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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 like marinade or stir-fry sauce. It’s one of my favorite recipes to put on everything.
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 – Low-sodium 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 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 pineapple juice, orange juice or orange zest to our homemade 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 authentic Japanese 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.
- To make the sauce, simply combine 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.
- Simmer the teriyaki sauce for 5 minutes.
- To thicken teriyaki sauce, whisk together the cornstarch and water to make a cornstarch slurry. Slowly whisk the cornstarch mixture into the sauce and stir until thickened over medium heat. Remove from the heat and transfer to a small bowl to store or use in your favorite recipe.
For a thinner teriyaki sauce, add a tablespoon or two of water until you reach the desired consistency.
I don’t recommend using these easy teriyaki sauce recipe 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 Japanese Cuisine and some 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 in Japanese cooking.
How To Store Leftovers
Transfer any leftover teriyaki sauce to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
Recipes using Teriyaki Sauce
- Baked Teriyaki Chicken Casserole
- Baked Teriyaki Chicken
- Baked Teriyaki Salmon
- Teriyaki Grilled Flank Steak
- Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Kabobs
Easy Teriyaki Sauce Recipe
Equipment
- 1 saucepan
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tablespoons sweet rice wine
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons minced ginger
- 1 tablespoons cornstarch
Instructions
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, add the soy sauce, water, rice wine, brown sugar, garlic and ginger.
- Bring the mixture to a boil and then turn the heat to low.
- Simmer for 5 minutes.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water.
- Slowly whisk the cornstarch into the soy sauce mixture and turn off the heat. Set aside.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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
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I leave my email address after trying to get the teriyaki chicken. It comes up that I have to hit something and I hit it and then it never does it thing. It just keeps spinning around I give it five stars because it looks delicious
Hi Myra! Sorry for the difficulty in getting the recipe but we fixed the issue and hope you’ll try again soon. Have a wonderful day!
Best ever! Easy!
Thank you so much!