Hoisin Sauce
6.7best for fryingThicker, sweeter; similar Asian flavor profile
Frying teriyaki applications mean tossing crispy-fried protein in sauce after the oil drain — the sauce's ~30% sugar would crystallize at 350°F oil temperatures, so it never enters the fryer itself. The lens is sauce viscosity and adhesion onto a 200-220°F crust: too thin and the glaze runs off, too thick and it gummy-coats the shell. Swaps must hold body at room-temperature drizzle and not weep moisture into the breading within 60 seconds of plating.
Thicker, sweeter; similar Asian flavor profile
After draining fried protein onto a wire rack at 200°F, toss in 1:1 hoisin warmed to 110°F. Hoisin's thicker ~250 cP body coats fried surfaces heavier than teriyaki — back off to 3/4 the volume to avoid gumming the crust. The fermented-bean depth replaces teriyaki's mirin sweetness.
Add honey or sugar and a splash of rice vinegar
Use 1 tbsp soy plus 1 tsp honey per tablespoon teriyaki, warmed to 100°F before tossing fried protein. Plain soy is too thin (~50 cP) to glaze a fried crust — the honey thickens body to ~120 cP. Toss within 60 seconds of fryer drain to keep the shell crisp.
Savory and complex; less sweet than teriyaki
Substitute 1 tbsp Worcestershire plus 1 tsp brown sugar per tablespoon teriyaki; warm to 110°F, toss with fried protein post-drain. Worcestershire's 80 cP viscosity runs off the crust faster than teriyaki's 175 cP — expect a thinner, weepier glaze. Anchovy-tamarind depth replaces mirin.