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! It’s simply the BEST!
For more favorite delicious Japanese sauces be sure to also try our Yum Yum Sauce, Ponzu Sauce, and Eel Sauce!
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.
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 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!
Enjoy!
Be sure to try these other fabulous homemade sauces!
- 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
BEST Teriyaki Sauce
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
Tanya N. says
I should have commented sooner but wanted to let you know that I’ve made this at least half a dozen times and love it. It’s my go-to recipe for the teriyaki sauce.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, thanks so much, Tanya!
CameraMan82 says
THE BEST teriyaki sauce. Period. And I’ve tried lots of them. Thank you.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Awesome, thank you so much!
Anonymous says
If you leave the cornstarch slurry out, do you still add the water? Does that dilute the taste at all?? I want it as a marinade, so plan to not add cornstarch – just wondering if I still add the water.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Adding the extra 1/4 cup of water won’t dilute the flavor, it will just dilute some of the saltiness. You can taste it first before you add the additional water to determine whether you prefer it less salty for the marinade.
Chef says
FYI: the “print” button at the very bottom of the post prints the entire web page, including all the comments. 29 pages later, I’m not amused.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I wouldn’t be amused either. Are you referring to the print button inside of the actual recipe box (directly under the picture of the sauce)? I just clicked it and it takes me to a new screen with the recipe only for printing. If you click the print button at the very bottom of the post it will print the entire post. If it’s just the recipe you want, you have to click the print button inside of the recipe box.
Pritham says
This looks amazing, Kimberly! Thanks for sharing. Do you think this works well for a slow coked pork teriyaki? I’ve always used the Kikkoman bottle for it in the past but i’d love to try this instead. I imagine using dark soy and not using the cornstarch altogether might make the difference. What do you think?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you, Pritham! Yes, this will definitely work for slow cooked pork teriyaki. Use this recipe for anything that calls for teriyaki sauce. And yes, you can leave the cornstarch out and I’d just use whatever soy sauce you have on hand.
Pritham says
Thank you!
BigBear says
Wonderful. Thanks for the recipe, awesome.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
You’re welcome, BigBear, happy cooking!
Anonymous says
Could you use powdered ginger and garlic instead of fresh???
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
You can but fresh makes a world of difference in the flavor of the sauce.
Nathan Lombough says
Made this tonight for a chicken dish and it is awesome! Truly the best teriyaki sauce I’ve had. The flavor combination and ingredient ratios are perfect. Never buying the stuff at the store again.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
So glad to hear it, Nathan, thank you!
Candace Nielson says
Positively THE best teriyaki sauce I’ve had! I can’t imagine why anyone would buy the bottled stuff again after trying this. It’s so easy to make and tastes better than any of the store bought brands I’ve tried. I’ve also tried several recipes for making my own and this one is the best. Thank you!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you so much, Candace, I’m thrilled to hear that!
Richard Bisaha says
Asked the wife to pick up some teriyaki sauce for me today and while she was gone I found you recipe. I like to come up with my own ideas and yours sounds great. I’m wondering though if you have ever tried substituting pineapple juice for the water? How did it turn out? I do like pineapple and it sounds to me like it would compliment your recipe. Thanks for the wonderful info!!!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Richard, I think pineapple juice would make a great substitute. Those flavors are often paired together in dishes, so why not directly in the sauce itself, right? Let us know what you think if you give it a try!
Serene @ House of Yumm says
Love this recipe! That Red Robin Bonzai Burger is my favorite, and I am definitely looking into making my own at home now with this sauce!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Awesome, Serene, you’ll love it!
Michelle | A Dish of Daily Life says
I love how easy this is! Why have I never thought of making my own?!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Michelle, it was borne of opening my fridge one too many times, needing teriyaki sauce for something, and not finding any! :)
Cathy | Lemon Tree Dwelling says
I love teriyaki! This homemade version looks incredible!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks, Cathy! We never buy it anymore – no need!
Jessica - The Novice Chef says
I have never tried making my own but now I want to!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
You’ll never buy it again, Jessica, trust me! :)
Melanie says
Love that you can make this condiment at home – genius!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
It’s crazy quick and easy, Melanie!