How to Make Teriyaki Anything (Complete Guide + Recipes!)

Teriyaki is a word that just about everyone has heard. For most of you, it brings to mind an image of a mid Japanese restaurant serving up plates of rice, vegetables, and meat. Stir-fried in a salty sauce and served on a black plate.

Or perhaps you think of a “hibachi” restaurant and a slick chef flipping your food in front of you. Which is teppanyaki, this is a hibachi, but that’s another story.

But do you truly know what teriyaki is? Why is teriyaki such an iconic dish? How can you make a good teriyaki? In this post, I’ll address all these questions, show you how to make traditional Japanese Teriyaki and share three recipes for teriyaki.

Quick Disclaimer: I am not Japanese, but I’ve been making teriyaki for years, and have thoroughly researched this topic. The links to my sources are located in the “Sources” section at the bottom of this post.

If you think I misinterpreted something about Japanese cuisine, please politely leave me a comment so I don’t make the same mistake later.

What is Teriyaki?

In short, teriyaki is a technique in which foods are usually grilled before being glazed in a sweet, salty soy-based sauce. The sauce that many Americans call “teriyaki sauce,” is called tare in Japan, and we’ll go more in-depth on that later.

Cooking ingredients in this way remains popular today and is the defining feature of dishes such as unagi no kabayaki.

In Japanese, several words are compound, composed of two separate kanji to make one word. “Yaki (焼き)” comes up a lot when referring to Japanese dishes. It roughly translates to “grilled.”

The other kanji “teri (照り)” means shine, or “gloss.” So it means “shine grilled” or “gloss grilled.” I’m not sure if that’s a great or terrible name, but it’s very literal, and it sounds pretty cool in English so it works.

The Origins of Teriyaki

Japan

The origins of this dish are a little muddy, so I’ll make it as clear as possible. Teriyaki’s earliest form can be traced back to 17th-century Japan (per Chard Kitchen) and is referred to as a cooking method. This method involved grilling fish and glazing it in a mixture of soy sauce, sake, mirin, and sugar.

Teriyaki sauce was invented later, in either Seattle or Hawaii. Whichever came first is hotly debated. What’s not debated is if bottled teriyaki sauce was invented in Japan. Nagi from Recipe Tin Eats says she has never seen a bottle of teriyaki sauce made in Japan and always grew up eating a homemade version.

Hawaii

Hawaii is a cultural melting pot, and several people have called it their home, influencing the rich and diverse culture. According to Data USA, almost 37% of Hawaii is Asian, including many Japanese people.

Japanese immigrants used their cooking knowledge and techniques combined with accessible ingredients such as ginger, pineapple juice, and brown sugar to create a teriyaki sauce sometimes known as “island teriyaki.” This version is generally sweeter and thicker than the traditional.

Seattle

While Japanese immigrants in Hawaii invented their version of Teriyaki Sauce, it truly gained American popularity in Seattle.

It all started in 1957 when Kikkoman attempted to promote soy sauce to America. Unfortunately, Americans were hesitant to purchase this unfamiliar ingredient.

This changed when a Japanese Immigrant named Junki Yoshida began giving away free food samples, based on the way his mom made teriyaki (per the Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Washington). The samples were a hit, and teriyaki, along with soy sauce, made its way into the average American’s diet.

The teriyaki sauce found in supermarkets today is primarily the American version; heavy on sugar, ginger, garlic, and cornstarch, with less sake and mirin. The teriyaki I will be using in this post is closer to the traditional Japanese version.

The Basic Recipe

In Japanese, teriyaki is the technique of grilling foods in a sweet, savory, salty sauce. The sauce itself is called tare, which is sort of a catch-all term for several Japanese sauces using similar ingredients. It’s used in dishes like yakitori, yakiniku, and ramen.

The basic tare for teriyaki is 1 part soy sauce, 1 part sake, 1 part mirin, and half a part sugar. That’s it. When you cook this with other ingredients the sugar and mirin reduce, making the sauce turn slightly viscous, stick to whatever you’re cooking, and give each dish its namesake shine.

My Tare Recipe

The traditional recipe is equal parts soy sauce, mirin, sake, and half a part sugar, and it works. It’s a great sauce that works on about anything and I make it all the time.

It doesn’t have many strong-flavored ingredients, but the perfect balance of sweet, salty, and umami flavor makes this sauce appealing.

But sometimes, it’s good to step away from the tried and true. Food is always changing, and I believe it’s important to understand a traditional dish’s attributes and origins, and then make subtle changes while staying true to the original dish.

I stick to the three vital ingredients soy sauce, sake, and mirin as a base, but add a few other ingredients for an elevated and unique experience. Here’s how to make it.

Ingredients

• 1 c. soy sauce
• 1 c. mirin
• 1 c. sake
• 1/2 c. of sugar
• 1/4 c. rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp. of minced ginger

Combine 1 cup each of soy sauce, mirin, and sake in a small sauce pot over medium heat. Add 1/2 cup of sugar, 4 tablespoons of rice vinegar,

and 1 tablespoon of minced ginger.

Bring to a gentle simmer, stir, and cook for 10 minutes on medium heat. Take off the heat and transfer it to a jar or reusable plastic squirt bottle.

This sauce is still a a simple recipe aligned with the Japanese cooking style but uses a bit of ginger and acid (rice vinegar) to make brighter teriyaki with a subtle pop of flavor.

Cornstarch or No Cornstarch?

Some recipes use cornstarch as a thickening agent for teriyaki.

While cornstarch is a useful ingredient perfected in Chinese cuisine, I don’t think it belongs in this dish. You’ve probably noticed that many Chinese dishes have a certain texture and gloss to their sauces, because of cornstarch.

