Featured Comment:
“This recipe was great! Even my fussy husband really enjoyed it. I will keep making this in the future.”
– Susan
What is Buri no Teriyaki?
Buri no Teriyaki (ぶりの照り焼き) is a popular Japanese dish made with yellowtail (or amberjack) fish. It is prepared using the teriyaki cooking technique, which involves glazing the fish in a sauce made of soy sauce, sake, mirin, and sugar. This gives the fish a glossy texture, creating a sweet and savory flavor.
It’s important to note that teriyaki, in Japanese, is not the name of the dish itself or sauce but rather refers to the technique used to prepare it. Interestingly, yellowtail is the first thing that comes to mind for many Japanese people when they think of teriyaki, even before chicken or salmon.
This shows how highly esteemed this ingredient and cooking technique are in Japanese cuisine. Buri no Teriyaki is a classic home-style dish that has been enjoyed by Japanese people for generations!
How I Developed This Recipe
Perhaps it is because I am Japanese, but I honestly believe that Buri (yellowtail) and teriyaki sauce are the ultimate combination. The unique texture, flavor, and aroma of Buri cannot be found in any other fish or meat.
Therefore, when creating this recipe, I was very careful to prepare the yellowtail well and adjust the teriyaki’s flavor to bring out the best possible taste without masking the natural taste of the ingredients.
I am quite confident in this recipe, and I encourage anyone living in an area where yellowtail is available to give it a try!
Ingredients & Substitution Ideas
- Yellowtail/Amberjack: This fish, known for its variety of names at different growth stages in Japan, is perfect for making teriyaki. Both yellowtail and other members of the amberjack family work well.
- Soy Sauce: A crucial component for the teriyaki base. For detailed information on selecting the right soy sauce for Japanese cuisine, refer to my guide on soy sauce.
- Mirin: Hon Mirin is the best choice for authentic Japanese flavor. To learn about the differences between hon mirin and other types, as well as for brand recommendations, consult my mirin guide.
- Sake: Beverage-grade, unsalted sake is preferred for its clean flavor. Cooking sake can be used if you adjust the salt elsewhere in the recipe. For more information on sake types and alternatives, I highly recommend checking out this ‘Sake 101‘ article.
- Cornstarch: While all-purpose flour or other starches can be used, cornstarch gives this dish the best texture from my experience.
- Sugar: I tend to use light brown cane sugar in many of my savory recipes, but white caster, granulated or similar work perfectly well too. Avoid dark brown sugars as their strong flavor profile might be overpowering.
Visual Walkthrough & Tips
Here are my step-by-step instructions for how to make Yellowtail Teriyaki at home. For ingredient quantities and simplified instructions, scroll down for the Printable Recipe Card below.
If you prefer to watch the process in action, check out my YouTube video of this recipe for a complete visual walkthrough!
Yellowtail is a fish known for its slightly stronger flavor when compared to white fish or salmon, so it requires careful preparation.
In this recipe, I’m using a unique approach by marinating the fish in soy sauce and mirin for 15 minutes to tackle the fishy odor, which is attributed to water‐soluble triethylamine. This method uses the osmotic pressure from the salty soy sauce to draw out moisture together with odor.
I chose soy sauce over salt in this recipe not only for its odor-masking properties but also because it ensures an even coating.
Meanwhile, prepare the teriyaki sauce by mixing soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar. This blend of ingredients will create a rich, flavorful glaze.
After marinating, gently pat the fish dry with a paper towel. This helps to remove any excess moisture, preparing it for the next step.
Then, lightly coat the fish with cornstarch. This thin layer will help to create a slightly crispy exterior once cooked.
Heat a drizzle of oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the cornstarch-coated fish, cooking for 2 minutes on each side.
Increase the heat to high and pour the teriyaki sauce over the fish. Cook for an additional 30 seconds on each side, ensuring the fish is moved occasionally to evenly coat all sides with the glaze.
This step is key to achieving that beautifully glossy finish that teriyaki is known for.
Once both sides are well-cooked and the fish is enveloped in a syrupy glaze, turn off the heat and transfer the yellowtail to serving plates. Drizzle with the sauce leftover in the pan.
I recommend enjoying this dish with rice and miso soup for an authentic Japanese experience.
Jump to Full Recipe Measurements
FAQ
If you’re not familiar with the different types of sake used in cooking, it can be confusing to choose the right one when preparing a recipe. At Sudachi, I use pure sake without added salt, which means I don’t use cooking sake. If you choose to use cooking sake with salt, make sure to adjust the recipe’s salt content accordingly.
If you’re interested in learning more about sake in Japanese cooking, I recommend checking out Sake 101 post written by a professional chef with over 30 years of experience in the industry. This post includes information on selecting the right sake and substitutes.
Teriyaki is a cooking technique that can be used with a variety of fish. In Japan, Japanese amberjack is a popular choice, but other types of amberjack or yellowtail can also be used without any issues. Fillets of salmon, tuna, flounder, tilapia, trout, and other fish can also be made with teriyaki.
My recommendation is to eat it as a typical Japanese set meal, with freshly cooked white rice, miso soup, and a dressed salad such as ohitashi or goma-ae (sesame salad).
I hope you enjoy this Buri no Teriyaki recipe! If you try it out, I’d really appreciate it if you could spare a moment to let me know what you thought by giving a review and star rating in the comments below. It’s also helpful to share any adjustments you made to the recipe with our other readers. Thank you!
More Teriyaki Recipes
Yellowtail Teriyaki (Buri no Teriyaki)
Ingredients
- 2 yellowtail fillets
- 1 tsp Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu) for marinating
- 1 tsp mirin for marinating
- 2 tbsp Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu) for teriyaki sauce
- 2 tbsp mirin for teriyaki sauce
- 2 tbsp sake
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- ½ tbsp cooking oil
Instructions
- Place 2 yellowtail fillets in a sealable bag and add 1 tsp Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu) and 1 tsp mirin. Seal the bag and marinate in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
- In a small bowl, mix 2 tbsp Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu), 2 tbsp mirin, 2 tbsp sake and 1 tsp sugar until the sugar has dissolved. Set by the stove for later.
- Once 15 minutes have passed, transfer the yellowtail fillets to a container and pat them dry with kitchen paper.
- Sprinkle with 1 tbsp cornstarch, making sure both sides are lightly covered. Pat off the excess before frying.
- Heat a pan on medium and add ½ tbsp cooking oil. Once hot, place the fillets in the pan and fry for 2 minutes on each side.
- Increase the heat to high and pour the teriyaki sauce into the pan and fry until thickened to a syrup-like consistency. Turn the fish to make sure both sides are covered with sauce (about 30 seconds each side).
- Once thickened, remove the pan from the heat and serve.
- Enjoy!
This recipe was great! Even my fussy husband really enjoyed it. I will keep making this in the future.
Hi Susan,
Thank you so much for sharing your success story! It’s especially wonderful to hear that it won over your husband! I’m happy that this recipe will become part of your regular rotation! 🙂
Yuto