Homemade Sarku Teriyaki

If you’ve gone to one of the larger malls across the US, you may have come across a Sarku Japan Teriyaki place in the mall food court. I’ve fallen in love with their teriyaki chicken from the first time the sample lady gave me a piece on a toothpick to try. Sarku Japan is by far my favorite teriyaki place to eat at but making it at home is even better. Through trial n’ error over the years, i think this recipe is pretty close to the one at the mall.

I complete this chicken teriyaki dish with yakisoba noodles and steamed vegetables because that is how i always ordered it there and i think it goes well together. If you don’t like yakisoba noodles or don’t have any on hand, you can substitute with steamed or fried rice as well.

Ingredients:

  • 3lb Skinless Boneless chicken thighs (do not trim fat)
  • 1/2 Cup of water
  • 2TBSP of Cooking Sherry
  • 3/4tsp or 2 garlic cloves (pressed)
  • 1/2tsp of White Pepper
  • 2TBSP Kikkoman Soy Sauce
  • 2TBSP Grape Seed Oil (or any oil)
  • 1/2TBSP of Baking Soda

Instructions:

  1. Cut the chicken thighs into strips, add it into the bowl of a stand mixer.
  2. To the meat, add the rest of the ingredients such as 1/2 cup of water, 2Tbsp of cooking sherry, 3/4tsp or 2 cloves of garlic, 1/2tsp of white pepper, 2Tbsp of soy sauce, 2Tbsp of Oil, 1/2Tbsp of Baking Soda.
  3. Using the dough hook attachment of the stand mixer, mix the meat for 25-30 minutes on low speed until you get a white sloppy mess.
  4. Refrigerate overnight or at least 8 hours before cooking.

Teriyaki Sauce Ingredients:

  • 1 1/4 cup of Chicken Stock
  • 1/3cup of Yoshida’s Gourmet Sauce or Kikkoman Teriyaki Sauce
  • 1/4cup of Kikkoman Soy Sauce
  • 1 clove of Garlic (pressed)
  • 1 slice of fresh Ginger Root
  • 1/3 cup of Brown Sugar
  • 3Tsp of Cornstarch (dissolve in 1Tbsp of cold water)

Instructions to make the Teriyaki Sauce:

  1. In a small saucepan, add of all the ingredients together and bring it to a boil, let it simmer for a few minutes until the sauce thickens.
  2. Strain the sauce through a sieve to collect all the pieces of garlic and ginger.
  3. Keep in mind, the sauce will thicken more as it cools.
  4. Use this sauce for the meat, noodles and vegetables)

***When you are ready to cook the meat, take it out of the fridge, mix again for 5-10 minutes in a stand mixer with the dough hook and let it warm up on the counter top at least 30 more minutes prior to cooking. (Doing this step will help the meat cook more evenly and dissolve more fat as it cooks..***

  1. Heat a large skillet on high heat, drizzle some oil (depends what size skillet you use) (i used my presto 16″ electric skillet (linked at bottom of post) and i added about 1/4cup of oil)
  2. Add the meat to the preheated skillet making sure no pieces are on top of each other, fry until lightly browned, flip and brown the other side as well (about 5 minutes per side)
  3. After both sides are browned, add teriyaki sauce to glaze the meat, fry additional 2-3 minutes for the sauce to stick. Again the amount of sauce will depend how much meat you’re frying. (i added about 1/2cup for my 16″ skillet)
  4. Fry the meat in batches, cleaning up the skillet from leftover teriyaki sauce after EACH use because it will burn and ruin the next batch if left behind. (The reason why i use the biggest skillet i own) linked at bottom of post.

Prepparing Yakisoba Noodles:

  1. Using the same skillet (no need to wash) add pre-cooked Yakisoba Noodles with a splash of water. Cover with a lid to steam, then add some teriyaki sauce as well. (The amount of water and sauce varies because it all depends on how much you are making) I was making about 2.5lbs of noodles at once and added about 1/2cup of water and 1/2cup of teriyaki sauce. (May add more sauce if you’d like)

Steam the Vegetables:

  • 1/2 Head of a green Cabbage
  • 2 large Carrots
  • Broccoli (optional)
  1. Roughly shred or chop the cabbage and cut the carrots into circles or thick julienne strips.
  2. Add the vegetables into a preheated skillet, add about 1/4cup of water, and season with a pinch of salt. Mix, cover with a lid and let it steam for about 3-5 minutes.
  3. After the Vegetables are about done, add about 1/4cup of the teriyaki sauce, mix again and take off the heat.

Serve right away or save it for later. This teriyaki chicken, yakisoba noodles and steamed vegetables reheat wonderfully.

Glaze with more Teriyaki sauce before serving if desired.

Enjoy!

If you make this recipe, do me a favor and leave a comment, tag @alenashomecooking on instagram and hashtag it #alenashomecooking or by clicking the social icons on top of this page.

