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One of my absolute favourite ways to cook beef is with a scratch-made Teriyaki sauce. The sweet, sticky, savoury glaze caramelizing on the grill is simply irresistible!
It is almost hard to believe how quickly these Teriyaki Sesame Beef Skewers come together. Whether you are serving them on a stick as a party appetizer or tossing them in a wok with broccoli for a lightning-fast weeknight dinner, this recipe is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. Plus, by making your own marinade, you control exactly what goes into the sauce—no artificial thickeners, just pure flavour.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Quick & Easy: The skewers only take a few minutes to grill, making this a fantastic option for busy nights.
Make-Ahead Friendly: You can freeze the raw beef directly in the marinade for up to 3 months!
Versatile: Serve them as an appetizer, or pan-fry the un-skewered meat with veggies over a bed of rice.
Ingredients You Will Need
This recipe relies on standard Asian pantry staples to build that iconic sticky glaze.
For the Beef:
Boneless Beef Roast: Choose a cut that is good for grilling, such as Top Sirloin Tip Roast, Tri-Tip, Flank, or Beef Tenderloin. (Note: Look for cuts with good marbling/fat lines to keep the meat juicy!)
For the Teriyaki Marinade:
Soy Sauce: The savoury base. If using a low-sodium brand, add ½ teaspoon of sea salt to the mix.
Dark Brown Sugar: Essential for creating that sticky, caramelized char on the grill.
Sesame Oil & Toasted Sesame Seeds: Adds a deep, nutty aroma. (Toasting your own seeds fresh makes a huge difference!)
Aromatics: Freshly pressed garlic
Mirin & Hoisin Sauce: For that authentic, complex Asian flavour profile. (Substitute 1 teaspoon of white sugar if you don’t have Mirin).
The Secret Tenderizer (Optional):
Pineapple Juice (or crushed fresh pineapple): If you are using a cheap, lean, tough cut of meat (like Eye of Round or Chuck), the acidic enzymes in pineapple will tenderize it beautifully.
How to Make Teriyaki Beef Skewers (Step-by-Step)
Phase 1: Slice and Prep the Beef
Freeze the Beef (Optional): To make slicing easier, place your beef in the freezer for 45 minutes before cutting.
Remove Connective Tissues: Pat the roast dry, then trim any connective tissue on the outside and excess fat.
Slice Against the Grain: Look at the direction the muscle fibres are running in the meat, and cut perpendicular (across) to them. Slice the beef into strips about 1 cm thick (and roughly 2×3 inches). Slicing against the grain is crucial for tender meat!
Phase 2: Mix the Marinade
In a large bowl, combine the toasted sesame seeds, brown sugar, soy sauce, pressed garlic, sesame oil, mirin, and hoisin sauce. Stir until the sugar is mostly dissolved.
Add the sliced beef to the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour, or up to 24 hours.
Phase 3: The Pineapple Rule (Read Carefully)
IIf you are using a tough cut of beef and want to use pineapple juice to tenderize it:
DO NOT add the pineapple juice / puree at the beginning! Let the meat marinate in the soy sauce mixture first.
Just 5 to 15 minutes before you are ready to grill, pour the pineapple juice into the marinade. If you leave the pineapple juice on the meat for longer than 15 minutes, the acidic enzymes will turn the beef into mush!
Phase 4: Skewer and Grill
Remove the beef from the fridge. Thread the meat onto wooden skewers (which should be soaked in water for 1 hour prior so they don’t burn).
Preheat your grill (or a large wok if pan-frying) to medium-high heat.
Grill the skewers for 2 to 3 minutes per side until beautifully charred and cooked to your liking. Serve immediately!
💡Pro Tips for Busy Weeknights
The Freezer Trick: This is one of my favourite meal-prep hacks! Throw the raw, un-skewered beef and the teriyaki marinade into a zip-top freezer bag, squeeze out all the air, and freeze for up to 3 months. (Do not add pineapple juice if freezing).
How to Cook from Frozen: Thaw the bag in your refrigerator before you leave for work in the morning. The beef will absorb the marinade as it thaws. When you get home, just dump the bag into a hot wok with some broccoli or green beans, and fry it up! The marinade will thicken into a gorgeous gravy for rice.
Complete Your Asian Fusion BBQ Menu
If you are firing up the grill for these skewers, make a full feast out of it by pairing them with:
Why do I need to slice the beef ‘against the grain’?
Cutting against the grain means slicing perpendicular to the long muscle fibres in the meat. This achieves two things: First, the meat holds its shape on the skewer without tearing. Second, it shortens the muscle fibres, making the meat significantly easier to chew and much more tender!
Can I use a meat tenderizer instead of pineapple juice?
Absolutely. If you do not like the flavour of pineapple, or if you are worried about over-marinating the meat into mush, simply use a spiked meat mallet to pound the sliced beef before putting it into the teriyaki marinade.
What if I don’t have an outdoor grill?
