Teriyaki Steak Tips

Teriyaki Steak Tips — Tri-tip steak tips are cooked to perfection and then topped with a thick and sticky homemade pineapple teriyaki sauce! A family favorite that everyone will love and is FAST and EASY to make!

Teriyaki Steak Bites Recipe

Beef tips are a comfort food favorite that are sure to please everyone.

My teriyaki beef bites are tender and juicy and the homemade pineapple-infused teriyaki sauce that they’re smothered in provides a wonderful flavor boost. 

These steak tips are a cinch to make and ready in a half hour.

To save even more time, feel free to use a store-bought teriyaki sauce or pineapple teriyaki sauce!

What Are Steak Tips? 

Steak tips — sometimes called beef tips — are cut from the sirloin or round. They can be sold as cubes or strips and are generally 1/2 inch to 1 inch thick. 

Steak tips can be grilled, but my recipe is made on the stovetop. I like to cook steak tips year-round, so this option works best for me! 

Ingredients in Teriyaki Steak Bites

For this easy recipe that’s made with easy-to-find ingredients, you’ll need the following items:

Homemade Teriyaki Sauce

• Olive oil
• Garlic paste or finely minced garlic
• Freshly grated ginger or dry ground ginger
• Canned crushed pineapple
• Reduced-sodium soy sauce
• Water
• Apple cider vinegar
• Brown sugar
• Honey
• Sesame oil
• Red pepper flakes
• Cornstarch
• Water

Steak

• Sirloin steak tips
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Sesame seeds, optional for garnishing
• Scallions, optional for garnishing

What Cut of Beef is Best for Steak Tips?

I use sirloin for my beef tips but you can experiment with other more tender cuts of meat such as flank, ribeye, or tenderloin based on your preferences.

Some people like to serve steak tips in larger pieces instead of the smaller and more bite-sized pieces that I used.

This is totally fine, but you will need to adjust the cooking time, obviously noting that the larger the size, the longer the cooking time overall will be. 

What Kind of Garlic and Ginger is Best?

For a more intensely flavored teriyaki sauce, garlic paste will give you that effect compared to finely minced garlic, although either are fine.

Likewise, freshly ground ginger will be more intense than dried ground ginger but you can also up the quantity of dried ginger to somewhat compensate if you don’t have fresh ginger on hand.

How to Cook Steak Tips on the Stove

Cooking steak tips is a quick and easy process. Since the steak cooks so quickly, you’ll want to make the homemade teriyaki sauce in advance. 

1. Begin by adding the olive oil, garlic, and ginger to a medium saucepan and cook for one minute.
2. Add the crushed pineapple, soy sauce, water, vinegar, brown sugar, honey, sesame oil, red pepper flakes, and cook for five minutes.
3. To a small bowl, mix together the cornstarch and water to make a slurry, then slowly pour into the saucepan while whisking constantly for one minute.
4. Let the sauce simmer for 10 minutes, which will cause it to thicken, and then remove it from the heat.

5. Meanwhile, pat the beef tips with paper towels and then season with salt and pepper.
6. Add the steak to a hot, lightly oiled, heavy-bottomed skillet and cook for 2 minutes on each side to get a nice sear. 
7. Remove from heat and pour half of the pineapple teriyaki sauce over the tips and stir to coat. (Reserve the other half of the sauce for another recipe, such as my Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken Skewers.)
8. Optionally garnish your teriyaki steak tips with sesame seeds or scallions. 

How Long to Cook Steak Tips? 

You’ll want to cook the teriyaki steak tips in a heavy-bottomed skillet over high heat for just 2 minutes per side. I prefer my steak tips medium-rare. If you cook them any further, they tend to become tough and chewy. 

What to Serve with Teriyaki Steak Bites 

Serve the teriyaki steak tips with rice or your favorite vegetable side dish or a salad. A few of my favorites are: 

• Mashed Potatoes
• Apple and Cheddar Spinach Salad 
• Orange Glazed Brussels Sprouts 
• Cheesy Roasted Asparagus 
• Roasted Mixed Vegetables 

Tips for the Best Steak Tips

A half batch of the teriyaki sauce can be made if you don’t like things quite as saucy as my family does or don’t want extra leftover teriyaki sauce.

However, as mentioned, you can use the other half batch of this homemade teriyaki sauce in my Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken Skewers or really any recipe that calls for store bought teriyaki sauce or marinade like grilled chicken.

The teriyaki sauce keeps for weeks in the fridge so not to worry.

If you’re not a fan of pineapple or want a more traditional teriyaki sauce, feel free to omit the crushed pineapple and juice.

Favorite Teriyaki Recipes:

Baked Teriyaki Chicken and Rice — Chicken, rice, pineapple, and red peppers cook together in one pan for an EASY weeknight dinner that tastes like you’re in Hawaii! The homemade teriyaki sauce adds so much INCREDIBLE flavor!

15-Minute Teriyaki Chicken Salad — Fast, EASY, healthy, and sweet mango is the perfect complement to the savory teriyaki chicken!! Save this recipe for when you need a FRESH and TASTY spin on chicken salad!!

Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken Skewers — Fast, easy, and loaded with sweet-and-savory pineapple teriyaki flavor! Made with just a handful of basic ingredients, these grilled chicken skewers will be a family FAVORITE! Serve with coconut rice in a pineapple for a showstopping presentation!

Sheet Pan Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken — Fast, EASY, and loaded with fabulous teriyaki flavor! Tender chicken, juicy pineapple, and crisp-tender veggies make make for a DELISH one-pan meal with zero cleanup.