Yakiniku at Home
a guide to Japanese BBQ
There’s something special about yakiniku for us. We still remember that first time making it in my tiny apartment kitchen, haphazardly arranging thin slices of beef on our makeshift grill, unsure if we were doing it right, but excited to try. That meal help spark something in us: a love for cooking together and the joy of sharing food. Don’t get me wrong; it ain’t sunshine and butterflies in the kitchen all the time. We still butt heads (like, why are you in my way?), but it just makes the cooking experience that much more interesting.
Yakiniku is Japanese-style BBQ where bite-sized pieces of meat and vegetables are grilled at the table, typically on a small charcoal or gas grill. The name literally means “grilled meat” in Japanese. Diners cook their own food piece by piece, dipping it in savory sauces like tare (usually a soy-based sauce) or citrusy ponzu. It’s a social, interactive dining experience that has become popular in Japan and around the world.
Our appreciation for yakiniku only deepened when we visited Japan. Sitting around those tabletop grills in Tokyo, watching the meat sizzle and char, we finally understood what we’d been trying to recreate at home. The quality of the beef, the precision of the cuts, the balance of the tare sauce. Everything came together in a way that felt both elevated and familiar. We found ourselves in tiny restaurants tucked away in side streets, late nights at yakiniku hot spots, and in one particularly memorable spot in Osaka where the wagyu practically melted on our tongues. Each experience taught us something new and made us even more eager to bring those flavors back to our own table.
So we’re bringing you Japanese BBQ at home with marinated steak, assorted veggies, and a savory-sweet dipping sauce, or tare. Over the years, we’ve refined our approach, learning which cuts work best, which veggies pair well, and the perfect ratio for our tare. Our must haves for veggies are mushrooms and sweet peppers because they char beautifully. And of course, a good dipping sauce can elevate even the simplest spread into something special.
Most of the work is in the prep, so we’ve come up with a guide to help make the whole experience as seamless as possible. Once everything is sliced, marinated, and arranged, the actual cooking is really fun and engaging. Grilling the ingredients together, getting that perfect sear, then stealing bites while they’re still sizzling hot. It’s a meal that always brings us together, and we can’t wait for you to experience that same joy in your own kitchen. Check out our IG post here!
Gimme the meats:
Our meat of choice for yakiniku is beef. There are so many cuts of beef that work ranging from wagyu to sirloin. Our favorite cuts are ribeye and boneless short rib (shout out to Costco). For a richer flavor, opt for a cut that has more marbling, such as ribeye or sirloin. If you like a leaner cut, chuck/shoulder cuts or flank steak.
For this occasion, we used boneless short rib which had a great fat to lean ratio. We like to marinate the meat ahead of time for maximum flavor, but if you’re short on time, you don’t have to.
Here is our go-to marinade/tare sauce recipe. Feel free to double or triple depending on how much meat you’ll be using.
Yakiniku marinade/tare:
Ingredients:
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tbsp mirin
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tsp ginger, finely minced
1 tbsp sugar
1.5 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp sesame seeds
Salt to taste
Method:
Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl.
Use as needed for the beef marinade. Reserve the rest as a tare/dipping sauce.
Eat your veggies:
When it comes to veggies, let your fridge be your guide. Chances are, your favorite veggies are probably stocked in your fridge as we speak. That said, I do have my non-negotiables: mushrooms (particularly shiitake and king oyster mushrooms), sweet peppers, onions, and kabocha squash. Other popular choices include zucchini, eggplant, and even shishito peppers. Be sure to cut your veggies thick enough that they don’t fall through the grate!
Typically, the veggies are cooked unseasoned and then dipped in the tare when ready to enjoy. A light brush of oil on the veggies before grilling helps prevent sticking and promotes even charring.
If I have time, I like to throw together a quick shredded cabbage salad with some cucumber. Make sure to use a cabbage shredder or mandolin to get the cabbage extra thin! For the dressing, I’ll usually do a creamy, mayo-based dressing. Below is a guide for the dressing.
Cabbage salad dressing:
Ingredients:
2 tbsp Japanese mayonnaise
2 tsp soy sauce
1 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tsp sesame oil
Sesame seeds, for garnish
Method:
Mix everything together in a bowl. Adjust to taste.
Add to cabbage salad as needed.
Mix well together.
Sides matter:
Rice is 100% mandatory so be sure to have that ready before you dig in. If you’re looking for something lighter, lettuce and shiso leaves add texture and crunch. Other options like pickled vegetables like kimchi or Japanese pickles (tsukemono) cut through the richness perfectly.
What to grill on:
The most traditional styles are charcoal or gas grills that provide a smoky flavor. However, home options like portable tabletop gas or electric grills or even stovetop in a pan will still work very well. If we’re cooking at the table, we like using a portable tabletop gas grill with a dome-shaped grill plate.
Let’s eat:
Everything we’ve prepped leads to this moment. Once your meats and veggies are grilled to perfection, it’s time to enjoy the fruits of your labor. Make sure all your sides and tare are ready at the table so you can build your ultimate bite. I love having bowls and plates of everything within arm’s reach. That way you can grab a piece of sizzling beef, dip it in tare, enjoy it with your sides, and experience yakiniku exactly as it’s meant to be enjoyed.
