Sukiyaki vs Teriyaki: What's the Difference?

Sukiyaki and teriyaki share soy sauce, mirin and sugar, so they are easy to mix up on a menu. They are very different things, and this guide covers sauce, cooking method, nutrition and how to make each at home.

So, what is the difference between sukiyaki and teriyaki?

Sukiyaki is a Japanese hot pot (nabemono): thinly sliced beef and vegetables simmered at the table in a sweet-savory soy, mirin, sugar and sake sauce, then dipped in raw beaten egg. Teriyaki is not a single dish but a cooking technique: fish, chicken or meat is grilled or pan-broiled and glazed with a shiny soy-mirin-sugar sauce. One is a communal simmered meal; the other is a glazed, grilled main course.

Key Takeaways

• Category: Sukiyaki is a dish (a hot pot). Teriyaki is a method and a sauce that can be applied to chicken, beef, salmon, yellowtail and more.
• Cooking style: Sukiyaki is simmered (Kansai style starts with a sear). Teriyaki is grilled or pan-broiled and glazed.
• Shared flavor base: Both lean on soy sauce, mirin, sugar and usually sake, which is why they taste related.
• Noodles: Sukiyaki is not a noodle dish by default. Udon is often added at the end of the meal, and shirataki (konnyaku) noodles are a common ingredient.
• Spice: Neither is traditionally spicy. Both are sweet and salty.
• Nutrition: Both can be high in sodium. Sukiyaki is usually more vegetable-heavy; teriyaki is usually served with rice.

What Does "Yaki" Mean in Sukiyaki and Teriyaki?

Both words share the ending -yaki (焼き), and it is easy to assume it means the same thing in each. In teriyaki it does: Kikkoman's glossary describes teriyaki-style cooking as meat or fish grilled on skewers or pan-broiled and then flavored by marinating or basting, and the word breaks down into teri (照り, luster or shine) plus yaki (grilled or broiled).

Sukiyaki is less straightforward. Yaki does mean "grill" or "bake," and the name is commonly explained as suki (鋤, a spade or plow blade) plus yaki, from a story that farmers cooked food on a spade. Another popular theory links it to sukimi (剥き身), thin slices of meat. Neither explanation is confirmed here, and the dish was earlier called gyūnabe (beef pot), so treat the origin of the name as a debated, folk-etymology question.

The short version: "-yaki" hints at grilling, but only teriyaki is firmly a grilled-style dish today.

What Is Sukiyaki?

Sukiyaki is a one-pot meal cooked and eaten at the table, with everyone picking food straight from a shallow iron pot. Thin slices of beef simmer with tofu, mushrooms, leafy greens and negi (a Japanese scallion) in a sauce balanced between sweet and salty.

It is a relatively modern dish. Kikkoman's The Japanese Table notes that beef had not been eaten in Japan for more than a thousand years before the Meiji Restoration, and that most beef eaten between 1882 and 1912 was prepared as gyūnabe. Its two early styles, one simmering beef and negi in a soy-seasoned broth and the other rubbing the pot with beef tallow, are described as clearly similar to the two main types of sukiyaki common today. Sukiyaki is a classic winter and celebration meal.

Kanto vs Kansai Sukiyaki

Sukiyaki is made two ways in Japan, and most English-language guides blur them together.

• Kanto (Tokyo) style: A sauce called warishita (割り下) is made first from soy sauce, sake, mirin and sugar, usually thinned with dashi. The beef and vegetables simmer in it together. Even so, Kikkoman's sukiyaki recipe cooks the beef briefly in the pot, in tallow or oil with negi, before pouring in the broth, so a quick first cook is common.
• Kansai (Osaka) style: No pre-mixed sauce. The beef is seared in the pot first, then sugar is sprinkled over it and soy sauce and sake are added. Vegetables go in afterward. Because the sauce is not thinned with dashi, it tends to taste stronger and more concentrated. Kikkoman's skillet-style recipe follows this approach: sugar goes into the pot with the beef, sauce is poured in just enough to cover the meat, and kombu water is kept on hand to dilute the broth if it turns too salty.

This answers the question many people ask: is sukiyaki seared or simmered? Kansai style begins with searing, Kanto style is more like a stew. Neither is a plain soup.

What Goes Into Sukiyaki

The usual ingredients, as in Kikkoman's sukiyaki recipe, which uses beef shoulder loin, grilled tofu, negi, shirataki, enoki, shiitake and shungiku:

• Meat: thinly sliced beef, often ribeye or other marbled cuts, and sometimes wagyu.
• Tofu: firm or grilled tofu that holds up in the pot. Kikkoman's recipe turns the tofu halfway through so it absorbs the flavor evenly.
• Vegetables: napa cabbage, negi or leek, onion, and shungiku (garland chrysanthemum greens).
• Mushrooms: shiitake, enoki and maitake.
• Noodles: shirataki or ito konnyaku, which are konnyaku-based "glass" noodles.

