How to make Hawaii-style barbecue (teriyaki) sauce. A recipe. - Hawaii Magazine (2024)

Order a barbecue mixed-plate lunch at a casual Hawaii eatery and your meat will probably be slathered with this sweet-and-tangy reddish-brown sauce.

Derek Paiva,

How to make Hawaii-style barbecue (teriyaki) sauce. A recipe. - Hawaii Magazine (1)

Barbecue sauce in Hawaii is not the same as barbecue sauce in the Mainland U.S.

Order a barbecue mixed-plate lunch at a casual Hawaii eatery and it’s doubtful you’ll get a heaping helping of smoked chicken or ribs slathered with sweet-and-tangy reddish-brown sauce. And don’t expect corn on the cob, coleslaw, baked beans or rolls on the side either.

What you will get, probably piled on a bed of white rice and accompanied by a scoop of macaroni salad or tossed salad, is a large platter of grilled meat or chicken, sweet-and-tangy from a marinade of shoyu (soy sauce), sugar, and fresh garlic and ginger. It’s often called Hawaiian barbecue sauce—or teriyaki sauce—on the Mainland.

Done right, neither sauce is a cut above the other. But the thick, smoky-spicy-tangy variety isn’t the kind of barbecue sauce a number of HAWAII Magazine readers have begged us to find them a great recipe for.

We’ve finally got one—straight out of a new book called Kau Kau: Cuisine and Culture in the Hawaiian Islands. (As of February 2020, there’s a new, 10th anniversary version of the book, available here.)“Kau kau” is the go-to Hawaii pidgin word for food, likely derived from the Chinese phrase “chow chow.” Kau Kau, the book, is all about Hawaii food. In particular, the astounding mix of foods first brought to the Islands by multi-ethnic immigrant sugar and pineapple plantation laborers more than a century ago that are still popular Hawaii comfort foods today.

The book, by Hawaii writer Arnold Hiura, covers a good deal of the history and stories of favorite Hawaii foods (from entrees to snacks to desserts). Hiura speaks with chefs, foodies and farmers about local cuisine and includes lots of great photos of the Islands’ most beloved foods.

How to make Hawaii-style barbecue (teriyaki) sauce. A recipe. - Hawaii Magazine (2)Kau Kau, the book, also shares some of the best family recipes for favorites like adobo, chop steak, fried rice, saimin (fried and in broth), beef stew, manapua, shrimp curry, laulau, local-style soybeans, Portuguese bean soup.

Kau Kau: Cuisine and Culture in the Hawaiian Islands won’t be in bookstores or online retailers until January. But you can order a copy direct from the publisher, HAWAII Magazine sister company Watermark Publishing, here. Regularly priced at $32.95, Watermark is offering a special pre-order price of $30 and express holiday shipping until December 15.

Here’s an excerpt from Kau Kau about Hawaiian-style barbecue (teriyaki) sauce, followed by a terrific family recipe for the marinade that you can make at home.

Enjoy!

Kau Kau Connection: Hawaiian “Barbecue”
(excerpted from “Kau Kau: Cuisine and Culture in the Hawaiian Islands,” by Arnold Hiura, Watermark Publishing, 2009. Reprinted with permission.)

In the Islands, some form of local “barbecue” sauce (i.e., teriyaki) might just be the most popular and versatile means of flavoring any combination of meat, poultry, seafood, and vegetables. Many recipes (including classics like beef tomato, chop steak or pork tofu) rely on some combination of shoyu, sugar, ginger and garlic. Therefore, I am proud to share what is possibly one of the all-time, all-around best local-style teriyaki sauces ever created. My father-in-law, Larry Nakama, passed his legendary teriyaki sauce recipe on to his children, and his daughter, Eloise Nakama Hiura, describes it here:

Dad used a one-gallon glass mayonnaise jar to make his teriyaki sauce. He kept the sauce handy and used it in preparing all sorts of dishes until it ran out and he would have to whip up another batch. I recall my first lesson in making the sauce was to learn how to “eyeball” the ingredients and taste the sauce in between to adjust—Dad didn’t measure anything.

How to make Hawaii-style barbecue (teriyaki) sauce. A recipe. - Hawaii Magazine (3)First, he poured the shoyu in, about 2/3 of the jar. Second, he added the sugar until the mixture rose to fill ¾ of the jar. Third was sherry wine (my sister Joan says other types of wine could be substituted, but I remember Dad specifically sending me to the store for sherry). The sherry raised the mixture about another inch above the previous level. Then he lined the lid with wax paper, covered the jar and shook it to mix the ingredients. Next, he tasted it to see if he needed to adjust the flavor with more shoyu, sugar or sherry.

Finally, Dad poured some oil in a skillet and, while it was heating, peeled and crushed some ginger and cloves of garlic. He would brown the ginger first and scoop it into the jar; then he browned the garlic and poured it in. Of course, not everyone can get their hands on a gallon-sized glass mayonnaise jar, so—as best as we can tell—here is Dad’s recipe translated into measurable form:

How to make Hawaii-style barbecue (teriyaki) sauce. A recipe. - Hawaii Magazine (4)

Larry’s All-Purpose Teriyaki Sauce

8 cups shoyu
6 cups sugar
¼ cup sherry wine
¼ cup vegetable oil
3-inch piece ginger, peeled, sliced and crushed
4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

Combine shoyu, sugar and wine. Heat oil in a small frying pan and brown ginger. Add ginger to shoyu mixture, leaving oil in the frying pan. Brown garlic and add to shoyu mixture. Mix well.

This might seem like a lot, but believe me, it is a blessing to have this all-purpose sauce prepared and ready for any situation. You can use it full strength as a marinade for meat, chicken, pork or seafood, or cut it to taste with water (try about three parts sauce to one part water) to stir-fry anything—vegetables, noodles or rice. Using the same three-to-one ratio, you can make my father’s ‘ono shoyu pork or shoyu chicken.

_________________

We’ll be posting more recipes for favorite Hawaii foods from Kau Kau: Cuisine and Culture in the Hawaiian Islands on HawaiiMagazine.com in the weeks ahead. Hope you’re hungry!

Categories: Food, Recipes

How to make Hawaii-style barbecue (teriyaki) sauce. A recipe. - Hawaii Magazine (2024)

FAQs

What is Hawaiian BBQ sauce made of? ›

What is Hawaiian BBQ Sauce? Hawaiian BBQ sauce is a sweet and sticky BBQ sauce that gives you a classic “taste of the islands.” It's made from a ketchup base with the addition of pineapple, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and brown sugar. It's similar to a Kansas City Style BBQ Sauce with a distinctive Hawaiian twist.

What is Hawaiian teriyaki sauce made of? ›

Teriyaki Sauce is the savory seasoning sauce that is used while using this cooking method. In Hawaii, this sauce is made from soy sauce, sugar, and ginger.

What's the difference between Japanese teriyaki and Hawaiian teriyaki? ›

The main difference between Japanese Teriyaki and Hawaiian, is there is no Mirin or Saki in it, as they used to be hard to come by in the islands."

Is teriyaki sauce same as barbecue sauce? ›

While both Japanese BBQ sauce and teriyaki sauce share some similarities, they are not the same. Teriyaki sauce is a sweet and savory sauce made from soy sauce, mirin, sugar, and sometimes sake or rice vinegar. It is often used as a marinade or glaze for grilled or broiled meats, seafood, and vegetables.

What makes Hawaiian BBQ different? ›

One of the major ways Hawaiian BBQ differs from other forms is that it includes tropical flavors. Pineapple and other citrus fruits often appear in the flavor profile. It is like the island-influenced version of a traditional Southern barbecue.

What is the difference between Hawaiian BBQ and regular BBQ? ›

Hawaiian

In Hawaii, you're not getting the traditional ribs, pulled pork, and brisket. On the island they do it a little different. Typically ordering BBQ here means you get a large platter of grilled meat or chicken, sweet-and-tangy from a marinade of shoyu (soy sauce), sugar, and fresh garlic and ginger.

