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Easy Japanese Steak Bowls. Homemade stir-fried steak tossed in a sweet, sticky Japanese barbecue sauce. The potatoes roast in the oven with a drizzle of honey, and the broccoli gets added to the same pan toward the end so everything cooks together. It all comes together quickly from start to finish, making it perfect for any night of the week.
There’s nothing I love more than when my brothers send me dinner ideas. Brendan is especially good at this. He’s always texting me suggestions, usually things I’ve already made a dozen times. And when he recently told me to stuff dates with peanut butter and dip them in chocolate like it was some brand-new discovery… I had to gently remind him that we’ve been doing that for years. Love him, but still.
But this time? He sent me an actual gem.
These Japanese sweet potato steak bowls are completely his idea, and they’ve quickly become one of my favorite easy dinners. He told me I had to find the same Japanese barbecue sauce they use (thankfully, Whole Foods came through), toss the steak in it, and sear it in a hot skillet. Meanwhile, roast up some Japanese sweet potatoes, make a big pot of rice, and slice up an avocado.
Simple. Cozy. So good.
Of course, I had to add my own twist — a little roasted broccoli on the same pan and a creamy drizzle on top, because every good bowl needs a sauce. The result is sweet, sticky, savory, and totally crave-worthy. It comes together fast, feels better than takeout, and honestly tastes better too.
This is Brendan’s favorite dinner for a reason. And now, it’s definitely one of mine as well.
Here’s how to make these steak bowls
Ingredients
- flank steak
- black pepper
- Japanese barbecue sauce
- cornstarch or flour
- garlic powder
- butter, ghee, or oil
- Japanese sweet potatoes or sweet potatoes
- broccoli florets
- garlic
For Serving
- avocado, sesame seeds, and green onions
- jasmine rice
The Creamy Sauce
- Japanese barbecue sauce
- mayo or yogurt
- chili flakes
The Tools You Need
For this recipe, you’ll need a skillet, I like cast iron. You’ll also need a sheet pan and a bowl to mix up the creamy sauce. I love how simple the recipe is. If you have cooked rice, you can use it too!
These are the steps
Step 1: Roast the Sweet Potatoes
Start by preheating the oven to 425° F. Toss the sweet potatoes with olive oil, salt, and pepper right on a baking sheet. Make sure everything is spread out in an even layer so the potatoes actually roast and get those golden edges. Pop them into the oven for about 20 minutes, until tender and caramelized. This is when your kitchen starts smelling really good.
Step 2: Prep the Beef
While the potatoes are roasting, grab the beef. Season it with pepper, then toss it with 1/2 cup of the Japanese barbecue sauce. Let it sit for about 10 minutes so it can soak up all that flavor. Sprinkle with the cornstarch and garlic powder, then toss again. This is what gives you that glossy, sticky, takeout-style finish.
Step 3: Cook the Beef
Heat the butter or ghee in a large skillet over high heat. Once it’s hot, add the beef in an even layer and let it cook undisturbed for a couple of minutes. You want those crispy edges. Toss the beef, then pour in the remaining sauce and let it bubble for 2–3 minutes, until thick, shiny, and perfectly coated. Remove from the heat. Add extra sauce if you’re like me and love it extra saucy.
Step 4: Roast the Broccoli
Toss the broccoli with olive oil, garlic, and a pinch of salt. Add it right onto the pan with the sweet potatoes. Drizzle the potatoes with honey (so good), then slide everything back into the oven for about 10 more minutes. The broccoli gets tender with a little char, and the potatoes turn perfectly golden.
Step 5: Make the Creamy Sauce
Stir together all of the sauce ingredients in a bowl until smooth and creamy. Give it a taste and adjust as needed — more heat, more sweetness, whatever you’re feeling. Every good bowl needs a drizzle moment, and this is it.
Step 6: Assemble and Serve
Spoon the rice into bowls, then layer on the beef, sweet potatoes, and broccoli. Top with avocado, lots of sesame seeds (the more, the better), green onions, and a generous drizzle of the creamy sauce. Serve warm. It’s cozy, colorful, and honestly better than takeout.
Looking for other Korean-inspired recipes? Here are some of my favorites:
Oven Fried Korean Popcorn Chicken
Instant Pot Sticky Korean Chicken
Instant Pot Korean Bulgogi BBQ Tacos
If you make my Easy Japanese Steak Bowls, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love hearing from you guys and always do my best to respond to every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Easy Japanese Steak Bowls
Servings: 6 bowls
Calories Per Serving: 562 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds flank steak, thinly sliced
- black pepper
- 1 cup Japanese barbecue sauce
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch or flour
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons butter, ghee, or oil
- 3-4 Japanese sweet potatoes/sweet potatoes, cut into wedges
- 3 cups broccoli florets, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- avocado, sesame seeds and green onions, for serving
- jasmine rice, for serving
Creamy Sauce
- 1/4 cup Japanese barbecue sauce
- 1/3 cup mayo, or yogurt
- chili flakes
Instructions
- 1. Preheat oven to 425° F. Toss sweet potatoes with 1 tablespoon oil, salt, and pepper on a baking sheet. Roast 20 minutes.2. Season the beef with pepper. Toss with 1/2 cup sauce; let sit 10 minutes. Add cornstarch and garlic powder; toss to coat.3. Heat butter or ghee in a large skillet over high. Add beef in an even layer; sear undisturbed 2 minutes. Toss the beef, add the remaining 1/4 cup sauce, and cook for 2–3 minutes, until thick and glossy. Remove from heat. Add more sauce, if desired.4. Toss broccoli with 1 tablespoon oil, garlic, and a pinch of salt. Drizzle the potatoes with honey, and roast 10 minutes.5. Stir together all ingredients. 6. Serve beef, potatoes, and broccoli over rice. Top with avocado, sesame seeds, green onions, and the creamy sauce.