4.95 from 19 votes
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Homemade Sarku Teriyaki

Author Alena’s Home Cooking

Ingredients

  • 3 lbs Boneless skinless chicken thighs (do not trim fat)
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 tbsp Cooking Sherry
  • 3/4 tsp or 2 Garlic cloves
  • 1/2 tsp White Pepper
  • 2 Tbsp Kikkoman Soy Sauce
  • 2 Tbsp Grapeseed Oil (any oil)
  • 1/2 Tbsp Baking Soda

Teriyaki Sauce:

  • 1 1/4 cup Chicken Stock
  • 1/3 cup Yoshidas Gourmet Sauce (Or kikkoman Teriyaki Sauce)
  • 1/4 cup Kikkoman Soy sauce
  • 1 clove Garlic
  • 1 slice Ginger root
  • 1/3 cup Brown Sugar
  • 3 Tsp Cornstarch (dissolve with 1 TBSP of cold water)

Instructions

  1. Marinate the meat:

    Cut the chicken thighs into strips, add it into the bowl of a stand mixer.

    To the meat, add the rest of the ingredients such as 1/2 cup of water, 2Tbsp of cooking sherry, 3/4tsp or 2 cloves of garlic, 1/2tsp of white pepper, 2Tbsp of soy sauce, 2Tbsp of Oil, 1/2Tbsp of Baking Soda.

    Using the dough hook attachment of the stand mixer, mix the meat for 25-30 minutes on low speed until you get a white sloppy mess.

    Refrigerate overnight or at least 8 hours before cooking.

    Cook the meat:

    Heat a large skillet on high heat, drizzle some oil (depends what size skillet you use) (i used my presto 16" electric skillet and i added about 1/4cup of oil)

    Add the meat to the preheated skillet making sure no pieces are on top of each other, fry until lightly browned, flip and brown the other side as well (about 5 minutes per side)

    After both sides are browned, add teriyaki sauce to glaze the meat, again the amount of sauce will depend how much meat you're frying. (i added about 1/2cup for my 16" skillet)

  2. Teriyaki Sauce:

    In a small saucepan, add of all the ingredients together and bring it to a boil, let it simmer for a few minutes until the sauce thickens.

    Strain the sauce through a sieve to collect all the pieces of garlic and ginger.

    Keep in mind, the sauce will thicken more as it cools.

Here’s the link to the Electric skillet that i own. I use it outdoors in the summer time to fry everything. 🙂

68 Comments

  • Jenny

    Has anyone tried making this gluten free by using Kikkoman Gluten-Free Teriyaki Marinade in place of the 1/3 cup Yoshidas Gourmet Sauce (Or kikkoman Teriyaki Sauce)? I’m desperate for some good teriyaki. I haven’t been able to eat Sarku since 2011.

  • Justin

    This is the one. Like literally stop searching for recipes, this one is it. The accuracy and the taste are phenomenal. Definitely will go with the low sodium soy sauce next time, though. And if you’re like me and don’t have a stand mixer, about 15 minutes straight of hand mixing seemed to do the trick.

    • alenashomecooking

      Thank you so much! I’m glad you loved the recipe and were able to work around it and make it work.

  • Bri

    I love this recipe! I decided to try it in the air fryer the last time I made it and it turned out perfectly. I cooked the chicken in a single layer on 400 degrees for about 10 minutes.

    • Melissa

      What is the serving size? About how many people would this feed? Should I double it for a family of 8

      • alenashomecooking

        6lbs of meat is a great portion. Depending on how big your servings are but I think this can easily feed 8-10 adults.

  • Amy Hill

    I started the preparation of this dish last night by “massaging” the chicken with a Kitchenaid Mixer and then placing the chicken in a container in the refrigerator overnight until I’m ready to start cooking it today. We will be eating, hopefully, in a couple of hours and I will update the results of it then. Can’t wait!

    • Amy Hill

      Meal turned out amazingly good! Thank you for perfecting the recipe that brings back memories of going to the mall and stopping to have teriyaki chicken with steamed veggies for lunch or dinner.

      • alenashomecooking

        Yay! I’m so glad you liked it! And thank you for taking the time and leaving a review. Very much appreciated.

  • Jaylene

    5 stars
    I have been browsing online more than three hours today yet I have not found anything more interesting than this recipe I gave it a shot and it is now a staple piece in our home. Delicious 😋

  • Sy

    5 stars
    Can’t wait to try this! How about the steak and shrimp option? Would you marinate these other proteins the same way? I’d like to try beef and steak. Thanks in advance

    • alenashomecooking

      I haven’t tried the other protein options as my family just likes the chicken but I’ll put that on my to do list 😊 let me know if you try it out before I do

  • Rachie

    5 stars
    Just tried this recipe for the first time the other night and I have to say, it was almost spot on for sarku! Very delicious and a new staple recipe in my cooking rotation!

