Homemade Mall Sarku Japan Chicken Teriyaki Recipe

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This famous Sarku Japan chicken teriyaki recipe also known as the “mall teriyaki” is the one you try making once and then you can’t stop. The glazed chicken bits are so tender and the teriyaki sauce is finger licking good, exactly what your taste buds are calling for.

If you’ve gone to one of the larger malls across the USA, you may have come across a Sarku Japan restaurant in the mall food court. I’ve fallen in love with their teriyaki chicken from the first time the sample lady gave me a small sample on a toothpick to try. We quickly got in line to make our first order and try their menu items.

The chicken teriyaki and shrimps are my favorite items but we also loved their vegetable spring rolls. 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, this isn’t the exact recipe but i think this recipe is very close to the one at the mall food court.

I complete this chicken teriyaki dish with soba noodles and steamed vegetables. 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 white rice or fried rice. Try this chicken teriyaki with my steamed rice with vegetables, a combination of both worlds.

Some people like spicy teriyaki, if that is you, try this chicken teriyaki with sriracha hot sauce, or use any other hot sauce to satisfy your own taste.

How do you make the best Sarku chicken teriyaki at home?

From years of experience of making this chicken teriyaki recipe at home, a few tips i can leave you here to make this recipe a success from your first try.

• Use boneless, skinless chicken thighs only, using an incorrect cut of chicken such as chicken breast or tenderloins will not give you the same outcome.
• Do not skip the marinade process. Sure this may require a bit of planning ahead but it is so worth the wait.
• Following ingredients. Follow the recipe to the T! If you want to get the closest results to the teriyaki at the mall, do not skip out on any ingredients. They are all important.
• Massage the meat. Using a stand mixer does all the work for you so you don’t have to. However, if you do not own a stand mixer, try to massage by hand as much as you can handle.
• For best results use a Blackstone griddle to cook the chicken or a large skillet such as this Presto electric skillet. Using a larger surface will allow you to cook the chicken faster with less batches so the teriyaki sauce that you add later on will not burn. If you have a giant piece of cast-iron to heat up on the grill, that would work wonderfully too.

Why should you “massage” the chicken teriyaki?

The term “massaging” is used heavily in this recipe because it is one of the very important steps. Massaging the meat is just another form of mixing the meat but for a much longer period of time. It is important to mix the meat for a longer period of time not to just distribute the spices evenly, this process makes the chicken fat break down and get mushy. This later helps the meat stay juicy and tender in the cooking process. This is why we do not trim off the fat on the chicken thighs prior to marinating.

How long should you marinate chicken teriyaki?

Some chicken teriyaki recipes do not call for a long marinating process like my easy 30-minute chicken teriyaki. However this recipe is a little bit different and you should really give it at least 6-8 hours to marinate in the refrigerator. Overnight is best.

Can i use the same recipe for beef sliced steak teriyaki?

I have not personally tried making this recipe with beef as i always order chicken teriyaki at Sarku Japan location but i do plan to test it one day with flank steak or skirt steak. Meanwhile, If any of my readers have tried it, please tell us how it went in the comments below. The feedback would be much appreciated.

Sarku Chicken Teriyaki Ingredients:

• 3lb Boneless & Skinless chicken thighs (do not trim fat)
• 1/2 Cup of water
• 2TBSP of Cooking Sherry
• 3/4tsp or 2 garlic cloves (pressed) (It is okay to substitute with garlic powder)
• 1/2tsp of White Pepper
• 2TBSP Kikkoman Soy Sauce
• 2TBSP Olive oil or Grape Seed Oil (or any high smoke oil)
• 1/2TBSP of Baking Soda (important for more tender final product)

How to make Sarku Chicken Teriyaki:

1. Cut the chicken thighs into strips or bite size pieces, add it into the bowl of a stand mixer.
2. To the meat, add the rest of the ingredients such as 1/2cup 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.

Make Sarku Teriyaki Glaze:

• 1 1/4 cup of Unsalted Chicken Stock (low sodium is okay too)
• 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)

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 glazing the meat, noodles and vegetables cooking)

How to Cook Sarku Chicken Teriyaki:

***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. Allow the chicken to 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 and i added about 3 tablespoons of oil).
2. Add a single layer of the seasoned chicken meat to a preheated skillet or cast iron 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) Having a nice thin layer will help the meat brown evenly.
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. It will burn and ruin the next batch if left behind. (The reason why i use the biggest skillet i own)

Tips for faster and more simplified cooking:

All of the included steps in this post may seem intimidating and a long time to make but the results are so worthwhile. I have made this recipe many times and this is my least favorite way to cook the chicken but when I’m in a complete rush it works great. I speed things up by frying the chicken in single layer batches in a deep skillet or wok until golden brown and set aside into a different dish without adding the teriyaki glaze. Then I’d add my second batch of meat to the skillet. Once all the meat is cooked, i add the chicken all together with about 1cup of the teriyaki sauce. Cook everything together until the teriyaki sauce glazes all the chicken bits and take off the heat.

Preparing Yakisoba Noodles:

1. Using the same skillet (no need to wash) add 2.5lbs. pre-cooked Chinese Noodles with 1/2cup of water. Cover with a lid to steam, then add 1/2cup teriyaki sauce as well. (May add more sauce if you’d like)

How to steam the vegetables for Sarku teriyaki:

• 1/2 Head of a green Cabbage
• 2 large Carrots
• 2 cups Broccoli florets (optional)
• 1/4tsp Salt
• 1/4cup Water
• 1/4cup Sarku Teriyaki Sauce

1. Roughly shred or chop the cabbage and cut the carrots into circles or thick julienne strips. I normally add broccoli florets but here i didn’t have any broccoli stalks. It worked out great too.
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.

How do i serve Sarku chicken teriyaki?

Plate yakisoba noodles and vegetables and add chicken teriyaki on top of the noodles. Drizzle some more of the made teriyaki glaze on top if desired. Serve right away as it is still warm.

How do i store Chicken teriyaki leftovers?

Store together or separately in an airtight container in and keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. This teriyaki chicken, yakisoba noodles and steamed vegetables all reheat wonderfully.

Can i make the teriyaki sauce in advance?

Yes, this teriyaki sauce stores well in the fridge for weeks, feel free to make a batch and refrigerate.

Enjoy!

What is your favorite teriyaki combination? I’d love to hear from you in the comments section below. If you make this recipe, tell me how it went. Or better still, tag @alenashomecooking on Instagram and hashtag it #alenashomecooking by clicking the social icons on top of this page. I love to connect with my readers.

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Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer

Metal Spatulas for Blackstone

Presto Electric Skillet