Homemade Teriyaki Sauce Recipe

This teriyaki sauce recipe uses nine pantry ingredients and one small saucepan to make about 1 cup of glossy, amber sauce in 13 minutes.

Bottled versions tend to taste flat and overly salty, with a texture closer to syrup than sauce.

Simmering the sauce briefly and thickening it with a cornstarch slurry gives it a consistency that coats the back of a spoon and clings to chicken, salmon, and vegetables.

Fresh ginger and garlic go in at the start, so their sharp edge softens into the soy sauce and brown sugar instead of tasting raw.

Toasted sesame oil goes in off the heat, which keeps its nutty aroma from cooking away. Honey adds the shine, while brown sugar supplies the caramel depth.

Quick Recipe Summary
Prep Time	5 minutes
Cook Time	8 minutes
Total Time	13 minutes
Servings	8 servings (2 tablespoons each, about 1 cup total)
Difficulty Level	Easy

You might also enjoy: Stir Fry Sauce Recipe

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Why You’ll Love This Teriyaki Sauce Recipe

Store-bought teriyaki is convenient, but making it from scratch takes less time than finding a bottle you like. Here is what sets this version apart:

• Nine ingredients only. Soy sauce, water, brown sugar, honey, rice vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and cornstarch are all you need for the sauce itself.
• Ready in 13 minutes. Five minutes of prep and about eight minutes at the stove.
• You control the salt. Low-sodium soy sauce keeps the sauce balanced, and you can adjust the sweetness before it thickens.
• Glossy finish. Honey and a cornstarch slurry give the sauce a shine that looks like it came from a restaurant kitchen.
• Three jobs in one batch. It works as a marinade, a glaze, and a dipping sauce.
• Keeps for 2 weeks. A glass jar in the refrigerator means you have sauce ready for weeknight dinners.
• Easy to adapt. Swap in tamari for a gluten-free sauce, add sriracha for heat, or replace the water with pineapple juice.
• No special equipment. A small saucepan, a whisk, and a measuring cup are enough.

A similar savory-sweet Asian flavor profile appears in Hoisin Sauce.

Ingredients

Every ingredient here is easy to find at a regular grocery store.

I’ve found that low-sodium soy sauce gives better control than regular, because the sauce concentrates as it simmers and regular soy sauce can push it past salty.

For the sauce:

• 1/2 cup (120 ml) low sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) water
• 1/4 cup (55 g) packed light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon (21 g) raw honey
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) unseasoned rice vinegar
• 2 medium garlic cloves, finely minced (about 2 teaspoons)
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, finely grated
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

For the slurry:

• 1 tablespoon (8 g) cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) cold water

For serving (optional):

• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds, stirred in or sprinkled over the finished dish

Read Also: Sweet And Sour Sauce Recipe

Kitchen Equipment Needed

This recipe needs very little gear, and most of it is probably already in your kitchen.

• Small saucepan: A 1 to 1.5 quart pan is the right size, because a wide pan reduces the sauce too fast.
• Wire whisk: Dissolves the sugar and incorporates the slurry without lumps.
• Microplane grater: Turns fresh ginger into a fine pulp so there are no stringy bits in the sauce.
• Measuring spoons and cups: Teriyaki depends on ratios, so level measurements matter.
• Small bowl: For mixing the cornstarch slurry.
• Glass jar with lid: For storing the cooled sauce in the refrigerator.
• Cutting board and knife: For mincing the garlic.

For a nutty alternative, try: Peanut Sauce Recipe

Recommended Products for This Recipe

These are the products I recommend after testing different versions of this sauce. Each one solves a specific problem that comes up when making teriyaki at home.

1. Kikkoman Less Sodium Soy Sauce

Soy sauce makes up the largest share of this sauce, so its quality shows up in every spoonful. It is naturally brewed and has a rounder flavor with less sodium than the regular version, which keeps the finished sauce from tasting harsh after it reduces.

