Sarku Japan's Chicken Teriyaki Recipe: Awaken Your Inner Itamae - Blend of Bites (2024)

The star of food courts, Sarku Japan is perhaps one of the most popular and common Asian restaurants in the US. But what’s more interesting is the popularity of Sarku Japan’s chicken teriyaki recipe, which basically transcends the brand itself.

The recipe owes its fame to the special teriyaki sauce, which is a balance of sweet, savory, and salty. A definite crowd-pleaser, we should warn that this recipe could be addictive.

Ingredients

• Chicken thighs — 2 pounds, boneless and skinless
• Ginger — 1 tsp.
• Soy sauce — 3 ½ tbsp.
• Sesame oil — 1 ½ tsp.
• Mirin — 3 ½ tbsp.
• Brown sugar — 2 tbsp.
• Cornstarch — 1 tbsp.
• Cooking oil — 2 tbsp.

Instructions

1. Place the chicken in a mixing bowl. Add soy sauce, sesame oil, mirin, ginger, cornstarch, and brown sugar.

2. Mix to combine.

3. Marinate for 2 hours.

4. Heat some oil in a large pan.

5. Add the chicken to the pan, leaving the marinade in the bowl.

6. Sear the chicken for a minute per side, on low heat.

7. Cook for another minute on high heat.

8. Add the marinade and cook for a few minutes.

Substitutions

• Cornstarch — An important ingredient in stir-fries, marinades, and sauces, we recommend sticking to cornstarch if possible. Arrowroot can be used in place of cornstarch in Sarku Japan’s chicken teriyaki recipe, as well as potato starch.

• Mirin — This one shouldn’t surprise you, as it’s such a common ingredient in Asian cooking. Still, finding Mirin might prove to be a challenge, depending on where you live. Dry sherry makes a great alternative. Rice vinegar and white wine are other alternatives that work really well.

• Soy sauce — Teriyaki sauce is at its best when made with soy sauce, but you can get away with using fish sauce or Worcestershire instead. Obviously, the flavor will differ slightly.

Variations

• Sweet teriyaki — Teriyaki sauce is a mix of sweet, savory, and salty. If you’d wish to have your teriyaki sauce sweeter, you might want to consider adding half a teaspoon of honey to the mix. You could try maple syrup as well.

• Teriyaki salmon — As iconic as chicken teriyaki is, if you are up for some experimentation, you might want to consider swapping chicken for salmon. Two salmon filets would be enough for this recipe.

Equipment

• Measuring spoons

• Large bowl

• Large pan

Storage

• Transfer the leftover chicken teriyaki to an airtight container. Once stored in your fridge, the leftovers will last for four days.

• If you opt for freezing the leftovers, they will last for up to three months.

Pro Tips

• The marinade — While marinating the chicken for two hours would be just fine, marinate it for at least four hours for the best results. This will allow the chicken to fully incorporate the marinade.

• Make ahead — If you suspect that you will be short on time, you can always prepare the marinade beforehand. Simply mix the teriyaki sauce ingredients in a mixing bowl and store the mixture in your fridge, covered. It will last for four days.

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