Homemade teriyaki sauce is shockingly easy to make. You'll need just six ingredients and about 10 minutes to whip up something sweet, sticky and way better than anything in a bottle. I promise, this one's foolproof.
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I've been making this sauce on repeat lately! You already know it from my grilled teriyaki chicken thighs, it's the star of the show over there. That sweet, savory, garlicky glaze? Unreal on grilled chicken.
I also love drizzling it over poke bowls along with some spicy mayo. It goes on basically everything.
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What Is Teriyaki Sauce?
Teriyaki sauce comes from Japan! It's soy sauce sweetened with Japanese rice wine called Mirin. Westernized versions often include ingredients like brown sugar, fresh ginger, garlic and other seasonings along with cornstarch for thickening.
Your Grocery List!
- Soy sauce: The salty and umami flavor base for our homemade teriyaki. I've also tried this recipe with low-sodium soy sauce and it worked great. Tamari or coconut aminos can be used as a gluten-free substitutes.
- Mirin: Mirin is a sweet Japanese rice wine found at most grocery stores! Look near the vinegar, oil and cooking wines or try the Asian foods aisle. You can sub regular white cooking wine + 1 teaspoon sugar or white apple juice.
- Brown sugar: Dark or light.
- Fresh ginger root: Freshly grated ginger takes this sauce to another level. Ground ginger works in a pinch, just use less!
- Garlic: One clove finely minced or grated. And yes, you can substitute garlic powder if that's what you've got on hand.
- Cornstarch: Cornstarch thickens homemade teriyaki sauce and gives it that gorgeous glossy sheen.
How To Make Teriyaki Sauce From Scratch
Making teriyaki sauce from scratch is almost embarrassingly simple. We’ll start here with a quick overview, but keep scrolling for the full recipe card and measurements.
Whisk everything together:
- Add all ingredients to a medium saucepan and whisk well, until cornstarch is fully dissolved. Do this before turning on the heat to avoid lumpy sauce (dry cornstarch won't combine well with hot liquid).
Simmer:
- Place saucepan on the stovetop and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and continue simmering 5-8 minutes until thickened.
- Once the sauce is smooth and glossy in appearance and coats a spoon, it's done!
Cool and use (or store):
- Let sauce cool. Use it as a marinade for chicken or drizzle on poke bowls or salad. You can also refrigerate teriyaki in a lidded jar for about a week!
Stacey's Top Tip
Never add dry cornstarch to hot liquid (ask me how I know). It will not combine and your sauce will be full of little lumps and small white flecks. Only whisk dry cornstarch into cold liquid.
How To Use Teriyaki Sauce
As a marinade: Perfect for chicken, salmon, beef, or even tofu. Let your protein marinate for at least 20 minutes (or overnight for even better flavor)! Grilled teriyaki chicken thighs are one of my favorites.
For glazing: Brush a little sauce on in the last few minutes of cooking for a sticky, caramelized finish.
For stir-fry: Toss teriyaki sauce in with sautéed protein and veggies like broccoli, snap peas or asparagus. Weeknight dinner gold!
As dipping sauce: Use as a dip for dumplings or drizzle over rice bowls. I like to make spicy mayo, too, so that I have options!
Make Ahead & Storage
Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week (a lidded mason jar works great)!
Freezer: You can totally freeze homemade teriyaki sauce (for about 3 months)! I like pouring it into a Ziploc bag and pressing flat for quick thawing, but any freezer-safe container works. Thaw in the fridge overnight or in cold water and give it a good stir before use.
Doubling the recipe: Highly recommend! Make a big batch on Sunday and you'll have easy, flavorful dinners all week.
Frequently Asked Questions
Soy sauce can be really high sodium. If you're sensitive to that, try low-sodium soy sauce. I've done this and it tasted great!
Absolutely! Just let it cool down first, we don't want to add hot liquid to raw meat. Soak protein for at least 20 minutes and up to overnight.
Yep! Simply use tamari or coconut aminos instead of soy sauce.
First, give the sauce a few more minutes of simmer time. If it's still really thin you can add cornstarch slurry (cornstarch and cold water mixed together). Whatever you do, don't add dry cornstarch to hot liquid. This sauce will also thicken more as it cools down. If it's coating a spoon, you're probably good to go!
100%. Honey would be an excellent 1:1 substitute for brown sugar in Teriyaki sauce. It'll change the flavor slightly, but not in a bad way.
Homemade teriyaki sauce tastes FRESH. You can also control levels of sweetness and saltiness. Of course there are tasty store-bought teriyaki sauce options, but I truly love homemade. Plus it's really easy, so why not?!
You can. Just use a little bit less because it's more potent. I use ⅛th teaspoon when subbing ground ginger.
More Sauces & Condiments You'll Love
- Creamy Baja Sauce
- Roasted Poblano Sauce
- Creamy Balsamic Dressing
- Homemade Italian Dressing
- Sriracha Aioli
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Homemade Teriyaki Sauce
Ingredients
- ½ cup soy sauce *see note below
- ¼ cup mirin *see note below
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar *light or dark *or sub honey
- ½ teaspoon grated fresh ginger root *or ⅛ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 grated garlic clove *or finely minced. *or ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 & ½ teaspoons corn starch
Recipe notes:
Soy sauce: Can sub low-sodium soy sauce if desired. Use coconut aminos or tamari for gluten free. Mirin: Sub regular white cooking wine + 1 teaspoon sugar or white apple juice. You can also sub pineapple juice for a different and more tropical flavor profile!Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a medium saucepan and whisk very well. Be sure that all of the cornstarch is dissolved into the mixture.½ cup soy sauce, ¼ cup mirin, 3 tablespoons brown sugar, ½ teaspoon grated fresh ginger root, 1 grated garlic clove, 1 & ½ teaspoons corn starch
- Bring ingredients to a simmer over medium high heat. Lower heat and simmer about 5-8 minutes until the sauce begins to thicken and coats a spoon. Avoid a hard-boil as this can make the sauce thicken too fast.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool. The sauce will thicken up a little more as it cools.
- Use right away or store in a lidded jar in the refrigerator for around 5-7 days.
Nutrition
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