Hard vegetables like cabbage and negi go in first, and delicate ones like shungiku and enoki go in later so nothing turns limp.

Are There Noodles in Sukiyaki?

Not by default. The noodles most often found in the pot itself are konnyaku-based shirataki. Wheat udon noodles or mochi are sometimes added at the very end to soak up the remaining sauce, a finishing course known as shime.

Many people also confuse the "glass" noodles in sukiyaki with Chinese cellophane noodles made from starch. The traditional Japanese version is shirataki or ito konnyaku, made from konjac yam.

The Raw Egg Dip

Almost every sukiyaki table comes with a small bowl of raw beaten egg. You pick up a piece of hot beef, dip it in the egg and eat. The egg softens the sweetness of the sauce into something creamier and takes some of the heat off the meat, so diners do not burn their mouths.

The food-safety caveat matters, especially outside Japan. The U.S. FDA says even clean, uncracked fresh eggs may contain Salmonella, and that children, older adults, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems are at greater risk of severe illness. For recipes where eggs stay raw, it advises using pasteurized eggs. Japan has a long raw-egg tradition, but that does not mean eggs in other countries are handled the same way, so outside Japan, buy pasteurized eggs for sukiyaki or skip the egg. The dish is still excellent without it.

What Is Teriyaki?

Teriyaki is a technique first and a sauce second. The glaze (called tare) is made from soy sauce, mirin, sake and sugar, and it is brushed on food as it grills or pan-cooks, building a glossy coat. Kikkoman's teriyaki chicken recipe keeps it minimal, using equal parts soy sauce and mirin (1½ tablespoons each for a chicken thigh); many cooks also add sake and sugar.

What Meat Is Used for Teriyaki?

Outside Japan, teriyaki usually means chicken. In Japan it is just as common with fish. Kikkoman notes that teriyaki works especially well with fatty fish like yellowtail and salmon, and the same glazing approach is used on yakitori skewers. Charcoal grilling is the classic method, with a pan as the everyday alternative, per Kikkoman.

Japanese Teriyaki vs American Teriyaki

In Japan, teriyaki generally refers to the cooking method. In North America, the word often covers both the finished dish and a thicker bottled sauce. Bottled and restaurant-style versions are sometimes thickened or flavored with extras such as cornstarch, garlic or ginger, though recipes vary.

Authentic Japanese teriyaki is simpler and less thick. If you have only had a sweet, sticky takeout version, the authentic version may taste lighter and more savory.

Do You Need to Marinate Teriyaki?

Marinating is not required. Kikkoman says foods can be marinated or basted, and its chicken recipe uses a short marinade of about 10 minutes in the soy-mirin sauce, then reduces the sauce in the pan and coats the chicken in it. A short marinade is plenty.

Sukiyaki vs Teriyaki Comparison Chart

Which Is Spicier: Sukiyaki or Teriyaki?

Neither, really. Traditional teriyaki tare has no chili at all, only soy, mirin, sake and sugar. A cook can add ginger, garlic or chili at home, but the standard version is sweet and savory.

Sukiyaki is just as mild, built on the same sweet-salty balance, and it is not typically seasoned with chili. For more detail, see our post on whether sukiyaki is spicy.

Sukiyaki vs Teriyaki: Which Is Healthier?

It depends on what you put in the bowl, but a few patterns hold.

Sukiyaki is vegetable-forward. Cabbage, mushrooms, negi, shungiku, tofu and shirataki make up a large share of the pot. The beef is thinly sliced, but marbled cuts add fat, and the sauce is sugary and salty. If you want to lower carbs, read about sukiyaki on a keto diet.

Teriyaki can be lean (chicken breast, grilled salmon) or heavy (fatty thigh meat with bottled sauce), and it is usually served with a bowl of white rice.

A Rough Sodium Check

Exact calories vary too much with the recipe, cut of meat and amount of sauce to give one figure for either dish, so this post does not quote one. Sodium is more predictable, because both dishes rest on soy sauce.

The World Health Organization recommends adults consume less than 2,000 mg of sodium per day. A single serving of either dish can use up a large part of that, mostly from soy sauce.

Simple Ways to Lighten Either Dish

• Use a bit less of the sauce, or dilute sukiyaki's warishita with extra dashi.
• Add more vegetables and mushrooms.
• Choose leaner cuts for sukiyaki, or skinless chicken or fish for teriyaki.
• Go easy on the leftover sauce, since it is very salty.
• If you are watching the WHO's 2,000 mg sodium guideline, reduced-sodium soy sauce is one option, and Kikkoman publishes a low-sodium sukiyaki variation.

Is Sukiyaki or Teriyaki Faster to Make?

On paper they are similar. Kikkoman lists its teriyaki chicken at 20 minutes, including a 10-minute marinade, and its classic sukiyaki at 20 minutes too. Its skillet-style sukiyaki, which makes the sauces from scratch and steeps kombu water, is listed at 50 minutes.

