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BEST Teriyaki Sauce Recipe

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For an absolutely phenomenal homemade Teriyaki Sauce recipe, look no further!  Ready in 10 minutes, no junk ingredients, and crazy delicious, you’ll never use store-bought again!  Just read the hundreds of rave reviews below. This recipe has consistently enjoyed top ranking across the web for over 10 years for one reason: it’s simply the BEST!

For more favorite delicious Japanese sauces be sure to also try my Yum Yum Sauce, Ponzu Sauce, and Eel Sauce!

teriyaki sauce recipe best homemade authentic Japanese traditional mirin

It happened one too many times.  I needed teriyaki sauce for a recipe and thought I had some on hand only to find – after all the other ingredients had already been prepped – that there wasn’t any.  No doubt you can relate to this scenario, whether it’s teriyaki sauce or some other condiment like tahini paste, black bean sauce, or hoisin sauce. So I whipped up my own homemade teriyaki sauce…and have never touched store-bought since! And trust me, after making this teriyaki sauce recipe, you won’t either.

What is Teriyaki Sauce?

This thick and sticky Japanese sauce is popular all around the world with its dark, bold, savory-salty-sweet flavor with lots of umami undertones.  Its primary ingredients include soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, honey and mirin.  The word teriyaki refers to both a Japanese cooking technique as well as to the sauce.  It was developed in the 17th century and has become synonymous with Japanese cuisine, being served all over the world.  The term teri in teriyaki refers to the aesthetic shine on the food created by the sugar content in the sauce, while yaki refers to the method of grilling.  With its shiny luster and robust flavor, teriyaki sauce is a natural pairing for grilled foods.

Ingredients & Substitutions

This recipe calls for 8 ingredients, all of which are pantry staples with maybe the exception of mirin which you can substitute or omit.

  • Tamari – you can substitute low sodium soy sauce but tamari has much more flavor while also have less sodium.
  • Brown sugar – adds flavor and sweetness. For sugar free teriyaki sauce you can substitute a brown sugar alternative.
  • Fresh ginger – adds flavor and zing
  • Fresh garlic – adds flavor and depth
  • Honey – adds flavor complexity and sweetness
  • Sesame oil – adds depth of flavor
  • Mirin – adds flavor complexity and a hint of sweetness. You can substitute sherry and a pinch of sugar or omit it altogether.
  • Cornstarch dissolved in water – to thicken the sauce.
teriyaki sauce recipe homemade best diy japanese authentic traditional easy

How To Use Teriyaki Sauce

Teriyaki sauce is a versatile and flavorful Japanese sauce that can be used in various ways to add a sweet and savory taste to your dishes. Here are some common ways to use teriyaki sauce:

  • Marinating Meat, Poultry, Seafood or Tofu:  To use this sauce as a marinade simply omit the cornstarch.  Place the protein in a ziplock bag, pour in the sauce, and allow it marinate for at least 30 minutes before cooking.
  • Grilling:  Brush this sauce onto your proteins or veggies to create a delicious caramelized glaze.
  • Stir-Fies:  This makes an excellent base sauce for stir-fries of all kinds.
  • Chicken Teriyaki, Teriyaki Salmon, Teriyaki Tofu, and Teriyaki Pork:  Slather this on and bake to create a delicious sticky glaze.
  • Dipping Sauce:  This makes a great dipping sauce for sushi, spring rolls, dumplings, tempura, or other appetizers.
  • Bowl or Rice Topping:  Drizzle it over your rice bowls with your grilled teriyaki chicken, pork, beef, salmon or tofu and some steamed or stir-fried veggies.
  • Glaze for Roasted Vegetables: Brush some of this sauce onto roasted vegetables for a sweet and savory glaze.
  • Sandwiches, Wraps or Burgers:  This adds a burst of flavor to your favorite sandwiches and burgers.
  • Noodles:  Add a drizzle of teriyaki sauce to noodle dishes, such as udon or soba, and toss to coat.
  • Salad Dressing:  Combine the teriyaki sauce with some oil, vinegar or lemon juice, and a little sesame oil for a unique and flavorful salad dressing.
teriyaki sauce on chicken

Teriyaki Sauce Recipe

This is a super quick and easy sauce to make, all you have to do is:

  • Combine the soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, honey, sesame oil, mirin and water mixed with cornstarch together in a bowl
  • Transfer the mixture to a small saucepan and simmer for about 4 minutes until thickened.
  • Your sauce is ready!

You can use it right away or store it in the fridge for up to a couple of weeks.  And the flavors will get even better over time.  Enjoy this fantastic best homemade teriyaki sauce in the dish of your choice!