Get it on Amazon

2. Kadoya Pure Sesame Oil

Cheap sesame oil can taste flat or slightly bitter, which is noticeable in a sauce with only a teaspoon of it. Kadoya is deeply toasted and aromatic, so a single teaspoon is enough to scent the whole batch.

Get it on Amazon

3. Microplane Classic Zester Grater

Minced ginger leaves fibrous pieces that never fully soften in a 3-minute simmer. A Microplane turns the root into a fine pulp that melts straight into the sauce, and it handles garlic cloves just as well.

Get it on Amazon

4. Anchor Hocking Glass Jars with Lids

Teriyaki sauce stains plastic containers and picks up the smell of whatever was stored in them before. A glass jar keeps the flavor clean, goes straight from the counter to the refrigerator, and makes it easy to shake the sauce before using it.

Get it on Amazon

5. Cuisinart 1.5 Quart Stainless Steel Saucepan

Sugar-heavy sauces scorch quickly in thin pans. A saucepan with a heavy, even-heating base lets the sauce simmer gently without browning at the edges, and the small footprint keeps the liquid deep enough to avoid reducing too fast.

Get it on Amazon

For a different approach to a sweet condiment, see Honey Mustard Sauce.

Step-by-Step Instructions: How to Make Teriyaki Sauce

Follow these simple steps and you’ll have glossy teriyaki sauce ready in 13 minutes.

1. Prep the Aromatics and Measure Everything

• Mince the 2 garlic cloves as finely as you can, or crush them through a garlic press.
• Grate the fresh ginger on a Microplane until you have 1 teaspoon of fine pulp.
• Measure the soy sauce, water, brown sugar, honey, and rice vinegar into separate small cups or bowls so you can add them quickly.
• Pack the brown sugar into the measuring cup so you have a full 1/4 cup (55 g).
• Set the sesame oil and sesame seeds next to the stove, because they go in at the very end.

2. Make the Cornstarch Slurry

• Place the 1 tablespoon of cornstarch in a small bowl.
• Pour in the 2 tablespoons of cold water.
• Stir with a fork or small whisk until the mixture looks smooth and milky, with no dry clumps at the bottom.
• Leave the bowl by the stove. The cornstarch settles within a minute or two, so you will stir it again right before using it.

3. Simmer the Sauce Base

• Add the 1/2 cup soy sauce, 1/2 cup water, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, minced garlic, and grated ginger to the saucepan.
• Whisk for about 30 seconds off the heat so the sugar and honey start to dissolve.
• Set the pan over medium heat and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, which takes about 2 minutes. You should see small bubbles around the edges, not a rolling boil.
• Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 3 minutes, whisking occasionally, until the sugar has fully dissolved and the garlic and ginger smell fragrant.

4. Thicken with the Slurry

• Whisk the slurry again for a few seconds, because the cornstarch will have settled.
• Increase the heat to medium so the sauce is just below a boil.
• Pour the slurry into the saucepan in a slow, steady stream while whisking constantly.
• Keep whisking for 1 to 2 minutes. The sauce will turn glossy and thicken enough to coat the back of a spoon.
• Run your finger through the sauce on the back of the spoon. If the line holds its shape, the sauce is ready.

5. Finish with Sesame Oil and Seeds

• Remove the saucepan from the heat.
• Stir in the 1 teaspoon of toasted sesame oil.
• Stir in the 1 teaspoon of sesame seeds if you are using them, or save them to sprinkle over the finished dish.
• Taste the sauce. If it seems too salty, add a splash of water. If it seems too sweet, add a few drops of rice vinegar.

6. Cool and Store

• Let the sauce cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. It thickens further as it cools.
• Pour the cooled sauce into a clean glass jar.
• Seal the jar and refrigerate it, or use the sauce right away on chicken, salmon, vegetables, or noodles.

Read Also: Yum Yum Sauce Recipe

Tips for The Best Teriyaki Sauce

Small details separate a glossy, balanced sauce from one that turns out clumpy or too salty. These are the points that matter most.