You can easily cook these indoors! You can use a cast-iron grill pan on your stovetop, or simply skip the skewers entirely and pan-fry the meat in a hot wok.
Tender skewered beef slices with a sweet, sticky, sesame soy sauce that only take a few minutes to grill and are perfect as appetizers or part of a meal.
Servings 12skewers
Course Appetizer
Cuisine Asian
Ingredients
Tools
12skewerswooden (or bamboo)soaked in water for 1 hour
Teriyaki Beef
2Tablespoonswhite sesame seedstoasted
2poundsboneless beef sirloin roastsliced 1 cm thick against the grain
½cupdark brown sugar(dark brown preferred but light brown works too)
⅓cupsoy sauce(if using less-sodium, add 1/2 teaspoon sea salt)
2Tablespoonsgarlic (6 cloves)pressed
1Tablespoonsesame oil
2Tablespoonsmirinor 1 teaspoon white sugar
2Tablespoonshoisin sauce
½cuppineapple juice or fresh crushed pineapples *Optional* – Will aid with tenderizing lean meat such as 'eye of round' or 'chuck'. Marinate for 5 minutes up to 15 minutes maximum, depending on the thickness of the sliced meat. If you want to add pineapple juice for flavour to tender meat, I recommend adding it at the very end after your meat is done marinating with the teriyaki sauce.
Prep the Beef: If your roast is soft, place it in the freezer for 45 minutes to make slicing easier. Trim any connective tissue or excess fat. Slice the beef against the grain into thin strips (about 1 cm thick and 2×3 inches long).
Make the Teriyaki Marinade: In a large bowl or zip-top bag, whisk together the toasted sesame seeds, dark brown sugar, soy sauce, pressed garlic, sesame oil, mirin, hoisin sauce. (Note: Do NOT add the pineapple juice yet).
Marinate the Beef: Add the sliced beef to the teriyaki marinade and toss until well combined. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour (or up to 24 hours). If you are using wooden skewers, submerge them in water to soak while the meat marinates.
The Pineapple Tenderizer (Optional): Only do this if using a tough cut of meat! Exactly 5 to 15 minutes before you are ready to cook, pour the pineapple juice into the marinating beef and stir. Do not exceed 15 minutes or the meat will disintegrate into mush. (If using a tender cut of beef, skip this step entirely).
Skewer the Meat: Remove the beef from the fridge. Skewer about 6 – 8 beef slices onto each soaked stick, leaving a 2-inch gap at the bottom for easy handling. Place the assembled skewers on a foil-lined tray.
Thicken the Glaze: If you have excess marinade left in the bottom of the bowl, pour it into a small saucepan. Bring it to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sauce reduces and thickens. Use this as an extra finishing glaze!
Grill and Serve:Preheat your BBQ grill (or an indoor grill pan) to medium-high heat (approximately 400°F). Grill the skewers for 3 to 4 minutes on each side until the meat is cooked and the sauce is sticky and slightly charred. Brush with the thickened glaze from Step 6, and serve immediately!
Nutrition
Serving1skewer (6 slices of beef)Calories166kcalCarbohydrates14gProtein17gFat4gSaturated Fat1gPolyunsaturated Fat1gMonounsaturated Fat2gCholesterol42mgSodium472mgPotassium308mgFiber1gSugar11gVitamin A1IUVitamin C1mgCalcium42mgIron2mg
Video
Notes
How to Cook from Frozen: Thaw the bag in your refrigerator before you leave for work in the morning. The beef will absorb the marinade as it thaws. When you get home, just dump the bag into a hot wok with some broccoli or green beans, and fry it up! The marinade will thicken into a gorgeous gravy for rice.
How do I freeze this meat for later use?This is one of my favourite meal-prep hacks! Throw the raw, un-skewered beef and the teriyaki marinade into a zip-top freezer bag, squeeze out all the air, and freeze for up to 3 months. (Do not add pineapple juice if freezing).Why do I need to slice the beef ‘against the grain’?Cutting against the grain means slicing perpendicular to the long muscle fibers in the meat. This achieves two things: First, the meat holds its shape on the skewer without tearing. Second, it shortens the muscle fibres, making the meat significantly easier to chew and much more tender!Can I use a meat tenderizer instead of pineapple juice?Absolutely. If you do not like the flavour of pineapple, or if you are worried about over-marinating the meat into mush, simply use a spiked meat mallet to pound the sliced beef before putting it into the teriyaki marinade.What if I don’t have an outdoor grill?You can easily cook these indoors! You can use a cast-iron grill pan on your stovetop, or simply skip the skewers entirely and pan-fry the meat in a hot wok.
I’m so thrilled to hear this! I’m really sorry for my late reply—I can’t believe I missed your wonderful feedback! Thank you so much for sharing it! It means a lot to me!
Yes, you can most certainly do that. Adding it 10 minutes before cooking is ideal as that will create optimal flavour and help tenderize your meat enough but not disintegrate it. Happy cooking!
