Homemade Teriyaki Sauce Recipe (2024)

Total Time: 15 minutes minutes

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An easy homemade teriyaki sauce recipe made from pantry staples. This sauce is bold and thick and is great as a marinade or as a sauce served with your favorite meats or vegetables.

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In the mood for teriyaki? Make up a batch of this sauce and then use it to make Teriyaki Chicken Pizza or Bacon Wrapped Teriyaki Chicken Skewers!

Homemade Teriyaki Sauce Recipe (1)

Homemade Teriyaki Sauce Recipe

There are lots of things I used to never considered making before, turning instead to the conveniently bottled versions. Salad dressings, mayonnaise, etc. Some of them I still buy bottled – mayonnaise – and some I make from scratch at home – salad dressings. One of these condiments that I love to make from scratch is homemade Teriyaki sauce. It is so super easy and good, it made me wonder why I ever bought the store bought kind!

This homemade teriyaki sauce recipe only takes minutes to make, and tastes a lot better than the jarred sauce. This sauce is great just served as a sauce alongside your favorite meats as well as a marinade. I love that it is so versatile!

Homemade Teriyaki Sauce Recipe (2)

Ingredients

  • Brown Sugar: I use light brown sugar. You could also up the amount of honey, but I think they both bring in different flavors, so I like to use both.
  • Soy Sauce: I always use low sodium soy sauce. You could also use tamari.
  • Honey: If you like the sauce sweeter, use 2 tablespoons, otherwise just use one.
  • Garlic: I always have fresh garlic on hand, so I like to use fresh. You could sub in garlic powder. If you do, you’ll need about 1/4 teaspoon.
  • Ginger: I don’t always have fresh ginger on hand, so that is why I use ground ginger. Feel free to use fresh if you do have it, though. You’ll need 1-2 tablespoons of fresh ginger if you do sub.
  • Cornstarch: This is what will thicken up your sauce. The sauce will get decently thick, so if you prefer a thinner sauce, feel free to cut this amount in half.
Homemade Teriyaki Sauce Recipe (3)

How to Make Homemade Teriyaki Sauce

It really doesn’t get much easier than this recipe!

1: Start by combining all of your ingredients except the cornstarch and 1/4 cup of water. Whisk to combine, and set over medium heat.

2: In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and the 1/4 cup water.

Homemade Teriyaki Sauce Recipe (4)

3: Pour the cornstarch mixture into the saucepan.

4: Cook, whisking, until the sauce thickens.

Homemade Teriyaki Sauce Recipe (5)

How to Use This Homemade Teriyaki Sauce

This homemade teriyaki sauce makes a thicker sauce that the bottled sauce, so it would be good served on top of something, but I have also used it as a marinade. If you don’t want it thick as a marinade you can skip adding the cornstarch and extra water.

Here are some of my favorite ways to use this sauce:

  • As sauce with grilled chicken
  • Add it to chicken pieces and broccoli and serve over rice
  • As a glaze for salmon
  • Mixed into noodles
  • In any stir fry
Homemade Teriyaki Sauce Recipe (6)

Homemade Teriyaki Sauce Video

If you want to watch how this teriyaki sauce is made, watch the video above.

Storage

I usually make this teriyaki sauce when I need it, but it’s also great to just have on hand for an easy dinner.

I store it in a mason jar in the refrigerator. I will usually try to go through it in a week or less, but really, it should be good for 2-3 weeks if stored properly.

I have not tried to freeze this, although I’m assuming it would freeze well.

Homemade Teriyaki Sauce Recipe (7)

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Homemade Teriyaki Sauce Recipe (8)

Homemade Teriyaki Sauce Recipe

4.78 from 159 votes

Author: Deborah Harroun

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 1 1/2 cups

Course: Sauces

Cuisine: Asian

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An easy homemade teriyaki sauce recipe made from pantry staples. This sauce is bold and thick and is great as a marinade or as a sauce served with your favorite meats or vegetables.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (8 oz) water
  • 5 tablespoons (67 g) packed light brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup (2 oz) low sodium soy sauce
  • 1-2 tablespoons honey
  • 1 large clove garlic ,minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1/4 cup (2 oz) cold water

Instructions

  • Combine the 1 cup water, brown sugar, soy sauce, honey, garlic, and ginger in a medium saucepan and set over medium heat.

  • In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch with the 1/4 cup water and whisk until dissolved. Add the cornstarch mixture to the saucepan.

  • Heat the sauce until it thickens to your desired thickness. If the sauce becomes too thick, add more water to thin it out.

Video

Recipe Notes:

slightly adapted from Food.com

Nutrition information provided as an estimate only. Various brands and products can change the counts. Any nutritional information should be used as a general guide.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1/4 cup, Calories: 72kcal (4%), Carbohydrates: 18g (6%), Protein: 1g (2%), Sodium: 442mg (19%), Sugar: 4g (4%)

Keywords: homemade teriyaki sauce, how to make teriyaki sauce, Teriyaki sauce, teriyaki sauce recipe

Homemade Teriyaki Sauce Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is teriyaki sauce made of? ›

Teriyaki Sauce Ingredients

Authentic Japanese teriyaki sauce combines soy sauce, mirin, sugar, and sake to create a distinctively sharp taste, with Westernized versions incorporating honey, garlic, and ginger for added edge. Cornstarch is often added to teriyaki sauce as a thickener.

What kind of teriyaki sauce do Japanese restaurants use? ›

Teriyaki sauce is made using a combination of soy sauce, mirin (a sweet cooking sake), and sugar. While it can be made with just soy sauce and sugar, the addition of mirin adds a beautiful luster to the sauce and mimics that restaurant quality feel. It's sweet, tangy, and a little sticky.

How to make teriyaki sauce taste better? ›

Sesame oil: A drizzle of sesame oil will add a nutty and aromatic flavor to your teriyaki sauce. It's a great way to enhance the overall taste and aroma of the dish. Honey or brown sugar: Adding a little honey or brown sugar will give the sauce a touch of sweetness that will balance out the saltiness.

Is it better to buy or make teriyaki sauce? ›

Well, the reason is simple: Homemade teriyaki sauce is just always better than the sickly sweet store-bought stuff.

What is a good substitute for teriyaki sauce? ›

Soy Sauce and Sweetener:Mix soy sauce with a sweetener such as honey, maple syrup, agave nectar, or brown sugar. Adjust the ratio based on your desired sweetness. This combination provides a savory and sweet profile similar to teriyaki sauce.

How is teriyaki traditionally made? ›

Traditionally, teriyaki sauce is made by mixing and heating three ingredients: sugar, soy sauce, and sake (or mirin). Mirin is a Japanese rice wine, similar to sake, but with more sugar and a lower alcohol content of 14%.

What is the difference between teriyaki sauce and teriyaki marinade? ›

The main difference is that marinades are used to flavor food before cooking while a sauce is added during the cooking process or after the dish has been cooked. One important thing: don't use premade marinade that's been used to marinate meat, poultry, or fish.

What is a substitute for mirin in teriyaki sauce? ›

You can always buy mirin online, but if you're really in a crunch, you can sub in a dry sherry or a sweet marsala wine. Dry white wine or rice vinegar will also do, though you'll need to counteract the sourness with about a 1/2 teaspoon of sugar for every tablespoon you use. And once you do? Congratulations.

Should you marinate teriyaki? ›

Generally, two hours is enough time for the meat to soak up the teriyaki marinade, but it all depends on what you're marinating. If you don't let it marinate for long enough it may not absorb enough flavor, but if you let it marinate too long, the meat can become so soft that it's soggy.

How do you keep teriyaki sauce thick? ›

Transfer to a small bowl; the mixture will thicken as it cools. Note: If you want super thick teriyaki sauce, you can use a bit of cornstarch to help. Here's how: pour a tablespoon of the sauce into a small bowl. Add a teaspoon of cornstarch to the small bowl and whisk until it completely dissolves.

How long does homemade teriyaki sauce last? ›

I usually make this teriyaki sauce when I need it, but it's also great to just have on hand for an easy dinner. I store it in a mason jar in the refrigerator. I will usually try to go through it in a week or less, but really, it should be good for 2-3 weeks if stored properly.

Can I just use teriyaki marinade as sauce? ›

To make a sauce: Pour marinade mixture into a small saucepan and warm over medium-high heat. Whisk water and cornstarch together in a small bowl; add to marinade mixture. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer sauce, stirring frequently, until thickened, about 5 to 7 minutes.

Is teriyaki sauce better thick or thin? ›

The thinner teriyaki sauce makes for a better a marinade, though in our teriyaki taste test, we determined you're better off making your own teriyaki marinade at home than buying a bottle of the thin stuff. The thicker American-style teriyaki sauce is a wiser purchase.

Which is better hoisin or teriyaki sauce? ›

They're both sweet, salty and sometimes spicy but hoisin has a distinctive Chinese five spice flavor that teriyaki lacks. If you ate something normally made with hoisin you would find the flavor to be noticeably different.

Is teriyaki sauce unhealthy? ›

Is Teriyaki sauce healthy? A. While the low amount of calories in teriyaki sauce makes it healthy, the presence of sodium in the sauce in abundance makes it unhealthy. Therefore, the amount of sauce consumed daily determines whether the sauce will prove to be beneficial or not.

Why does teriyaki sauce have alcohol? ›

Kikkoman Teriyaki Sauces have a small amount of alcohol since they are all made with traditionally brewed Kikkoman Soy Sauce. Our Soy Sauce is a fermented product like beer and is made from wheat, soybeans, salt and water.

Is teriyaki sauce basically soy sauce? ›

Soy sauce is made from fermented soybeans, wheat, salt, and water. It has a rich, salty flavor and is often used as a seasoning and marinade. On the other hand, teriyaki sauce is a sweet and savory glaze made from soy sauce, sugar, and other ingredients such as mirin, sake, or ginger.

Is teriyaki sauce Chinese or Japanese? ›

Teriyaki is a well known Japanese dish in Seattle that was popularized from Japanese immigrant's Toshi Kasahara's original teriyaki shop, Toshi's Teriyaki. His fast casual style and delicious flame-grilled sweet chicken became a roaring success as multiple teriyaki shops quickly opened up chasing Toshi's success.

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