You Only Need 3 Ingredients To Make A Copycat Teriyaki Shop Salad Dressing

There's just something that hits different when you eat a salad at a teriyaki shop, Seattle's unspoken obsession. That something? The dressing. Also called China coast salad dressing, it brings a refreshing creaminess to just about any blend of veggies you can think of. Slightly tart and just a little sweet, it's a dynamic and complex dressing that only really requires three ingredients: rice vinegar, mayo, and sugar. We suggest using Kewpie mayo for a little extra richness. No Kewpie? No problem. There are a few additions that can make American mayo taste Japanese, like some extra sugar and rice vinegar. (Don't be fooled by the Kewpie mayo you see at Costco — it isn't the real stuff and won't lend the same luxuriousness as actual Japanese mayonnaise.) 

A basic teriyaki shop salad dressing recipe will mix a ¼ cup of rice vinegar with a ¼ cup of mayonnaise and 2 tablespoons of sugar. It really is that simple. Prepare your two-ingredient teriyaki sauce, drizzle it over some chicken thighs and sticky rice, and round your meal out with some homemade teriyaki shop salad.

While there's nothing wrong with a plain three-ingredient salad dressing, there's also no shame in zhuzhing things up a little. For example, it's common to bring a little nuttiness to the party by adding some toasted sesame or a tablespoon of sesame oil. If you're out of sesame, try throwing in some poppy seeds with a little black pepper. Sure, you can add some salt to taste, but you could bring some umami to the dressing by adding a dash of soy sauce instead.

Similarly, if you don't have any rice vinegar, you can substitute it with mirin. Run out of sugar? Just use honey — but you may want to increase the amount to get the same level of sweetness. If you need a little kick, add some Dijon mustard or a bit of wasabi if you prefer horseradish. Want some punch without heat? Add a little garlic — powder, granules, or minced garlic all work wonders equally. The world is your oyster here; add whatever ingredients bring you joy and live your teriyaki shop dreams.