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!
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. Here’s what you’ll need:
- 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: to thicken the sauce.
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 homemade teriyaki sauce in the dish of your choice (see below for ideas).
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!
Enjoy!
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-Fries: 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.
For more homemade Asian sauces try my:
- Sweet and Sour Sauce
- Yum Yum Sauce
- Plum Sauce
- Hoisin Sauce
- Eel Sauce
- Black Bean Sauce
- Kecap Manis
- Sweet Chili Sauce
- Char Siu Sauce
- Ponzu Sauce
- Ginger Sauce
- Big Mac Sauce
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BEST Teriyaki Sauce Recipe
Equipment
- Small saucepan I use and recommend All-Clad stainless steel cookware!
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
Nutrition
Originally published on The Daring Gourmet May 27, 2013
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!
I was just wondering if you had ever attempted a hoisin sauce?
thanks
So funny you ask that, Matt. Yes, it’s been on my mind lately and I’m gearing up to do some experimenting.
Fantastic. Looking forward to it.
Hopefully coming soon, Matt!
How many times can I say WOW! I made this last minute – the teriyaki sauce I picked up at the local store just didn’t look right (consistency of water) so I made this. I substituted brown rice syrup for honey (I’m waiting for my local honey share) and it turned out great! Thank you! I am trying to make as many things as I can from scratch, easily and quickly, so I know what goes into it, and this is going to get made again and again and again.
Fantastic, Snowy, I’m so happy you enjoyed this Teriyaki Sauce! Thanks for the feedback and I hope you’ll visit often and try some more recipes. Best, Kimberly
I think I’m going to go for it. If I’ve convinced anyone else to do so, remember to substitute Clear-Jel for the cornstarch. I’ll let you know how the canning worked…
Sounds good, CMathas, and thanks for the tip.
Can this sauce be canned using a hot-bath method of canning?
CMathas, I honestly don’t know. Europeans would tell you yes, Americans would say no. Here’s the long answer….The American USDA safety standards state that food must be at a certain pH level in order for bacteria to not be able to form. Hence, you’ll see a lot of vinegar added to many American canning recipes. However, the fact is, bacteria cannot form in airtight spaces, so theoretically anything can be safely canned as long as it’s airtight. That said, there are anaerobic forms of bacteria (germs that can grow without the presence of oxygen) but those are destroyed through following the proper canning procedure of boiling the cans in a water bath. In Europe, no one bothers to check the pH balance of the food being canned and cases of botulism are exceedingly rare. I spoke to a friend here in the U.S. who is a pathologist (medical doctor specializing in germs). He said he would feel comfortable eating anything out of a can as long as the seal wasn’t broken. He said as long as the lid hasn’t popped up (which indicates the seal has broken and air has gotten into the can), then it’s safe. So…is it safe to can this teriyaki sauce? The USDA would probably say no, all our friends on the other side of the ocean would say yes. The choice is yours! :)
OMG! Just came across your page and found this recipe, I had everything in my pantry except mirin, sent the husband to go get it immediately! Loved, I only had low sodium soy sauce, my son loves the teriyaki chicken from panda express, looks like panda lost a customer and mommy gained one!
Woohooo! I’m thrilled it was such a hit, Ana, and appreciate the feedback! Absolutely, now you can make it yourself for much cheaper, without any unhealthy additives, and, dare I say, BETTER! :) So happy you found my blog and hope you’ll subscribe and return often. Cheers, Kimberly
Just wanted to say thanks. So easy, my kids loved it. Will never buy a jar again! great stuff.
Wonderful, Matt, I’m happy you all enjoyed it!
Very nice recipe, Kimberly. Used Hawaiian Aloha brand shoyu, which tends to be a touch sweeter than Kikkoman. Followed the recipe exactly (tripled it) except I brought all the ingredients to a simmer before adding the cornstarch and water mixture – I wanted to judge the thickness as I went. Turns out I used all but a tablespoon or two of the cornstarch mixture and it was a perfect thickness for a Teri burger glaze.
Nice ratio of sweet to salty and a good thick sauce. Definitely better than store bought. Thank you.
Wonderful, scotdc, I’m glad you enjoyed it and thanks so much for your feedback!
Kimberly, you are fantastic! I have tried to make most of your recipes already and find that we have a very similar palate. I’ve enjoyed each and everything I have made from your suggestions and I think I’m in love with you!