Is teriyaki sauce Japanese or Hawaiian? ›

According to some food historians, teriyaki is actually from Hawaii. Though, it's not quite so straightforward. To clarify, teriyaki is known in Japan as a method/style of cooking and marinating meats. It is similar to other culinary styles like sukiyaki and yakitori.

Is huli huli the same as teriyaki? ›

Teriyaki sauce typically consists of soy sauce, sugar, mirin (rice wine), and sake. It has a well-balanced, sweet, and salty taste. On the other hand, huli huli sauce features pineapple juice, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger, offering a sweeter, fruitier, and more aromatic flavor.

Where did the recipe for teriyaki sauce come from? ›

While shouyu is the primary flavoring used in authentic Japanese cooking, teriyaki became popular in the United States during the 1960s when Japanese immigrants settled in Hawaii. This unique marinade was created using local products such as pineapple juice and brown sugar, which were blended together in soy sauce.

What sauce is closest to teriyaki sauce? ›

Hoisin Sauce

You can use hoisin sauce as a 1:1 replacement for teriyaki sauce in most recipes. Keep in mind that hoisin sauce is slightly thicker than teriyaki sauce, so you may need to adjust the consistency of your dish by adding a little water or broth.

What is the closest thing to teriyaki sauce? ›

The Best Teriyaki Sauce Substitutes
  1. Make your own. If I don't have any teriyaki marinade I make my own using the following ingredients: ...
  2. Soy sauce + honey. For an even more simple home made teriyaki, just mix equal parts soy sauce and honey.
  3. Oyster sauce. ...
  4. Sweet soy sauce (kecap manis) ...
  5. Hoisin sauce.

What kind of teriyaki sauce do Japanese restaurants use? ›

What kind of teriyaki sauce do Japanese restaurants use? - Quora. It is good for you to know that in Japan we don't use “teriyaki sauce” kind to cook. Teri means a shine, and usually brought by Mirin . We use the mixture of sugar, mirin, sake, salt and soy sauce to season fish, meat and vegetables, in various ratio.

Is BBQ sauce same as BBQ marinade? ›

Barbecue sauce (also abbreviated as BBQ sauce) is a sauce used as a marinade, basting, condiment, or topping for meat cooked in the barbecue cooking style, including pork, beef, and chicken. It is a ubiquitous condiment in the Southern United States and is used on many other foods as well.

Is it better to buy or make teriyaki sauce? ›

You know how the irresistibly sweet-salty teriyaki-slathered grilled meat you get at a Japanese restaurant is infinitely more delicious than the stuff you make at home? Well, the reason is simple: Homemade teriyaki sauce is just always better than the sickly sweet store-bought stuff.

Can I just use teriyaki marinade as sauce? ›

Teriyaki Marinade Recipes

It's also often used as a dipping sauce or condiment for pork tenderloin, chicken thighs, chicken breasts, flank steak, or, of course, your meat substitutes of choice.

What kind of sauce does Ono Hawaiian BBQ have? ›

Ono Hawaiian BBQ values freshness and we fire up the grill once you order your plate. Our famous house-made Katsu and Teriyaki sauces are also made fresh on the daily.

What meat is in BBQ mix Hawaiian? ›

BBQ chicken, BBQ Beef & Kalbi Short Ribs. A meat lover's favorite!

What are the three types of BBQ sauce? ›

Generally, barbecue sauces is categorized into four varieties: tomato-based sauces, vinegar-based sauces, mustard-based sauces, and mayonnaise-based sauces. Each category can have a range of BBQ sauce styles, ranging from sweet and tangy to hot and spicy.

What is Hawaiian chicken sauce made of? ›

soy sauce, pineapple juice and brown sugar (been there, tried that, left wanting), but instead is also laced with Asian sweet chili sauce, Asian chili sauce, ground ginger, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper so it avoids the trap of monotony and instead makes your taste buds want to do the hula.

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