Both teriyaki sauce and ton-katsu sauce are dark, silky sauces full of sweet flavors that give moisture to a dish. The sauces are well-known condiments famous in Japanese cuisine.
Chart Summary
| TERIYAKI SAUCE | KATSU SAUCE |
| Ingredients are more straightforward: ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and soy sauce |
| Used as a dipping sauce for fried meat |
| It is best paired with bread |
Getty images/Moment/Karl Tapales
Definition
Teriyaki is a traditional Japanese style that involves grilling meat with a sweet and salty sauce. Teriyaki sauce is the sauce used in this style of cooking. Teriyaki sauce has a sweet, salty, and slightly tangy flavor. It is mainly used as a glaze for meats but has a rich flavor. The sauce can also be used as a glaze for fish and vegetables, as a dipping sauce, as stir-fry sauce, basting sauce, or even as a marinade. Soy sauce, sugar, mirin, and sake are the four main ingredients in teriyaki sauce.
Katsu sauce, also known as Japanese barbecue sauce or tonkatsu sauce, is a sweet and tangy sauce. This sauce is made primarily with soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and ketchup, but other ingredients such as mirin, sugar, and garlic powder can be added to make the sauce. Katsu sauce is typically served as a dipping sauce with deep-fried breaded cutlets of pork or chicken (tonkatsu).
Teriyaki vs. Katsu
Teriyaki sauce contains soy sauce, sugar, mirin, and sake, whereas katsu sauce contains soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and ketchup. Katsu sauce is a thick, sweet, tangy sauce used to dip breaded pork cutlets. Teriyaki sauce is a lovely, salty, glossy sauce traditionally used for glazing meat and other grilled foods. Katsu is a type of Japanese barbecue sauce thicker in texture than teriyaki.