You’ve truly made my day, RollyS! :)
Hello beautiful daring Kimberly,
Something went drasticly wrong for me! I’m a good salt lover, kosher, sea, Himalayan etc. I put salt on things other people don’t.
I followed the recipe exactly except for one thing, my measureing cup starts at a half cup and the bottom is a little curved making it difficult to estimate exactly where a quarter cup was for brown sugar, but I like sweet and like brown sugar and made sure there was a little more than my estimate of where a 1/4 was. Yet this was the saltiest thing I’ve ever tasted and was completely inedible so I added more Mirin, more water, more honey, no dice. More water, more honey, some agave, more Mirin, not close. More water, more Mirin, more honey and agave, three fat chunks of pineapple minced and some of the Pinapple juice, TOO SALTY! haha. 6 or 8 more chunks minced, more of the juice, I forget if more of the other stuff except definitely no more Mirin since I finally looked at the label and saw SALT & citric acid, water and SALT again aside from the corn syrup and fermented rice wine extract in it!
Still too salty. Now the rest of the juice from a 20 oz can of pineapple chunks & probably more water etc until there was only a quarter inch left in the small pot, now being 4 or 5 times the volume of liquid from the original amount and FINALLY it was edible yet still too salty :(
(oh yeah, I added a minced green onion when I put the chicken in)
I had already roasted a chicken yesterday & used my homemade chicken stock plus the roast drippings to make a gravy for the one breast I ate before looking for a teriyaki recipe so I used the leftover breast & tore it into the simmering sauce for a while, then I scooped out the chicken & grilled it in a cast iron skillet with severl fresh chunks of pineapple & only the sauce adhering to the chicken, then after I flipped it I poured the little bit of sauce that collected in the bowl I scooped the chicken into on top of the grilling chicken. I scooped it all back into the bowl and all the little bit of sauce I used besides what had soaked into the meat had now been grilled & thickened.
So the moment of truth, I went to eat the stuff and it was still a little too salty but still GREAT & if I made sure to include a chunk of fantastic grilled pineapple in each bite it was HEAVEN!!! So in the end the disaster was mostly recovered from but something went way wrong.
However when I adjust this somehow to a reasonable level of salt from the start it will be like whatever is better than heaven :) (this from an athiest)
One of the commenters mentioned low sodium soy sauce which wasn’t in the recipe. I was going to start with just using much less of the soy I have & see how that works & maybe have to replace the lost liquid with something.
Unless everyone else knew to use low sodium I can’t understand how this only happened to me because it wasn’t even in the same city as the ballpark :(
I’m scratching my head, Apaul. It sounds like you ended up with more like a gallon of sauce instead of a cup! And still too salty? This is supposed to be a salty, pretty concentrated sauce meant to be used in marinades and mixed in things (diluting its saltiness), but it’s not supposed to be so salty that by licking the spoon you’re left running for the water faucet! Normally I would suggest that the brand of soy sauce may have had something to do with it (some, including one of the more popular brands, are just awful and way too salty), but from what you’ve described the problem extends beyond that. I don’t know Apaul! This recipe’s been tried and proven time and time again and I don’t know what went wrong for you. I’m happy at least that in the end you were able to figure out how to tweak the ratios to satisfy your taste!
Wonderful sauce. I really love rolling sushi into teryiaky sauce. What sauce would you recommend for a tuna steak,Chef?
Fantastic, Jack! There are many directions you can go with a tuna steak, here’s one that I already happen to have on my blog with a wine/lemon/herb-based sauce: http://www.daringgourmet.com/sicilian-style-grilled-tuna-steaks/
It sounds like you started with a super salty soy sauce, some are, some aren’t all depends on the brand. Some soy sauces are super super salty and just won’t work and hence the reason low sodium soy sauce is recommended, but even some low sodium soy sauce still will taste super salty. I had the same thing go wrong on one of my recipes, I had bought an off brand of soy sauce and didn’t taste it first and when I finally stopped and tasted the soy sauce “raw” I was running for the sink trying to wash my mouth out.
Rule number one that isn’t discussed on ANY of these Teriyaki Sauce Recipe sites is making sure you tolerate the flavor of your soy sauce “raw”. If you can’t stand the flavor of your soy sauce you probably aren’t going to like the flavor of your teriyaki sauce no matter the amount of “fixing” you try.