In practice, sukiyaki involves more preparation, since you cut many ingredients and cook in stages, but the cooking itself is leisurely and social, and the meal stretches out as everyone cooks and eats at the table. Teriyaki is usually the more hands-on, quicker weeknight dish, especially in a pan; on a charcoal grill or with a long marinade it takes longer. Neither is hard.

How to Make Sukiyaki and Teriyaki at Home

You do not need special gear for either one, though a few tips help.

Sukiyaki Basics

For more on the technique, see our guide to making nabemono at home. A shallow cast-iron pot or even a wide skillet on a portable burner works. Based on Kikkoman's recipes, a home version goes like this:

1. Mix soy sauce, mirin, sugar and water (Kikkoman uses 100 ml each of soy sauce, mirin and water with 4 tablespoons of sugar), or use soy sauce, mirin and sake with kombu water on the side to adjust the saltiness.
2. Cook a few slices of beef in the pot, then pour in some sauce.
3. Add the harder vegetables, tofu and shirataki, then the softer greens and mushrooms.
4. Dip each cooked piece in beaten egg (pasteurized, if you are outside Japan).
5. Finish with udon in the leftover sauce if you like.

Teriyaki Basics

For a pan version, mix the sauce first (equal parts soy sauce and mirin is a simple start, as in Kikkoman's recipe). Cook the protein through, wipe out excess oil, then simmer the sauce in the pan until slightly reduced and coat the food in it until it turns glossy. Adding the sauce late matters, because sugar-containing glazes can scorch over high heat; Kikkoman likewise notes that the glaze is brushed on during the final stages of grilling.

Common Mistakes

• Overcrowding the sukiyaki pot. Adding everything at once makes uneven textures, so add ingredients in stages.
• Boiling the sauce down too far. In sukiyaki the sauce concentrates as it simmers, so top it up with dashi or a little water.
• Glazing teriyaki too early. Sugar caramelizes and can scorch before the food is cooked through.
• Using sweet bottled sauce for everything. A simple homemade tare takes minutes and tastes cleaner.

Can You Use Teriyaki Sauce for Sukiyaki?

You can, but it is not ideal. Bottled teriyaki sauce is usually thicker and sweeter than warishita, so it can turn sticky and scorch in a simmering pot. If it is all you have, thin it with dashi or water and add it a little at a time, tasting as you go.

Sukiyaki vs Shabu-Shabu

Both are table-top hot pots with thin beef, but shabu-shabu swishes the slices briefly in a light simmering broth and dips them in sauce, while sukiyaki simmers the food in a sweet soy-based sauce and dips it in egg. Our guide to what shabu-shabu is goes into detail.

Which Should You Choose?

• Choose sukiyaki for a cozy, shared winter meal, or when you want lots of vegetables and a mellow, sweet-savory broth.
• Choose teriyaki for a quick weeknight dinner, a grill-friendly summer meal, or a shiny glazed fish or chicken over rice.
• Choose either if you like soy-mirin-sugar flavors, since they are close cousins.

If you are comparing hot pots more broadly, see our post on nabemono vs sukiyaki, and the different types of nabemono.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the main difference between sukiyaki and teriyaki?

Sukiyaki is a hot pot dish where thin beef and vegetables are simmered in a sweet soy-based sauce and dipped in raw egg. Teriyaki is a cooking method in which food is grilled or pan-broiled and glazed with a soy-mirin-sugar sauce.

Do sukiyaki and teriyaki use the same sauce?

They use the same core ingredients: soy sauce, mirin, sake and sugar. The proportions and use differ. Sukiyaki's warishita is thinned with dashi for simmering, while teriyaki tare is cooked down into a thicker glaze.

Is it safe to eat raw egg with sukiyaki?

It carries some Salmonella risk. The FDA advises pasteurized eggs for recipes where eggs stay raw, and says children, older adults, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems face greater risk. Outside Japan, use pasteurized eggs or skip the dip.

What is the difference between Kanto and Kansai sukiyaki?

Kanto style simmers ingredients together in a premixed warishita sauce. Kansai style sears the beef first, adds sugar, soy sauce and sake directly to the pot, then adds vegetables.

Is teriyaki always chicken?

No. In Japan teriyaki is often made with fish such as yellowtail and salmon, and the method is also used for chicken, beef and pork. Chicken is simply the most common version abroad.

Which is healthier, sukiyaki or teriyaki?

Neither is clearly better. Sukiyaki usually has more vegetables, while teriyaki can be leaner depending on the protein. Both can be high in sodium from soy sauce, so portion and sauce amounts matter more than the dish name.

Final Thoughts

The simplest way to remember the difference: sukiyaki is something you cook together at the table, and teriyaki is something you glaze on the grill or in a pan. Both share the sweet-and-savory soy, mirin and sugar flavor that defines so much Japanese home cooking, so try both and see which you prefer.