Delicious! I’ve made these a few times now and it never disappoints. I’ve made them for a family get-together and they all loved them as well. I used light brown sugar, as this is all I had on hand. I also used Golden Mountain Seasoning Sauce, as opposed to La Choy Soy Sauce. I find La Choy to be too salty.
Hi Andrea! I’m thrilled to hear that you’ve been enjoying the recipe! Light brown sugar and Golden Mountain Seasoning Sauce sound like fantastic substitutions. It’s all about making it your own and catering to your taste buds. Keep those delicious experiments going! ?️✨
Total dinner fail. We crushed fresh pineapple for the juice, marinated sliced sirloin cap for exactly 1 hour, and the meat disintegrated into complete mush – like eating a bite of wet bread. ? The flavors were good, but if we make it again, we would not marinate longer for 30 minutes.
Hi Jessica. Thank you for your feedback, and I’m sorry this didn’t turn out for you. The sirloin cap is a more tender beef cut, and it may be why the meat turned out mushy with the pineapple juice. If you still prefer the pineapple juice for flavour with the sirloin cap, may I suggest adding the juice at the end of marinating time? That way it won’t break down the meat to make it mushy but you will still get the pineapple flavour. Thank you for giving my recipe a try. I will test this with a sirloin cap the next time I find it at the grocery store (they’re not common here where I live).
So yummy!! Great on pork and beef!
I lost your recipe on Pinterest and I literally almost cried I have spent the whole day looking for your recipe and luckily I posted it to my Facebook profile so I found it thank you so much this is so good
Hi Lisa! Aww I’m so glad you found it again. Thanks so much for your comment. It definitely is great on pork and beef! Try it on chicken. Lip smacking too! 😉
How do I freeze this meat for later use?
This is one of my favourite meal-prep hacks! Throw the raw, un-skewered beef and the teriyaki marinade into a zip-top freezer bag, squeeze out all the air, and freeze for up to 3 months. (Do not add pineapple juice if freezing).
Why do I need to slice the beef ‘against the grain’?
Cutting against the grain means slicing perpendicular to the long muscle fibers in the meat. This achieves two things: First, the meat holds its shape on the skewer without tearing. Second, it shortens the muscle fibres, making the meat significantly easier to chew and much more tender!
Can I use a meat tenderizer instead of pineapple juice?
Absolutely. If you do not like the flavour of pineapple, or if you are worried about over-marinating the meat into mush, simply use a spiked meat mallet to pound the sliced beef before putting it into the teriyaki marinade.
What if I don’t have an outdoor grill?
You can easily cook these indoors! You can use a cast-iron grill pan on your stovetop, or simply skip the skewers entirely and pan-fry the meat in a hot wok.
This was so delicious!I used flank steak and it came out very tender and flavorful. Absolutely no need for the pineapple. Definitely a keeper!
I’m so thrilled to hear this! I’m really sorry for my late reply—I can’t believe I missed your wonderful feedback! Thank you so much for sharing it! It means a lot to me!
Lily,
can I marinate the meat overnight and add the pineapple juice the last 10 minutes before cooking
Hi Tracy
Yes, you can most certainly do that. Adding it 10 minutes before cooking is ideal as that will create optimal flavour and help tenderize your meat enough but not disintegrate it. Happy cooking!
Delicious! I’ve made these a few times now and it never disappoints. I’ve made them for a family get-together and they all loved them as well. I used light brown sugar, as this is all I had on hand. I also used Golden Mountain Seasoning Sauce, as opposed to La Choy Soy Sauce. I find La Choy to be too salty.
Hi Andrea! I’m thrilled to hear that you’ve been enjoying the recipe! Light brown sugar and Golden Mountain Seasoning Sauce sound like fantastic substitutions. It’s all about making it your own and catering to your taste buds. Keep those delicious experiments going! ?️✨
Total dinner fail. We crushed fresh pineapple for the juice, marinated sliced sirloin cap for exactly 1 hour, and the meat disintegrated into complete mush – like eating a bite of wet bread. ? The flavors were good, but if we make it again, we would not marinate longer for 30 minutes.
Hi Jessica. Thank you for your feedback, and I’m sorry this didn’t turn out for you. The sirloin cap is a more tender beef cut, and it may be why the meat turned out mushy with the pineapple juice. If you still prefer the pineapple juice for flavour with the sirloin cap, may I suggest adding the juice at the end of marinating time? That way it won’t break down the meat to make it mushy but you will still get the pineapple flavour. Thank you for giving my recipe a try. I will test this with a sirloin cap the next time I find it at the grocery store (they’re not common here where I live).
So yummy!! Great on pork and beef!
I lost your recipe on Pinterest and I literally almost cried I have spent the whole day looking for your recipe and luckily I posted it to my Facebook profile so I found it thank you so much this is so good
Hi Lisa! Aww I’m so glad you found it again. Thanks so much for your comment. It definitely is great on pork and beef! Try it on chicken. Lip smacking too! 😉