Homemade Yakitori Sauce

This homemade Yakitori Sauce is about to bring some serious Japanese restaurant flavor into your kitchen! It’s sweet, savory, deeply umami and beautifully glossy, with garlic, ginger and scallions simmered right into the sauce.

Traditionally brushed over Japanese grilled chicken skewers, this irresistible tare is far too good to stop there. Try it with grilled meats, seafood, vegetables, rice bowls or anything that could use a bold, sticky glaze. Once you taste the homemade version, you’ll want a jar waiting in your refrigerator at all times!

What Is Yakitori Sauce?

Yakitori literally means “grilled chicken” in Japanese, with “yaki” meaning grilled and “tori” meaning chicken. The dish is made with bite-sized pieces of chicken threaded onto skewers and cooked over a grill.

Yakitori sauce, also called tare, is the sweet and savory glaze commonly brushed over these Japanese chicken skewers as they cook.

The foundation is usually soy sauce, mirin, sake and sugar. As the sauce simmers, the flavors concentrate into a bold, slightly sticky glaze. My version also includes garlic, ginger and scallions, which add extra depth and make the sauce wonderfully aromatic.

It may look similar to teriyaki sauce, but yakitori tare is typically reduced for a richer, more concentrated flavor. It is perfect for brushing over food as it cooks or serving on the side as a dipping sauce.

Ingredients Needed

For exact ingredient amounts, see the recipe card at the end of this post. Here are the things you will need:

• Soy sauce – This gives the sauce its deep salty and umami base. I am just using regular Japanese soy sauce, but low-sodium works too.
• Mirin – A sweet Japanese rice wine that adds sweetness and helps give the sauce its beautiful glossy finish.
• Sake – Adds depth and balances the sweetness of the mirin and brown sugar. There is no need to use an expensive bottle.
• Brown sugar – Sweetens the sauce and helps it become rich and slightly sticky as it reduces.
• Water – Dilutes the sauce just enough so it can simmer and reduce without becoming overly salty.
• Garlic and ginger – Essential aromatics, freshly chopped.
• Scallions– Add a mild oniony flavor as the sauce simmers. Cut them into large pieces so they are easy to strain out later.

How to Make Yakitori Sauce

Combine: Start by adding all the ingredients to a small saucepan.

Reduce: Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes to reduce the sauce.

Strain: Remove from the heat and cool for 10 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer and discard the aromatics.

Alpana’s Tips

• Keep the sauce at a gentle simmer rather than a rapid boil. Boiling it too aggressively can make it reduce too quickly and become overly salty.
• Watch it closely during the final few minutes. A soy-based sauce can go from perfectly glossy to too thick surprisingly fast.
• Do not reduce it until it resembles syrup while it is still in the saucepan. It continues to thicken considerably as it cools.
• For the smoothest sauce, press the aromatics lightly against the strainer, but avoid forcing small pieces through.
• If the cooled sauce becomes thicker than you want, stir in a small splash of warm water.

Ways to Use Yakitori Sauce

Yakitori is one of the most popular dishes served in Japanese restaurants, especially those irresistible grilled chicken skewers brushed with a shiny, sweet and savory glaze.

This Yakitori Sauce is traditionally brushed over the skewers during grilling, allowing it to caramelize. You can also serve some on the side for dipping.

But don’t stop at Yakitori Chicken. I love using this sauce on grilled pork, salmon, shrimp, mushrooms and vegetables. It is also fantastic drizzled over rice bowls or tossed with noodles for a quick burst of sweet, savory and umami flavor.

How to Store It

Allow the Yakitori Sauce to cool completely, then transfer it to a clean airtight jar or container. Refrigerate it for up to 2 weeks.

The sauce becomes thicker when chilled. Let it sit at room temperature briefly or warm it gently before using. If necessary, loosen it with a small splash of water.

Make Your Own Yakitori Sauce Tonight!

Once you taste homemade Yakitori Sauce, you’ll want to keep a jar ready in the refrigerator. It has so much more depth than a basic bottled glaze, with layers of savory soy sauce, gentle sweetness and all those wonderful garlic, ginger and scallion flavors.

Whether you’re firing up the grill or simply looking for a delicious new sauce for rice bowls and vegetables, this glossy Japanese tare brings a huge boost of flavor. Make a batch and see how quickly it disappears!

Yakitori Sauce, on our Gypsy Plate… enjoy!

More great Asian sauces:
Stir Fry Sauce
General Tso Sauce
Bulgogi Sauce
Gyoza Sauce
Teriyaki Sauce
Hunan Sauce
Yakisoba Sauce
Nuoc Cham

Recipe Video

Homemade Yakitori Sauce

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

This homemade Yakitori Sauce is a sweet, savory Japanese tare. Perfect for chicken, seafood, vegetables, and more.

5.0 Stars (4 Reviews)

Print

Ingredients

• ½ cup soy sauce
• ½ cup mirin
• ¼ cup sake
• ¼ cup water
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tablespoon ginger, peeled and chopped
• 3 scallions, cut into large stalks

Instructions

1. Add the soy sauce, mirin, sake, water, brown sugar, garlic, ginger and scallions to a small saucepan.
2. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
   Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the sauce reduces by about one-third and lightly coats the back of a spoon.
3. Remove from the heat and cool for 10 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer and discard the aromatics.
4. Use immediately or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. The sauce thickens as it cools.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest