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teriyaki sauce in a porcelain bowl
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5 from 2 votes

Homemade Teriyaki Sauce

This homemade teriyaki sauce is so easy to make and comes together in just 20 minutes. Perfect as a glaze for chicken, fish, beef, or veggies. You can also use it in a stir fry. It's super versatile and a great make-ahead recipe that keeps really well for 2 weeks.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Course: Dressings and Sauces
Cuisine: Japanese
Servings: 1 cup
Calories: 626kcal
Author: Tania

Ingredients

  • ½ cup regular or light soy sauce
  • ½ cup mirin
  • ½ cup sake
  • 4 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 clove garlic, slightly crushed
  • 1 thin slice fresh ginger, peeled
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon water to dissolve the cornstarch

Instructions

  • Combine the soy sauce, mirin, sake, granulated sugar, garlic, and ginger in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and then reduce to medium-low heat. Simmer for 12-15 minutes, uncovered, until reduced and slightly thickened. At this point, it will look very thin, almost watery, but will continue to thicken as it cools down. To thicken it further, see step 3.
  • Find and remove the ginger and garlic clove with a slotted spoon.
  • To thicken the sauce, dissolve 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water to make a slurry and add it to the sauce. Simmer for 1-2 more minutes until thickened and the raw taste of the cornstarch disappears, uncovered.
  • Serve over grilled or pan-seared chicken, beef, fish, or veggies. You can also use this sauce to make Chicken Teriyaki Rice Bowls or Chicken Teriyaki Stir Fry.

Notes

  • Use a small saucepan to allow the liquid to simmer properly. If the saucepan is too large, the liquid will evaporate too quickly.
  • Heat control: For proper simmering, use medium-low heat. It should be a consistent simmer, not too low and not too strong either.
  • Make-ahead: Can be made 2 weeks in advance. Let it cool down completely and refrigerate in a sealed container.
  • Leftover sauce can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks in a sealed container.
Substitutions:
  • Mirin: Mix equal parts of sake and water (1/4 cup each) plus 3 tablespoons granulated sugar.
  • Sake: Dry sherry.
  • Garlic and ginger: If you don't have fresh garlic and ginger, simply omit.
  • Cornstarch: If you prefer the sauce to be thinner, omit the cornstarch. Flour works too, but I've seen better results with cornstarch.
Disclaimer: Nutritional values are approximates only.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 626kcal | Carbohydrates: 118g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 7388mg | Potassium: 297mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 78g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 3mg