  • Lena

    5 stars
    This is the most SPOT ON RECIPE for Sarku Japan chicken teriyaki! I’ve probably made it 25+ times now, it’s a staple in our household now. I never have cooking sherry but I do have shaoxing cooking wine and that does the job! My Kitchenaid broke so I just skip the meat tenderizing step and just add a lil more baking soda / leave in fridge for 2 days. It is TRULY delicious and you can tweak the salt / sweet level in the sauce at the end. It’s a masterpiece!!!!!!!! Bravo!!!!!

  • Alina K

    5 stars
    Best recipe ever! I have been waiting for a recipe that comes as close to the one I get at Sarku! Did this recipe many times and always comes out tasting amazing! Definitely worth a try!

  • Linda

    5 stars
    Thank you Alena for posting this recipe, very delicious. My family LOVES IT
    I highly recommend for any home cook to try this recipe if you haven’t already.

  • Hope Meyers

    5 stars
    Alena thank you so much for posting this recipe with all the detailed steps and pictures this recipe turned out from first try and it’s so so close to the real thing. This dinner will be on repeat

    • alenashomecooking

      Yes it is necessary, you can try replacing with white wine or red wine vinegar however I haven’t had the need to use a substitute yet therefore I’m not able to tell you if the same proportion would give it the same results.

      • Ameera

        Oh ok I was asking because I can’t consume any alcohol since I’m Muslim,
        is using apple cider vinegar fine?

      • alenashomecooking

        I have not tried with apple cider vinegar, I’m afraid it won’t give you the same taste results but if you do end up trying it out, I’d love to hear your feedback

  • Dave M

    Amazing! My very first time it couldn’t have been any closer to Sarku. I find each time after, it turns out slightly different each time, but it’s always delicious. If you skimp a little it over do it a bit on most ingredients doesn’t ruin the meal.

    I achieve different results specifically by adjusting the amount of ginger root, garlic, and the time I simmer the sauce. I’ve debating adding a very slight touch of white sugar to the sauce, but I haven’t tried it yet.

    There are lots of ways to make slight adjustments to change it up a bit.

    This is an awesome recipe!!

    • alenashomecooking

      Thank you! Yes adjustments definitely change up the end result. I’m glad you liked the recipe.

      • Dave McLaughlin

        Two things I might add that I do is:

        use an iron skillet – provides a good texture; and gets the heat to quickly cook the chicken but leave it tender

        use a ‘cooking brick’ – really just as it sounds, a uniform brick wrapped in foil. I first lightly brown the chicken, then I turn it over and form it into the shape of the brick. I press the brick down on it for about 10 seconds, and then rest the brick on it and cook for another minute to minute and a half for each side.

        Then I remove the brick, add sauce, and glaze for a minute or two l.

        Hope this helps some. I just found the brick idea for another recipe, and find it give the chicken a very nice texture, evenly.

      • Dave McLaughlin

        5 stars
        A few things I do that might help others:

        I use an iron skillet. It seems to give a nicer browning and maintains heat better.

        I use a ‘cooking brick’ (a uniform brick, wrapped in foil). First I lightly brown the chicken on one side, then I turn it and arrange it in the shape of the brick. Pressing down for about 10 seconds, then let the weight of the brick press it down for another 1-1.5 minutes. Do the same for the other side, then remove the brick and cool until done, splashing with sauce.

        I have pics and videos if I can post them

  • Chasity

    5 stars
    Can’t wait to try this, I love mall teriyaki chicken. How did you come up with the dough hook method though? This recipe will give me a chance to finally use that attachment on my Kitchen Aid 😂

    • alenashomecooking

      It’s an easy way to “massage” the meat making it more tender. Let me know how it turns out 🙂

  • Ken

    The recipe says, “mix the meat for 25-30 minutes on low speed until you get a white sloppy mess”. Is that truly “minutes” or should it be “seconds”? Thanks.

  • Whitney

    Attempting this tomorrow! Have the chicken in it’s lovely mess now in the fridge. Will post once completed 🙂

    • alenashomecooking

      Hi Jessica, yes you can cut meat into smaller pieces, the reason you should leave the fat on is because if you trim it off, you will get a much dryer and tougher meat. The fat dissolves during the cooking process and leaves the meat tender.

    • David

      Thanks so much for this. Sarku left both of the malls near my house recently and the closest one is an hour away! Yours is also the only recipe that includes the great veggies. The others just have chicken and rice – not very balanced.

  • Illona Kovalchuk

    What if you don’t have the mixer like that with a hook attachment. I only have a hand held mixer?
    Also where did you get your noodles?

    • alenashomecooking

      Sometimes hand mixers come with dough hook attachments too, you can use those, it would just take longer to get that white mess.. If you don’t have that either, you can massage the meat by hand as much as you can.
      I get my yakisoba noodles at smart food service. They can also be found in almost any Asian market, Fred Meyer or Safeway.

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