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This easy Teriyaki Sauce will become your new favorite sauce and is made completely from scratch. Incredibly simple and easy to make requiring only a handful of ingredients.
Homemade Teriyaki Sauce
Chock full of savory soy sauce, sweet brown sugar, and bright mirin, this sauce is the perfect accompaniment to nearly any Asian dish. Whether you’re adding it to your next stir fry or just spooning it over fluffy white rice, I can promise that this Teriyaki sauce will elevate many a dish.
I’ve included some recipes here on this blog and my sister site, Jo Cooks, that beautifully showcase all the ways you can enjoy this homemade sauce. So get ready to feast. Because this recipe is about to become a household staple!
What Is Teriyaki Sauce?
Did you know that teriyaki is actually a cooking method? It’s used in Japanese cooking and just involves cooking your food in a glaze typically made from soy sauce, some type of sugar, and mirin. That’s it! I like to pack a bit more flavor into my Teriayki sauce, so let’s get into it!
What Is Mirin?
Mirin is also known as sweet rice wine. It is similar to sake but with a lower alcohol content and a higher sugar content. It adds lustre and sheen to our Teriyaki sauce, giving our finished product that glazed look that we’re trying to achieve with this recipe. You can substitute this ingredient with sake or sherry.
Ingredients In Homemade Teriyaki Sauce
Detailed measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Cornstarch – We’re going to create a slurry using cornstarch and cold water. This is key for getting our sauce to thicken.
- Water – This will help us achieve the consistency we’re looking for with this sauce.
- Soy sauce – Low sodium so that we can control the salt content of our dish.
- Mirin – Also known as sweet rice wine, it can be replaced with cooking sherry with a pinch of sugar added to it.
- Sugar – We’re using brown sugar to add both sweetness and a rich molasses flavor to our sauce.
- Spices – We’re using ground ginger and garlic powder today to add dimension and flavor to our sauce.
How To Make Homemade Teriyaki Sauce
Detailed measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Prepare your slurry: Make a slurry with the cornstarch and 1/4 cup cold water by whisking the two together.
- Combine the sauce: Add all the ingredients including the constarch slurry to a small sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 4 minutes. The sauce should thicken. Remove from heat and let cool.
What Can I Make With Teriyaki Sauce?
This sauce pairs well with so much! To give you a little bit of recipe inspiration I’ve included some of my favorite Teriyaki dishes below. Also stay tuned for a couple awesome teriyaki recipes coming soon.
- Instant Pot Teriyaki Chicken
- Teriyaki Salmon Sheet Pan Dinner
- Beef Teriyaki Skewers
- Crock Pot Teriyaki Chicken
- In Japan Teriyaki sauce is typically used to cook seafood, especially fattier cuts of fish. So introduce it to your pan the next time you’re whipping up some nautical fare!
- Add it to any stir fry, it pairs perfectly with nearly any veggie.
- Slather it on your next burger plus a slice of pineapple for a Hawaiian style entree!
- This sauce also tastes perfect with pork.
How To Use Your Teriyaki Sauce
This sauce works as either a base to cook your veggies and protein in or as a marinade to allow all those flavors to be soaked up. If you’re looking to turn this recipe into a marinade you may want to thin it out a bit by cutting out some of the cornstarch slurry. A more liquid consistency will allow the sauce to better penetrate the meat.
Are Soy Sauce And Teriyaki Sauce Interchangeable?
These 2 sauces have super different flavor profiles. One is salty and full of umami flavor, but isn’t a complete sauce all on its own since it is pretty one dimensional. On the other hand Teriyaki sauce features salt, sweet, acid, and has a well rounded mouth feel that is both thick and satisfying.
Storing Leftover Teriyaki Sauce
Store this sauce in an airtight container or a jar in the fridge for up to a week. If you’re looking to add quick flavor pops to your future stir fries, freeze this sauce in ice cube trays in the freezer and pop them out as you cook!
Craving More Asian Dishes? Try These Delicious Recipes:
- Asian Style Pepper Steak
- Pork Rolls
- Asian Glazed Salmon In Foil
- Udon Noodles With Pork And Mushrooms
- Roasted Quail
- Korean Beef Rice Bowls
- Bang Bang Chicken
Homemade Teriyaki Sauce
Ingredients
- 4 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1/4 cup water cold
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 cup soy sauce low sodium
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar packed
- 3 tablespoon mirin
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger ground
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Prepare your slurry: Make a slurry with the cornstarch and 1/4 cup cold water by whisking the two together.
- Combine the sauce: Add all the ingredients including the constarch slurry to a small sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 4 minutes. The sauce should thicken. Remove from heat and let cool.
- Store in an airtight container or jar in the fridge for up to a week.