I ruined my first batch by pouring the cornstarch straight into the hot pan, which left jelly-like lumps that never dissolved. Mixing it with cold water first fixed the problem every time.

• Use cold water for the slurry. Cornstarch dissolves in cold liquid and clumps in hot liquid, so never add the powder directly to the pan.
• Stir the slurry again before pouring. The starch sinks to the bottom of the bowl within a minute, and an unstirred slurry thickens unevenly.
• Choose low-sodium soy sauce. The sauce reduces as it cooks, so regular soy sauce can make the finished result too salty.
• Do not boil hard. A rolling boil evaporates water too fast and concentrates the salt, so keep the heat at a gentle simmer.
• Add the sesame oil last. Heat dulls its aroma, so stirring it in off the heat keeps the nutty flavor.
• Grate the ginger instead of mincing it. Grated ginger dissolves into the sauce, while chopped ginger leaves fibrous bits.
• Remember it thickens as it cools. Stop cooking when the sauce coats a spoon thinly, because it will be noticeably thicker once it reaches room temperature.
• Taste before you thicken. Adjusting sweetness and saltiness is easier while the sauce is still thin.
• Use a small saucepan. A pan that is too wide spreads the liquid out and reduces it too quickly.
• Do not reuse raw marinade. If you marinate raw meat in the sauce, discard that portion or boil it for at least 3 minutes before using it as a glaze or dip, and set aside a clean portion for serving.

For a creamy dipping option, try: Bang Bang Sauce Recipe

What to Make with Teriyaki Sauce

Teriyaki sauce is a building block more than a finished dish. It adds glaze, marinade, or dipping flavor to dozens of other recipes.

• Teriyaki Grilled Chicken: Brush the sauce on during the last few minutes of grilling so the sugars caramelize without burning.
• Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry: Stir in a few tablespoons at the end to coat the beef and broccoli.
• Tofu and Veggie Stir-Fry with Brown Rice: Toss pressed, browned tofu in the sauce to give it a sticky, savory coating.
• Air Fryer Salmon: Brush the fillets with sauce for the final 2 minutes of cooking to build a lacquered glaze.
• Healthy Fried Rice: Use a tablespoon or two in place of plain soy sauce for extra sweetness.
• Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks: Toss the cooked drumsticks in warm teriyaki sauce for a sticky finish.
• Grilled Chicken and Veggie Skewers: Brush the skewers while they cook and serve extra sauce on the side.
• Air Fryer Sesame Pork Skewers: Marinate the pork in a portion of the sauce before cooking.
• Asian Chicken Lettuce Cups: Stir the sauce into ground or diced chicken for a quick filling.
• Summer Vegetable Stir-Fry: Add the sauce to the pan in the last minute so the vegetables stay crisp.
• Grilled Vegetable Skewers: Brush zucchini, peppers, and mushrooms with the sauce while grilling.
• Basmati Rice: Spoon a little sauce over plain steamed rice for an easy rice bowl base.
• Teriyaki meatballs: Roll the meatballs, bake them, then toss them in warm sauce.
• Glazed shrimp: Cook the shrimp for 2 to 3 minutes per side and finish with a drizzle of sauce.
• Noodle bowls: Toss cooked soba or lo mein noodles with the sauce, sliced vegetables, and sesame seeds.
• Dumpling dipping sauce: Serve the sauce as is, or thin it with a splash of water.

Another option worth trying is Healthy Orange Chicken Recipe.

Variations of Teriyaki Sauce

The base recipe works as written, but a few small changes can adjust it for different diets and tastes.

