If you grew up hitting the Sarku Japan line for a toothpick sample on a Saturday afternoon, this one's for you! This recipe for homemade mall chicken teriyaki is basically like having endless teriyaki chicken samples.. until you run out of course 🙂 It's a copycat recipe you're going to love and keep coming back to!
This is a meal prep recipe that I actually look forward to! I'll usually make this with my miso egg drop soup to have a variety of protein packed lunches throughout the week, that I won't get tired of. They're both delicious homemade meals that make you curb that takeout craving, but made better!
What is Mall Chicken Teriyaki?
Mall chicken teriyaki is the nostalgic Japanese American food court dish that most of us grew up eating. It's the dish that you could guarantee you'd get a free sample from and the dish that probably had 100% conversion rate from sample to purchasing a plate (I made this statistic up but I can only assume based off of my experience!!).
This mall chicken teriyaki is inspired by the famous Sarku Japan that's cooked on a flat top griddle (not to be confused for the sticky teriyaki chicken that closely resembles bourbon chicken). I created this recipe to be intentionally lower in sugar, but feel free to add more sugar to suite your tastebuds!
Why you'll love this Mall Chicken Teriyaki (Copycat Sarku Japan)
- Comes together quickly in just 30 minutes!
- High in protein and veggies.
- It's an easy meal prep that reheats well!
- Uses a lot of pantry staples.
Jump to:
- What is Mall Chicken Teriyaki?
- Why you'll love this Mall Chicken Teriyaki (Copycat Sarku Japan)
- Ingredients
- How to make Mall Chicken Teriyaki
- Top Tips for the Best Mall Chicken Teriyaki
- Substitutions and Variations
- How to store and heat mall chicken teriyaki
- FAQ
- Other recipes to try:
- Mall Chicken Teriyaki (Copycat Sarku Japan)
Ingredients
Chicken teriyaki marinade
- Chicken thighs: For a more tender and classic chicken teriyaki bite! Substitute with chicken breast for a leaner cut.
- Shaoxing wine: Adds savory depth and complexity.
- Soy sauce: Use low sodium soy sauce so the chicken isn't too salty.
- Garlic: Just a little to add garlicky flavor that isn't overpowering.
- White pepper: For a subtle heat.
- Oil: Helps the garlic flavor penetrate the chicken and keeps the chicken juicy as it cooks.
- Water: Thins out the marinade for the flavors to distribute and penetrate the chicken evenly.
Cabbage
- Cabbage: I like the texture of green cabbage but napa cabbage works here too!
- Salt: Draws out moisture and seasons the cabbage.
- Water: Helps to slightly steam and soften the cabbage.
Teriyaki sauce
- Water: To loosen the sauce.
- Sugar: To balance out the saltiness.
- Soy sauce: The base of the teriyaki sauce.
- Cornstarch: Thickens the sauce into a glossy glaze.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to make Mall Chicken Teriyaki
- Step 1: Marinate the chicken - In a bowl, mix together, chicken, soy sauce, garlic, shaoxing wine, white pepper, baking soda, water, and oil. Squeeze the chicken to break it down slightly and let it marinate for 15 minutes.
- Step 2: Make the teriyaki glaze - In a small bowl, mix together cornstarch, water, soy sauce, and sugar. Set aside.
- Step 3: Cook the cabbage - In a pan or skillet over medium high heat, add chopped cabbage, salt, and water. Cover and cook for 3-4 minutes or until cabbage softens slightly and turns a bright green. Remove and set aside.
- Step 4: Cook the chicken - In the same pan, add the marinated chicken in a single layer. Sear on one side until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes. Flip and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165F. Remove and set aside. Continue cooking the chicken in batches until all chicken is cooked through and set aside.
- Step 5: Give the teriyaki sauce a stir so all the starch isn't sitting at the bottom. To the same pan, add the teriyaki sauce mixture. Bring it to a boil and reduce to a simmer until thickened. Add more water as desired for a looser glaze. Optional: strain the sauce through a fine mesh strainer for a cleaner sauce.
- Step 6: Pour the teriyaki glaze over the chicken and enjoy with cabbage and rice!
