Easy Homemade Teriyaki Sauce
A quick and easy homemade teriyaki sauce recipe that delivers a perfect balance of sweet, salty, and savory flavors in just 5 simple steps. Ideal for glazing meats, drizzling over veggies, or as a dipping sauce.
- Prep Time: 8 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 18 minutes
- Yield: About 3/4 cup (12 tablespoons) sauce 1x
- Category: Sauce
- Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients
Scale
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) soy sauce (low-sodium preferred)
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) water
- 1/4 cup (50 g) brown sugar (light brown sugar works well)
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) honey or maple syrup (maple syrup for vegan option)
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) rice vinegar
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
- 1 tbsp (8 g) cornstarch
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) water for slurry
- Optional: 1 tsp (5 ml) sesame oil
- Optional: red pepper flakes to taste
- Optional: 2 tbsp (30 ml) mirin
Instructions
- Gather and prep ingredients: mince garlic and grate fresh ginger. Measure soy sauce, water, brown sugar, honey or maple syrup, and rice vinegar.
- In a small saucepan, combine soy sauce, water, brown sugar, honey or maple syrup, and rice vinegar. Stir to combine.
- Add minced garlic and grated ginger to the saucepan and stir.
- Place saucepan over medium heat and bring mixture to a gentle simmer. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking and allow sugar to dissolve and sauce to thicken, about 8-10 minutes. Reduce heat if boiling too hard.
- Mix cornstarch with cold water to make a slurry. Slowly whisk slurry into simmering sauce and continue stirring until sauce thickens and becomes glossy, about 1-2 minutes.
- Remove from heat and let cool slightly before using. Add water if sauce is too thick or repeat slurry step if too thin.
Notes
Use fresh ginger and garlic for best flavor. Simmer gently to avoid burning sugar. Whisk slurry constantly to prevent lumps. Adjust sweetness and saltiness to taste. Sauce thickens more as it cools. Store in airtight container in fridge up to 1 week or freeze in portions up to 3 months.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 tablespoons (30 ml
- Calories: 45
- Sugar: 9
- Sodium: 550
- Carbohydrates: 11
Keywords: teriyaki sauce, homemade teriyaki, easy teriyaki sauce, quick sauce, Japanese sauce, gluten-free teriyaki, vegan teriyaki