Sweet potatoes and chicken in a sweet and sour teriyaki sauce.

I get a lot of questions about swapping rice vinegar for sake in teriyaki, and I usually explain that traditional teriyaki isn’t meant to be sour. That said, I love a tangy edge to sauces, and I’ve been known to sneak a splash into my teriyaki sauce.

In Japan, there’s a family of sauces called amazu (甘酢), which literally means “sweet vinegar.” Think of it as a lighter, more savory take on sweet and sour. It’s brighter than Japanese teriyaki yet lighter than the sticky-sweet, deep-fried version many of us know from Chinese-American menus. The glaze is rich in contrast, but it takes a back seat, letting the chicken and sweet potatoes shine.

The method is weeknight-friendly and doesn’t require deep-frying. I steam Japanese sweet potato pieces in a covered pan with a splash of water for a few minutes. Then the chicken goes in to brown before I add a simple glaze of sugar, sake, soy sauce, and rice vinegar.

Luscious sweet potatoes mingle with chicken in a tangy sweet-sour teriyaki glaze.

The result tastes like fall—earthy and warm, deeply savory with a gentle sweetness and a mellow, tangy finish.

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