Top Tips for the Best Mall Chicken Teriyaki
- Let the chicken marinade for 15 minutes at a minimum but not overnight. Baking soda tenderizes the chicken but can also leave a slightly metallic taste if you're not a fan of it!
- Sear the chicken in batches to get a good caramelization on the chicken.
- Strain the sauce through a fine mesh sieve or in a separate pan for a cleaner sauce.
Substitutions and Variations
- Vegetables - Swap out cabbage for broccoli, do a mix of the two or use your favorite vegetable! Bok choy or Chinese broccoli would work great here too.
- Protein - Use chicken breast for a leaner cut and marinate it the same way or even pork shoulder!
- Wine - Although not an exact swap, you can use dry sherry in place of shaoxing wine if you do not have any on hand.
How to store and heat mall chicken teriyaki
Store the teriyaki chicken and cabbage in separate air tight containers for up to 4 days. To reheat, add chicken and cabbage to a pan over medium low heat until warmed through.
FAQ
Shaoxing wine is Chinese cooking wine that is made from fermented rice.
Shaoxing wine is sold at most Asian supermarkets but can also be ordered on Amazon!
Dry sherry is a close substitute for shaoxing wine.
Cornstarch is activated when it is brought to a boil, so if the teriyaki sauce has not reached a boil, the cornstarch won't activate and thicken the sauce. Bring the sauce to a boil before reducing it to a simmer to thicken.
Other recipes to try:
Mall Chicken Teriyaki (Copycat Sarku Japan)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken thighs boneless and skinless, sliced
- 2 tablespoons shaoxing wine
- 4 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 garlic clove pressed
- 1 teaspoon white pepper
- 2 tablespoons oil
- ½ cup water
Cabbage
- ½ cabbage chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon water
Teriyaki sauce
- ½ cup water
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
Instructions
Marinate the chicken
- In a bowl, mix together, chicken, soy sauce, garlic, shaoxing wine, white pepper, baking soda, water, and oil. Squeeze the chicken to break it down slightly and let it marinate for 15 minutes.2 pounds chicken thighs, 2 tablespoons shaoxing wine, 4 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 garlic clove, 1 teaspoon white pepper, ½ cup water, 2 tablespoons oil
Make the teriyaki sauce
- In a small bowl, mix together cornstarch, water, soy sauce, and sugar. Set aside.½ cup water, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon cornstarch
Cook the cabbage
- In a pan or skillet over medium high heat, add chopped cabbage, salt, and water. Cover and cook for 3-4 minutes or until cabbage softens slightly and turns a bright green. Remove and set aside.1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon water, ½ cabbage
Cook the chicken
- In the same pan, add the marinated chicken in a single layer. Sear on one side until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes. Flip and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165F. Remove and set aside. Continue cooking the chicken in batches until all chicken is cooked through and set aside.
- Give the teriyaki sauce a stir so all the starch isn't sitting at the bottom. To the same pan, add the teriyaki sauce mixture. Bring it to a boil and reduce to a simmer until thickened. Add more water as desired for a looser glaze. Optional: strain the sauce through a fine mesh strainer for a cleaner sauce.
- Pour the teriyaki sauce over the chicken and enjoy with cabbage and rice!
Notes
- Let the chicken marinade for 15 minutes at a minimum but not overnight. Baking soda tenderizes the chicken but can also leave a slightly metallic taste if you're not a fan of it!
- Sear the chicken in batches to get a good caramelization on the chicken.
- Strain the sauce through a fine mesh sieve or in a separate pan for a cleaner sauce.
- Store the teriyaki chicken and cabbage in separate air tight containers for up to 4 days. To reheat, add chicken and cabbage to a pan over medium low heat until warmed through.
Bianca says
Coming from a hardcore Sarku lover, this recipe is sooooo amazing that I made it twice within three days HAHA! It is SO flavorful, juicy, moist, and even BETTER than Sarku Japan (especially calorie wise!). I cannot believe how easy it is to make!! It also reheats beautifully. It's def going to be part of my meal prep rotation!
I also didn't have any shaoxing wine, so I opted out. Still tasted perfect, thanks Trang!