• Gluten-free teriyaki: Replace the soy sauce with an equal amount of gluten-free tamari. Check the label, since not every tamari is gluten-free.
• Coconut aminos version: Use coconut aminos in place of soy sauce for a soy-free sauce. It is sweeter and less salty, so reduce the brown sugar to 3 tablespoons and taste before thickening.
• Pineapple teriyaki: Replace the 1/2 cup of water in the base with 1/2 cup unsweetened pineapple juice. The fruit adds a tropical sweetness that works well on pork and chicken.
• Spicy teriyaki: Whisk 1 teaspoon of sriracha or 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes into the saucepan in Step 3.
• Orange teriyaki: Replace half the water with orange juice and add 1 teaspoon of orange zest in Step 3.
• Traditional Japanese-style sauce: Simmer 1/2 cup soy sauce, 1/2 cup mirin, 1/2 cup sake, and 1/4 cup granulated sugar over medium-low heat for 8 to 15 minutes until slightly reduced. This version skips the cornstarch and has a thinner, more delicate texture.
• Sesame ginger teriyaki: Double the ginger to 2 teaspoons and stir in 1 tablespoon of sesame seeds at the end.
• Thicker glaze: Increase the cornstarch to 1 1/2 tablespoons in 3 tablespoons of cold water for a sticky brushing glaze.
• Lower-sugar teriyaki: Reduce the brown sugar to 2 tablespoons and keep the honey. The sauce will be thinner and saltier, so use it as a marinade rather than a glaze.
• Marinade version: Skip the cornstarch and slurry entirely. The thinner sauce soaks into meat more easily.

Another honey and garlic idea: Air Fryer Honey Garlic Chicken Wings

Storage and Reheating

Homemade teriyaki sauce keeps well because of the soy sauce and sugar, so it makes a good batch-prep item.

I keep a tray of frozen teriyaki cubes in the freezer, because a single 2-tablespoon cube is enough for one chicken breast or a serving of vegetables.

• Refrigerator: Store the cooled sauce in a sealed glass jar for up to 2 weeks.
• Freezer: Pour the cooled sauce into an ice cube tray, freeze until solid, then transfer the cubes to a freezer bag for up to 3 months.
• Thawing: Place cubes in a small saucepan over low heat or thaw them overnight in the refrigerator.
• Reheating on the stove: Warm the sauce in a small saucepan over low heat, whisking until smooth. Add a teaspoon of water if it has thickened too much.
• Reheating in the microwave: Heat in 15-second bursts, stirring between each one.
• Texture changes: The sauce thickens considerably in the refrigerator. Thin it with a splash of warm water before using.
• Separation: Sesame oil may float to the top of the jar. Shake or stir before using.
• Signs of spoilage: Discard the sauce if it smells sour, shows mold, or has visible fizzing.
• Cross-contamination: Always use a clean spoon when dipping into the jar so you do not introduce bacteria.

Read Also: BBQ Sauce Recipe

Nutritional Facts

These values are estimates for one serving of 2 tablespoons, based on a batch yielding 8 servings. Exact numbers vary by brand of soy sauce and honey.

Nutrition per Serving (2 tablespoons)
Calories	55 kcal
Carbohydrates	12 g
Sugar	10 g
Protein	1 g
Fat	0.5 g
Fiber	0 g
Sodium	575 mg

You’ll find a different soy-based flavor in Chicken Adobo Recipe.

Tips for Using Teriyaki Sauce Like a Pro

A good batch of sauce is only half the work. How you apply it decides whether the dish ends up glossy and caramelized or burnt and bitter.

Honey holds shine better than extra brown sugar because it stays glossy as the sauce cools, which is why this recipe uses both.