Teriyaki on the other hand uses the reduction of sugars to stick to the food and provide its signature shine. Because the sauce is reduced it has a more concentrated flavor and in my opinion, a better mouthfeel. So you can add cornstarch, but I’m on the no-cornstarch side.

How to Make Teriyaki Anything

Making teriyaki at home is an easy skill to pick up, and once you do, it’s the key to pulling delicious, fast home-cooked meals out of anything. 

The first step is searing your ingredients. Before you add the tare, searing your food will give it a crispy brown exterior and activate the Maillard reaction, the reason many foods taste as good as they do.

After searing the food on both sides, pat any extra oil from the pan, turn the heat to medium-low, add the tare, and reduce to a a glaze.

If you’re making teriyaki with meat such as chicken or steak, remove the meat from the pan immediately after searing, rest for 5-110 minutes, and then glaze it in the sauce.

Doing this in two stages is vital to the dish’s success. According to Serious Eats, Maillard reactions occur rapidly at surface temperatures upwards of 300 degrees. To achieve this temp in a short time, the pan needs to be well above that.

And according to the Exploratorium “Above about 350 degrees, the sugar begins to burn and develop a bitter, burnt taste.” So the dilemma with adding the tare at the beginning is achieving good Maillard reactions without burning the tare is extremely difficult.

Once the sauce is reduced and sticks to the food remove it from the pan. Slice as needed and serve.

That’s it. Now the window is open. You can use this method for fish, chicken, vegetables, and tofu, maybe adjust the sugar and make a glaze banana to put on top of ice cream. I don’t know if that’ll work, but you have to try things sometimes; just get cooking.

Recipe #1 – Chicken Teriyaki

The first recipe is the classic chicken teriyaki. It may be basic but it’s easy and popular with everyone so let’s get to it.

Ingredients

• 6 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
• Kosher Salt
• 1/2 tbsp. of oil
• 1/4-1/2 cup prepared tare
• Toasted sesame seeds, for garnish

Remove the bones and trim any excess fat off a few bone-on skin-on chicken thighs. If you can find boneless skin on chicken thighs, even better, but my grocery store only sells skin and bone.

Remove the tendons, and season with salt. I highly recommend doing this step the day before, but if you don’t have time you don’t have time.

Place 3 chicken thighs in a cold pan, skin side down, with just a tiny bit of oil. The skin has a lot of fat, and starting with a cold pan gives that fat time to render out.

Turn the heat up to medium-high and cook for 3 minutes. After 3 minutes flip the chicken thighs and cook for 2 more minutes.

Repeat the following steps with the remaining three chicken thighs.

Pour out excess oil, and dab the pan with a paper towel. Add about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of prepared tare, lower the heat to medium-low, and reduce for about 2 minutes, flipping once.

Transfer the chicken to the cutting board and allow it to rest for 10 minutes before cutting.

Slice against the grain and you’ve made chicken teriyaki. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and serve it with rice, miso soup, and/or Japanese side dishes. Rice is traditional, but you could even make a wrap, sandwich, or salad with it. 

Recipe #2 – Tofu Teriyaki

I don’t hate many things, but I do hate tofu’s bad wrap in the West. Especially when the best argument people can come up with is tofu is bland. Tofu’s not boring, you are.

Anyway, this recipe is for you if you don’t eat meat (or if you do but you know tofu is delicious). If you’re not sure about tofu because it’s unfamiliar to you. This recipe is definitely for you. 

Ingredients

• 1 14 oz block of firm or extra firm tofu, pressed
• 1/2 tbsp. of oil
• 1/4 cup of prepared tare
• Toasted sesame seeds

Start with firm and preferably extra firm tofu. Soft tofu has its place, teriyaki is not in that place. You can press the tofu by placing heavy objects on it for a few hours, freezing it, or microwaving it.

Cut your pressed tofu into single servings about 3×4 inches. Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat, once hot add a drizzle of oil, tofu goes in, and fry until golden brown on each side, 3-4 minutes.

Turn the heat to medium-low, tare goes in, and reduce until glossy. Top it off with toasted sesame seeds, and you’re done.

Again easy, healthy, delicious protein. Great with rice and sides. If you’ve never eaten tofu before then please, please, please try this recipe. Tofu is for everyone, not just vegans and vegetarians. 

Recipe #3  – Egg Plant Teriyaki

Cooking in two stages is especially important with eggplant as it’s bitter and tough if undercooked. This can be served as a main course, or as a side dish to accompany grilled meats or seafood.

Ingredients

• 1 eggplant
• About 2 cups of water (500g)
• 10g of salt (2% of the water)
• 1/2-1 tbsp. of oil
• 1/4 prepared tare
• Toasted sesame seeds, for garnish

Start by slicing an eggplant into long, elliptical rounds about 1 inch thick.

Bringing the eggplant ensures even salting and prevents it from oxidizing. Stir the salt into the water, then add your eggplant slices along with a weight, and let your eggplants chill in the pool for 30 minutes.

After bringing your eggplants dry them until they’re… well, dry. Then brush a light coating of oil over the eggplant’s surface. Heat a pan over medium-high heat, then add the eggplant. Add a lid and cook for 5 minutes on each side, covered.

After ten minutes of cooking, the eggplant should be slightly charred with a tender, juicy texture.

Turn the heat down to medium-low add 1/4 of tare to the pan and reduce for 1-2 minutes, flipping the eggplant once.

Remove the eggplant from the pan and serve immediately.

Sources

Teppanyaki vs. Hibachi iBBQ

Beginning of Teriyaki Chard Kitchen

Bottled Teriyaki in Japan Recipe Tin Eats

Demographics of Hawaii Data USA

Teriyaki in Seattle Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Washington

Maillard Reactions Serious Eats

Sugar’s Burning Point Exploratorium