered in a thick and tangy teriyaki sauce.
A great low sodium dinner, inspired by Asian takeout. Easy to make, versatile, and delicious! Serve with steamed white or brown rice and enjoy!
Want more low sodium Asian inspired recipes? Try our low sodium fried rice, low sodium orange chicken, and low sodium stir fry vegetables.
We recently had a wonderful dinner out at Yokozuna Sushi restaurant in Okotoks Alberta, and I got one of my old favorites – teriyaki beef! It was delicious but very salty (as most restaurants are), so I wanted to make a low sodium version that we could enjoy at home.
I started with thinly sliced flank steak, which is great for quick sauteed beef and made a quick 5-minute teriyaki sauce with pineapple juice as the sweet base. This is a great versatile dinner idea, especially if you are looking for a better-for-you alternative to Chinese takeout.
As far as side dishes, you can’t go wrong with simple steamed rice or low sodium garlic noodles for a complete meal.
Why This Recipe Works
- This low sodium teriyaki beef is a delicious alternative to takeout!
- It’s easy to make, with whole ingredients and no added preservatives.
- Ready in under 30 minutes, this makes a great weeknight dinner option.
- Anyone can successfully make this dish by following our step-by-step directions with photos below!
Ingredients You’ll Need
See the recipe card below for a full list of instructions and ingredient amounts!
I used flank steak beef, which has a great grain and texture when sliced and cooked up. I used very thin slices of beef as they cook quickly, but you can cut your steak as thick as you prefer. Thicker steak may have a longer cooking time (likely 1-2 minutes longer) so be sure to keep an eye on your beef to ensure it’s cooked through.
I used thinly sliced onions and fresh snow peapods as I love the combination of beef and peapods, especially with the tangy sauce. I’ll provide a few great suggestions for more vegetables in the next section if you wanted to add or substitute any of your favorite veggies!
The homemade low sodium teriyaki sauce is made with pineapple juice, garlic, ginger, brown sugar, and chili flakes. I stir in a corn starch slurry (just corn starch and cold water) at the end to thicken the sauce like you get it at restaurants.
Additions and Substitutions
If you wanted to add different vegetables into this teriyaki beef, I would recommend a few favorites: sliced carrots, shredded Chinese cabbage, baby bok choy, water chestnuts, bean sprouts, green onions, cauliflower, or chopped broccoli would all be great choices.
You could use a different cut of beef for this recipe as well. If you didn’t find flank steak, you could use a shaved steak or even a thinly sliced tenderloin. As with all meats, I look for a variety which has nutritional information so I can make sure I know the sodium content of what I am eating.
Or if you wanted to substitute the beef altogether, you could use chicken, tofu, or pork. Just be sure to adjust the cooking times to ensure your protein is fully cooked before enjoying.
If you wanted to substitute the teriyaki sauce for a homemade stir fry sauce (or if you can find a low sodium bottled version) you can use that instead of making your own.
How To Make This Recipe
Step 1: Take your steak, and slice it against the meat grain. Slice it in thin slices.
Step 2: In a large wok, or large frying pan, heat the sesame oil over medium-high heat. Add in the thinly sliced flank steak, and cook for 3 minutes. Flip the steak over, and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes until cooked through.
Step 3: Once cooked, remove the steak from the wok, and place in a separate bowl. Leave any juices at the bottom of the wok.
Step 4: In the wok, add the sliced onions and the peapods and cook over medium heat. Stir for 4-5 minutes until they become tender. Add the steak back into the wok. Remove the wok from heat, and set aside.
Step 5: Make the teriyaki sauce: to the beef and vegetables add the teriyaki ingredients: pineapple juice, beef broth, garlic, ginger, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, and chili flakes. Heat until the sauce begins to bubble.
Step 6: In a separate dish, add the corn starch and cold water. Stir well until the mixture is thick, then pour it into the sauce.
Step 7: Cook for about 1 minute, stirring frequently until the sauce begins to thicken.
Step 8: Serve the beef and vegetables hot – over steamed rice or noodles if desired. Top with sesame seeds for added crunch. Enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
This low sodium beef teriyaki recipe has 105 mg sodium per serving, as it uses all low sodium ingredients and no salt. If you are ordering teriyaki beef at a restaurant, ask for nutritional information or talk to your server about how much sodium is in their dish, as it will vary.
If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat in a saucepan or in the microwave.
You can serve this dish with steamed rice, brown rice, low sodium stir fry noodles, mixed vegetables, or with tofu.
Expert Tips
The best way to slice flank steak is to slice it thinly against the grain of the meat.
When chopping the onions (or any other vegetables If you adding them), make sure they are roughly the same size as the peapods. That way, you get consistent sized vegetables in each bite. I find this makes it easier to eat with chopsticks.
Season to taste: this recipe was made with very little sodium, so if you wanted to add more seasoning to the finished dish, feel free to – but be sure to account for it in your overall sodium content.
This recipe is excellent served with low sodium sticky rice! I highly recommend quickly making a batch to enjoy with this beef.
Also, a huge thank you to my brother Jack for getting me these incredible chopsticks with my name on them from Japan! I absolutely love them, and they are so perfect for this recipe.
More Low Sodium Beef Recipes
- Low Sodium Beef Stir Fry Recipe with Vegetables
- Low Sodium Beef Bourguignon Recipe
- The best Low Sodium Corned Beef and Cabbage Recipe
- Low Sodium Chili with Beef
- Low Sodium Beef Stew Recipe
Let’s keep in touch – don’t forget to follow over on Instagram, Facebook, & my Youtube channel for more easy low sodium recipes.
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Low Sodium Teriyaki Beef & Vegetables
Equipment
- Wok
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb flank steak
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 white onion thinly sliced
- 8 ounces snow peapods
- 1 cup pineapple juice
- 1 cup no-salt-added beef broth
- 1 tablespoon low sodium Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 inch ginger freshly grated
- ¼ teaspoon chili flakes
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
- 1 tablespoon cold water
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
Instructions
- Take your steak, and slice it against the meat grain. Slice it in thin slices.
- In a large wok, or large frying pan, heat the sesame oil over medium-high heat. Add in the thinly sliced flank steak, and cook for 3 minutes. Flip the steak over, and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes until cooked through.
- Once cooked, remove the steak from the wok, and place in a separate bowl. Leave any juices at the bottom of the wok.
- In the wok, add the sliced onions and the peapods and cook over medium heat. Stir for 4-5 minutes until they become tender. Add the steak back into the wok. Remove the wok from heat, and set aside.
- Make the teriyaki sauce: to the beef and vegetables add the teriyaki ingredients: pineapple juice, beef broth, garlic, ginger, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, and chili flakes. Heat until the sauce begins to bubble.
- In a separate dish, add the corn starch and cold water. Stir well until the mixture is thick, then pour it into the sauce.
- Cook for about 1 minute, stirring frequently until the sauce begins to thicken.
- Serve the beef and vegetables hot – over steamed rice or noodles if desired. Top with sesame seeds for added crunch. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition estimate (for 1 serving)
*Please note, all nutrition content is estimated based on the ingredients we used in our kitchen. It will vary based on your ingredients. Always check your nutrition labels to verify your nutrition content and sodium amounts.
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