Steak Teriyaki

Skip the bottled marinade and make this restaurant favorite at home for a surprisingly fast and easy dinner.

By
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.
Learn about Simply Recipes' Editorial Process
Updated August 23, 2023
Elise Bauer
Steak Teriyaki
Elise Bauer

Teriyaki Steak at Home

I love this photo. It makes me want to eat this teriyaki steak all over again.

Don't you love it when you make something that you know is good, and you feed it to someone who has their doubts (because that's just how they are, they doubt everything), and their eyes light up and they get a big smile on their face right after the first bite?

That was my mother and father after biting into this teriyaki steak.

Steak Teriyaki
Elise Bauer

Cut Across the Grain for Tender Teriyaki Steak

Flank steak is naturally tough, but the combination of marinating it in this homemade teriyaki marinade of mirin, sake, and soy sauce, along with a fast sear on high heat, and then cutting thin slices against the grain, makes for a juicy, tender presentation.

Making Teriyaki Marinade Into a Glaze

Please note that if you are concerned by the idea of reusing the marinade after the raw steak has been sitting in it, you will be boiling the heck out of this marinade, killing anything that may have decided to grow in it during the marinating process.

If you are still concerned, make twice as much marinade, and reserve half to boil down to make the sauce, using the other half as a marinade.

Favorite Japanese Recipes
Miso Soup
Chirashi
Squid Tempura

Teriyaki Steak Sides

From the Editors Of Simply Recipes

Steak Teriyaki

Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
Marinating 60 mins
Total Time 100 mins
Servings 4 servings

You can either pan-fry or grill this teriyaki steak, either way, you'll want to sear it on very high heat. If pan frying, I recommend using a large cast iron frying pan or griddle pan.

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup mirin rice wine

  • 1/3 cup sake

  • 1/3 cup soy sauce (if cooking gluten-free, use gluten-free soy sauce)

  • 1 tablespoon sugar

  • 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

  • 1 1/2 to 2 pounds flank steak or skirt steak

  • Olive oil or canola oil

Method

  1. Marinate the steak:

    Combine the mirin, sake, soy sauce, sugar, and grated ginger in a large, shallow bowl.

    Place the steak in the marinade and let marinate for at least an hour, and up to 48 hours.

    If marinating for more than an hour, keep chilled until an hour before you plan to cook.

    teriyaki steak marinade
    Elise Bauer
    meat in teriyaki steak marinade
    Elise Bauer
  2. Boil the marinade:

    When ready to cook, remove steak from marinade, reserving the marinade. Place steak on a plate and set aside.

    Place marinade in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil for 10 minutes, or until the marinade has reduced to a thin glaze, becoming your teriyaki sauce.

    boiling teriyaki sauce for teriyaki steak
    Elise Bauer
  3. Grill or fry the steak:

    If grilling the steak, prepare your grill for high, direct heat and oil the grill grates. If pan frying, heat a large cast iron pan on high heat.

    Pat dry the steak. Rub a little olive oil all over it. Place the steak on the hot grill or pan. Sear for 3 to 5 minutes on one side, or until the side is well browned, and turn the steak over and sear the other side.

    Baste the steak with teriyaki sauce.

  4. Let the steak rest:

    When the steak is well seared on both sides, remove from the heat, cover with foil, and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes.

    Grilling teriyaki steak
    Elise Bauer
    Grilled steak teriyaki
    Elise Bauer
  5. Slice the steak:

    Notice the direction of the grain of the steak (the striations in the muscle fibers of the steak). Slice the steak in half, following the grain of the steak so that you are slicing along the grain. (This will make it easier to make cuts across the grain.)

    Then make thin slices (1/4-inch) across the grain and on a slight diagonal. Slicing this way will break up the muscle fibers, making this naturally tough cut of meat quite tender.

    teriyaki steak ready to be sliced in strips
    Elise Bauer
    sliced teriyaki steak
    Elise Bauer

    If there are juices that run out of the steak as you cut it, add the juices to the teriyaki sauce. There's lots of goodness in the steak "jus" that you don't want to waste.

    Arrange on a serving plate and pour the remaining teriyaki sauce over it.

    Did you love the recipe? Leave us some stars and a comment below!

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
667 Calories
37g Fat
15g Carbs
58g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 667
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 37g 47%
Saturated Fat 14g 68%
Cholesterol 135mg 45%
Sodium 1346mg 59%
Total Carbohydrate 15g 5%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 12g
Protein 58g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 34mg 3%
Iron 6mg 36%
Potassium 864mg 18%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.