Ready in less than 10 minutes, thoroughly delicious and free of fillers or junk ingredients, there simply is no good reason to EVER use store-bought again!

simmering ingredients in saucepan until thickened

Enjoy!

teriyaki sauce recipe best homemade authentic Japanese traditional mirin

For more homemade Asian sauces try my:

teriyaki sauce recipe authentic

BEST Teriyaki Sauce Recipe

The best homemade teriyaki sauce recipe EVER! You’ll never get store-bought again!
4.90 from 523 votes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Course condiment, Sauce
Cuisine Asian, Japanese
Servings 12 servings
Calories 48 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients
 
 

  • 1/2 cup tamari , can substitute low sodium soy sauce. Note: tamari has more flavor than soy sauce and significantly less sodium.
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • see brown sugar alternative (for low sugar option)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh ginger ,minced
  • 1 teaspoon garlic ,minced
  • 1 tablespoon honey (Vegans: use agave nectar or sweetener of choice)
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 3 tablespoons mirin (see note)
  • 1/4 cup water mixed with 3 teaspoons cornstarch

Instructions
 

  • Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
  • Store in the fridge for up to a week.  Makes about 1 1/4 cups teriyaki sauce.

Video

Notes

Mirin is a sweet Japanese rice wine, similar to sake but with a lower alcohol content and higher sugar content. If you don’t have mirin, you can use sherry with a pinch of sugar added to it.
NOTE:  If using as a marinade omit the cornstarch and let the sauce cool completely before using.

Nutrition

Calories: 48kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 1gSodium: 574mgPotassium: 26mgSugar: 7gVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 6mgIron: 0.3mg
Keyword Teriyaki Sauce
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Originally published on The Daring Gourmet May 27, 2013

kimberly killebrew the daring gourmet

Hi, I’m Kimberly Killebrew and welcome to Daring Gourmet where you'll find delicious originals, revitalized classics, and simply downright good eats from around the world! Originally from Germany, later raised in England, world-traveled, and now living in the U.S., from my globally-influenced kitchen I invite you to tour the world through your taste buds!

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Recipe Rating




4.90 from 523 votes (311 ratings without comment)

652 Comments

  1. The sauce is delicious, but I used rice vinegar with a bit of sugar. And the cornstarch slurry is way too much…cut it in half at least…it taste delicious and I cant wait to put it on the chicken pineapple burgers tonight 😋

  2. I followed this recipe exactly except I didn’t have mirrin so I used rice vinegar. It came out insanely salty and barely any sweetness. I’ll try it again in the future but I’ll use light soy sauce instead of Tamari.

  3. First of all, I think this recipe is probably really amazing. I haven’t tried it yet, but I’m really frustrated that I had to cook it longer than expected because the ratios are not correct. When you change it to double recipe, the corn flour does not change in the double recipe, so I only added 3 teaspoons instead of six and kept heating it up and cooking it trying to get the thickness so anyone making this as a double recipe double your corn starch! That’s where this went wrong for me

  4. Absolutely amazing recipe!!!!!! I couldn’t believe it’s possible to have such incredible tasting Chinese food at home. But with this recipe it is! And it’s so easy and quick to make! Thanks so much for this recipe!

  5. This was a hit in our house! I used Hoisin instead of tamari because that’s what I had on hand. It turned out great!

  6. Making this saice for a second time, doubled both times as it was just that good! Used dried spices and rice wine vinegar in place of Mirin, excellent recipe!!!

  7. Excellent teriyaki sauce! I omitted the honey and only used half the brown sugar and it was still plenty sweet for my taste. Will def be making again!

  8. This was the best teriyaki recipe ive tried. Most recipes I’ve tried never gave the thick sauce I’ve been looking for and this did. A+ rating.. Thank you for sharing. P.S. I did add siracha because I like spicy.

  9. Boy do I have a story to tell you! My son wanted teriyaki beef stir fry. I used another homemade teriyaki sauce and he ABSOLUTELY HATED it!! Wouldn’t even eat it. He’s not a picky eater. He will normally eat food and then tell me not to make it again. I put the left overs in the fridge anyway, just incase he wanted to try it again. Luckily, before he was hungry, I came across this recipe! I ended up making it, drained and rinsed the meat and added yours. He not only ate it, but came back for seconds! I’m so happy that I didn’t have to throw $32 worth of steak in the trash! Thanks lady for saving my din din!! 👏👏💕

    1. Haha, that is just AWESOME, April! I’m sorry you had to go through the additional effort but so glad that the effort paid off and I really appreciate the feedback and compliment – thank you!!

  10. This was excellent, exactly what I was looking for, with strong ginger and garlic notes and a perfect sticky texture. I mainly used it with very thinly sliced pork to make a crispy topping for a sesame ginger slaw, but I did have a pork chop night where the sauce ended up drizzled over sticky rice and steamed broccoli. Mmm! The only thing I’ll change next time is to reduce the sugar by about half since I don’t have much of a palate for very sweet things.

  11. Great recipe I was needing to add to my collection. FYI – 3 tsp = 1 Tbsp (water called for is “3 teaspoons”), and you shouldn’t boil sesame oil as it destroys the delicate compounds within. Just add at the end to preserve that lovely aroma. Thanks!

  12. Love this recipe. I am sensitive to salt so only used 1/4 C Tamari but otherwise kept everything else the same. It was perfect. : )