This post was originally published on February 19, 2026
So good!! Love the flavors.
Hey Celeste,
Wonderful! I appreciate you making this recipe and your comment, so glad it was enjoyed!🍀
Excellent. Substituted yogurt for the mayo, brown rice for the jasmine and had my butcher slice thin the flank ….will make again!
Hey Laurie,
Awesome! So glad this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for making it! Happy Monday!
This was amazing! Everyone loved it.
Hey Melissa,
Thrilled to hear this dish turned out nicely for you, thanks for making it and your comment!
Have a nice weekend!
I made this and thought it was phenomenal. Girlfriend didn’t like it however because she said it was too sweet with the combination of sweet potatoes and the teriyaki like Japanese bbq sauce I probably got. I loved it though. Amazing website, thanks folks.
maybe different sauce if you want it more savory as opposed to sweet.
Thanks so much, Randy! So glad to hear you enjoyed this dish, I appreciate your feedback!
This was delicious!! It was pretty simple to make and so flavorful.
Hey Mandy,
Awesome! I appreciate you making this dish and your comment, so glad it was enjoyed!
Have a great Sunday!
This is excellent. The flavors meld perfectly as most of your recipes do. My lady wanted me to add mandarin oranges so I did and it was nice. However the organization of your recipes on the site is really frustrating. You go about this recipe 3 different ways and each way you forget to include steps or ingredients. And the pop up adds are absolutely ridiculous verging on me not using this site anymore and sticking to your books I own. Sorry you have great recipes but this site is a disaster. You ever look at how all recipes lays things out?
Hi Carl,
Thanks for making this recipe, so glad to hear it was enjoyed!
So sorry for any frustrations with the website, I appreciate your feedback!
Your recipies are a hit EVERY SINGLE TIME!! And they are not hard, and most stuff is in my Kitchen. Tieghan you are amazing!!!
Thanks so much, Victoria:)
I have to download the recipes into my Paprika app to be able to cook from them because the pop-up ads make it impossible to follow on my phone!
I would give more stars if I could. Super easy with huge payoff. My picky daughter says it’s a keeper and asked to pack what little remained for lunch tomorrow. I made it with shaved steak and the steak had an amazing texture. No other subs. It was perfect. Tieghan, you’re my hero.
Hey Meka,
Big thanks for making this recipe and sharing back. So glad it hit the spot!
Enjoy your Wednesday! Thanks so much for your kind message:)
Can you please clarify step 1 and 4? Are we roasting the potatoes twice??
Hi Elizabeth,
Yes, you will put the potatoes back in the oven for 10 minutes after drizzling with honey in step 4.
Please let me know if you have any other questions!
Might want to add honey to the list of ingredients lol!
YUM!! Better than take-out and faster than delivery!! Wow, home run. Don’t leave anything out and follow as stated. Fabulous!
*Made with Bachan’s Japanese Barbecue Sauce (hot and Spicy)
the sauce with Bachan’s Japanese Barbecue (gluten-free)
Hey Kym,
Thanks a bunch for making this recipe and your comment! So glad it was enjoyed!
Have the best weekend!
I don’t understand step four? Add potatoes to baking sheet, but what about step one? Can you go back and look at this?
Hi Taylor,
Sorry for any confusion! You are correct, the sweet potatoes are already on the baking sheet:)
I hope you love this recipe!
I have to tell you we made this twice this week. The first time we used Korean BBQ sauce because that is what we had. Also, no sweet potatoes because broccoli seemed to be enough on it’s own. Steak got carmelized and it was delicious over coconut rice. Yummy! Second time, we used Japanese BBQ sauce. Steak got all carmelized and it too was yummy. Love it both ways. Thanks again!
Hey Mary,
Wonderful! I appreciate you making this recipe, I’m so glad to hear it turned out well for you!
My husband accidently purchased skirt steak for this recipe. How do you feel about this cut of meat. Thanks
Hey Brandi,
That would be just fine for you to use:) I hope you love this dish, let me know if you give it a try!
I want to try this….what is the brand of Japanese BBQ sauce? The other review says you referenced it but I can’t seem to find it. I see a partial pic of it…..but cant read the name. Thank you for any light you can shed!
Hi Kathy,
I used Bachan Japanese BBQ sauce. Please let me know if you have any other questions!
Made this and it is absolutely delicious and EASY! My family loved it! I used the Miso Japanese BBQ, but just wondering which one you usually use?
Thanks so much, Jaclyn!! I like the Bachen brand BBQ sauce.
Step 4 says add potatoes to baking sheet but step 1 also says that? When was I supposed to take them off, if I am putting them back on in step 4. Confused!
Hi Megan,
Sorry for any confusion! You do not need to remove the potatoes, you are just going to add the broccoli to the same pan:) I hope you love this dish!
In atep
2 and 3 it references adding “sauce “. Is this just the BBq sauce or the creamy sauce?
Hi Steven,
That is the BBQ sauce:) I hope you love this dish!
In the text you say to roast the potatoes with honey but it’s not in the actual recipe. Yes or no?
Hi Maggie,
Yes, that is correct, you will add the honey in step 4. Please let me know if you have any other questions!
This was a delicious meal! I used 15 oz of filet mignon instead of flank steak for 3 people. Our local grocery store had the Japanese BBQ Sauce that you recommended. Such a great flavor!
Thank you!
Kathy
Hey Kathy,
Perfect! Love to hear this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for making it!