An easy homemade teriyaki sauce recipe made from pantry staples. This sauce is bold and thick and is great as a marinade or as a sauce served with your favorite meats or vegetables.
In the mood for teriyaki? Make up a batch of this sauce and then use it to make Teriyaki Chicken Pizza or Bacon Wrapped Teriyaki Chicken Skewers!
Homemade Teriyaki Sauce Recipe
There are lots of things I used to never considered making before, turning instead to the conveniently bottled versions. Salad dressings, mayonnaise, etc. Some of them I still buy bottled – mayonnaise – and some I make from scratch at home – salad dressings. One of these condiments that I love to make from scratch is homemade Teriyaki sauce. It is so super easy and good, it made me wonder why I ever bought the store bought kind!
This homemade teriyaki sauce recipe only takes minutes to make, and tastes a lot better than the jarred sauce. This sauce is great just served as a sauce alongside your favorite meats as well as a marinade. I love that it is so versatile!
Ingredients
- Brown Sugar: I use light brown sugar. You could also up the amount of honey, but I think they both bring in different flavors, so I like to use both.
- Soy Sauce: I always use low sodium soy sauce. You could also use tamari.
- Honey: If you like the sauce sweeter, use 2 tablespoons, otherwise just use one.
- Garlic: I always have fresh garlic on hand, so I like to use fresh. You could sub in garlic powder. If you do, you’ll need about 1/4 teaspoon.
- Ginger: I don’t always have fresh ginger on hand, so that is why I use ground ginger. Feel free to use fresh if you do have it, though. You’ll need 1-2 tablespoons of fresh ginger if you do sub.
- Cornstarch: This is what will thicken up your sauce. The sauce will get decently thick, so if you prefer a thinner sauce, feel free to cut this amount in half.
How to Make Homemade Teriyaki Sauce
It really doesn’t get much easier than this recipe!
1: Start by combining all of your ingredients except the cornstarch and 1/4 cup of water. Whisk to combine, and set over medium heat.
2: In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and the 1/4 cup water.
3: Pour the cornstarch mixture into the saucepan.
4: Cook, whisking, until the sauce thickens.
How to Use This Homemade Teriyaki Sauce
This homemade teriyaki sauce makes a thicker sauce that the bottled sauce, so it would be good served on top of something, but I have also used it as a marinade. If you don’t want it thick as a marinade you can skip adding the cornstarch and extra water.
Here are some of my favorite ways to use this sauce:
- As sauce with grilled chicken
- Add it to chicken pieces and broccoli and serve over rice
- As a glaze for salmon
- Mixed into noodles
- In any stir fry
Homemade Teriyaki Sauce Video
If you want to watch how this teriyaki sauce is made, watch the video above.
Storage
I usually make this teriyaki sauce when I need it, but it’s also great to just have on hand for an easy dinner.
I store it in a mason jar in the refrigerator. I will usually try to go through it in a week or less, but really, it should be good for 2-3 weeks if stored properly.
I have not tried to freeze this, although I’m assuming it would freeze well.
More Asian Inspired Recipes
Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Mongolian Beef
General Tso Chicken
Orange Chicken
Sweet and Sour Chicken
Kung Pao Chicken
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Homemade Teriyaki Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup (8 oz) water
- 5 tablespoons (67 g) packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (2 oz) low sodium soy sauce
- 1-2 tablespoons honey
- 1 large clove garlic ,minced
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/4 cup (2 oz) cold water
Instructions
- Combine the 1 cup water, brown sugar, soy sauce, honey, garlic, and ginger in a medium saucepan and set over medium heat.
- In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch with the 1/4 cup water and whisk until dissolved. Add the cornstarch mixture to the saucepan.
- Heat the sauce until it thickens to your desired thickness. If the sauce becomes too thick, add more water to thin it out.
Jan says
how long will this last in the fridge or should I freeze it ?? I want to make big batches to give to my kids & to have on hand for myself…in hot glass jars to seal it…
Deborah says
We usually go through it in a week or less, but I’m guessing it would last for awhile in the refrigerator. I haven’t tried canning it or freezing it, so I’m afraid I couldn’t tell you how well it would work. Sorry!
Lisa says
This recipe was great! It congealed a bit when we put some leftover in the fridge. Is that normal or should it remain sauce like? I’m worried I did something wrong to it, even though it tasted great!
Melissa Pospiel says
I just made this for our dinner tonight as a marinade! Super easy and very good! Love the thickness love the flavor! Never buying store bought ever again! Thank you 🙂
Melissa Pospiel says
And I added a little bit of sesame seeds! 🙂
Deborah says
Yay! So glad you loved it!
Patti says
I have made this twice now and it far exceeds anything you can buy! Going to pass this one on to the ladies in my family.
Deborah says
So glad you love it – I agree with you! 😉
Sally A. says
I just made this.I sauted some thin sliced chicken breasts addad the cooked sauce and served it over rice. I did add the juice and zest of half an orange. So easy and delicious.
Emerald L. says
Thats what i was thinking to make tonight!
kristie says
I was out but needed some for dinner. Why haven’t I ever tried making my own before? Thanks for the recipe. I have it marked because I won’t be buying it from now on…
Tina says
Deborah,
This sauce is amazing! I just made it today, and it’s all the yumminess, and no saltiness that store-bought sauce offers. I was impressed with the amount of sauce this yields, I used less than half to marinade my tofu for tonight’s stir fry.
I usually don’t buy teriyaki sauce anymore because of the price and the saltiness/sodium content. It will be nice to have yummy teriyaki in the house!
Thank you!
Deborah says
I’m so glad it was such a hit!!
Denise says
Made this sauce for some stir fry tonight. Amazing and so easy!!! Never buying the bottled stuff again!
Deborah says
I’m so glad you loved it!
Dana says
Great ! But why buying mayonnaise ? It’s as easy to do it yourself !
Lollie says
I will try this recipe, on Wednesday. Thank You, Kindly!!!
Jamie says
This turned out so yummy and was super easy to make. It also saved my rear end when the steaks weren’t completely thawed and I had to rethink my dinner plans. I sliced the partially frozen steaks thin and added this fabulous sauce and served it on a bed of rice with veggies. It was a total success!
Deborah says
Awesome – so glad you loved it!! Sounds like a fabulous dinner!
kayo says
Not trying to be a troll, but this is NOT teriyaki sauce. So if that’s what you’re looking for this is not it.
True teriyaki sauce is: Soy sauce, sugar, mirin or sake, optional ginger.
Deborah says
This must be the Americanized version. 😉
Jen says
how long would this last if I didn’t use it up all at once?
Deborah says
I’m guessing that it should last several weeks tightly covered in the refrigerator.
Leslie says
Little note: I use Braggs Amino Acids instead of soy. Have to watch sodium because of sons migraines. Delicious…just taste like a light soy sauce and its healthy.
Teresa says
please be advised this will NOT be gluten free unless you use gluten free soy sauce!
michaelasmommy says
I just made this today and it was very easy as well as being DELICIOUS. Thank you for this recipie. I will keep it in my recipie box for the future as I will make it again.
michaelasmommy says
I just made this teriyaki sauce and it was very easy to make and very good. Thank you for this recipie.
Winthropian says
Nice and easy. Tried it on burgers with grilled pineapple and it was wonderful.