• Glaze late. Brush the sauce on during the last 3 to 5 minutes of grilling, broiling, or baking, because the sugars burn if they sit over high heat for long.
• Layer the sauce. Apply a thin coat, cook for 1 minute, then brush on a second coat. Two thin layers build a better lacquer than one thick coat.
• Marinate for the right time. Chicken and pork do well with 30 minutes to 4 hours. Fish only needs 15 to 20 minutes, since the salt starts to firm the flesh.
• Use a portion for the marinade. Reserve about a third of the sauce for serving so you never contaminate the clean sauce with raw meat juices.
• Pat proteins dry first. Dry surfaces brown and hold glaze better than wet ones.
• Thin the sauce for dipping. Add water 1 teaspoon at a time until it flows off a spoon easily.
• Thicken it further for a glaze. Simmer for another minute or add a bit more slurry to get a stickier consistency.
• Add it to stir-fries at the end. Pour in the sauce during the last minute of cooking so the vegetables stay crisp and the sauce does not over-reduce.
• Fix a sauce that is too salty. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water and a teaspoon of honey, then simmer for a minute.
• Fix a sauce that is too sweet. Add a few drops of rice vinegar or a small splash of soy sauce.
• Fix a sauce that is too thin. Whisk a half-teaspoon of cornstarch into a teaspoon of cold water and stir it in over medium heat.
• Fix a sauce that is too thick. Whisk in warm water 1 teaspoon at a time.
• Control the heat on the grill. Use medium heat and keep the sauced food away from direct flames.
• Finish with fresh toppings. Sliced green onions, sesame seeds, and a squeeze of lime brighten the sauce at the end.

For a sticky finishing glaze, try: Ham Glaze Recipe

FAQs About Teriyaki Sauce

1. What is teriyaki sauce made of?

The traditional Japanese version is made from soy sauce, mirin, and sake, with a little sugar. American-style recipes usually replace the mirin and sake with brown sugar, rice vinegar, garlic, and ginger.

This recipe follows the American style because those ingredients are easier to find and give a thicker, glossier sauce.

2. What is the difference between teriyaki sauce and soy sauce?

Soy sauce is a thin, salty seasoning on its own. Teriyaki sauce uses soy sauce as a base and adds sugar, aromatics, and a thickener.

The result is sweeter and less salty than straight soy sauce, with a syrupy consistency.

3. How do I thicken teriyaki sauce without cornstarch?

Simmer the sauce for 8 to 15 minutes until it reduces by about a third. You can also use arrowroot powder or potato starch in the same quantity as cornstarch.

Reducing takes longer and concentrates the salt, so start with low-sodium soy sauce.

4. Why is my teriyaki sauce too thin or too thick?

A thin sauce usually means the slurry was left out.

It can also mean the pan never returned to a simmer after the slurry went in, since cornstarch needs heat to activate.

A sauce that is too thick has usually been cooked too long or has cooled and set. Whisk in a spoonful of warm water to loosen it.

5. Can I use mirin or sake in this recipe?

Yes. Replace the water with 1/4 cup mirin and 1/4 cup water, and cut the brown sugar to 3 tablespoons.

If you cannot find mirin, dry sherry with a pinch of sugar is a reasonable substitute.

6. How long does homemade teriyaki sauce last?

It keeps for up to 2 weeks in an airtight glass jar in the refrigerator. Use a clean spoon each time to avoid contamination.

For longer storage, freeze it in an ice cube tray for up to 3 months.

7. Can I use teriyaki sauce as a marinade?

Yes, and the version without cornstarch soaks in best. Marinate chicken or pork for 30 minutes to 4 hours, and fish for 15 to 20 minutes.

Never reuse marinade that touched raw meat unless you boil it for at least 3 minutes first.

8. Is teriyaki sauce gluten-free?

Regular soy sauce contains wheat, so standard teriyaki sauce is not gluten-free. Swap in tamari labeled gluten-free or use coconut aminos.

Always check the label, since some brands of tamari still contain wheat.

Read Also: Best Sauce Recipes

Final Thoughts

Homemade teriyaki sauce takes 13 minutes and nine ingredients, and it tastes better than most bottles on the shelf. Once you have a jar in the refrigerator, weeknight dinners get easier.

Give this teriyaki sauce recipe a try on chicken, salmon, or a quick vegetable stir-fry. Leave a comment below to tell me how it turned out.

Share the recipe with anyone who is tired of store-bought sauce.

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• Asian Pasta Salad
• Pepper Steak
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