Teriyaki Sauce

Add a little asian flair to your weekly menu, this easy Homemade Teriyaki Sauce Recipe is ready in just a few minutes with ingredients you already have in your pantry. Less sodium, ZERO preservatives, gluten free, you’ll never go back to store bought sauce again.

Raise your hand if you love all things Teriyaki! I’m here to help you out with this super quick, super easy Teriyaki Sauce made from ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen. It’s sticky sweet flavor is fantastic on so many things…especially everyone’s favorite chicken teriyaki.

Lately, I’ve been trying to make super simple things in the kitchen because the days are so loooooong that by the time dinner rolls around I’m not super thrilled to be slaving away over dinner and then dishes. I tend to go easy, yet hearty, with an antipasto salad recipe on the regular.

But homemade sauces are pretty simple to make and this is really the best teriyaki sauce recipe because it’s loaded with flavor while leaning towards being a healthy sauce option for so many things.

You can now, easily, skip the take out by making this simple sauce at home in just a matter of minutes.

Ingredients You Will Need

• Soy Sauce – Soy sauce is the base for this recipe but if you need a gluten free or allergy free substitute Tamari or Coconut Aminos are both great replacements. Be sure to read the label for allergens.
• Rice Wine – Be sure you have Sweet Rice Wine and not rice wine vinegar.
• Brown Sugar – We love using brown sugar for it’s richness.
• Garlic and Ginger – Fresh garlic and fresh ginger is best here in both cases. If you don’t have either, ground ginger or garlic powder would be fine in a pinch.
• Cornstarch – You can substitute with flour but we love to add cornstarch to keep the teriyaki sauce gluten free.

Sometimes we like to add orange juice or orange zest to our sauce to give it a citrus-y punch. You can also add a splash of sesame oil for an earthy flavor.

For a full list of measurements and instructions, see the recipe card at the bottom.

How To Make Teriyaki Sauce

It’s really easy to make homemade teriyaki sauce from scratch. If you’re planning to use this sauce as a teriyaki marinade, simply omit the cornstarch as it is used as a thickening agent and isn’t essential to the overall flavor.

1. To make the sauce, simply combine the soy sauce, water, rice wine, sugar, garlic and ginger in a saucepan over medium high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil and then turn the heat to low. 
2. Simmer the teriyaki sauce for 5 minutes.
3. To thicken teriyaki sauce, whisk together the cornstarch and water. Slowly whisk the cornstarch mixture into the sauce and stir until thickened. Remove from the heat and use in your favorite recipe.

I don’t recommend using teriyaki sauce as a substitute for soy sauce, as they have drastically different flavor profiles. Soy sauce is more of a flavor enhancer or a finisher and can be used as you would salt. We also love using it as a dipping sauce!

If you’re allergic to soy or need a gluten free replacement, coconut aminos is an allergy free substitute which we use in our house regularly.

What is Teriyaki Sauce?

Teriyaki sauce is a thick, almost syrup-y, sticky sauce that tastes a little sweet and savory at the same time. It’s a sauce commonly found in Chinese restaurants around the world and can include garlic, sesame seeds or chopped green onions.

It’s most often used when cooking chicken, seafood or beef since it makes an excellent marinade.

Recipes using Teriyaki Sauce

• Baked Teriyaki Chicken Casserole
• Baked Teriyaki Chicken
• Baked Teriyaki Salmon
• Teriyaki Grilled Flank Steak
• Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Kabobs

More Easy Sauce Recipes

• The Very Best Cocktail Sauce Recipe
• The Very Best Creamy Horseradish Sauce
• Nashville Hot Sauce
• Yum Yum Sauce
• How to Make Bechamel Sauce

DON’T MISS A RECIPE! Be sure you’re following us over on Facebook and Instagram for even more easy family recipes!