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.
Christine says
Love this sauce! Though for me I love a sweeter sauce so I add about 1/3 cup brown sugar and add a bit more garlic. But we all have different tastes and this is a perfect recipe to adjust to a persons liking. Thank you!
Lauren Milner says
I added a bit more ginger for my taste and canned the excess for later. Perfect for meal prep. Spot on. Thanks!
Dennyc says
Just made this an hour ago and I’m really impressed! It’s delicious, really simple to make and almost filled 2 bon mamam jam jars so lots to enjoy! I have put some on diced chicken fillets to marinade overnight and will make chicken skewers with them tomorrow. I can’t wait!!! Thank you Deborah 🙂
Jessaca Mattox says
JUST finished making this for our family dinner tonight. My kids are excited to try this! Only thing I didnt have was rice vinegar…I had several other types but was out of this. So I used a ‘gourmet’ white and only added half the amount & added a 1/2 tsp of crushed red pepper to not have it so sweet.
Served with some chinese noodles! Thanks for this cant wait to make this again.
adela says
This is great first time i make it so good used olive oil instead thanks
Linda says
Looks delicious! . Can’t wait to try these!
Candy says
I made this recipe and it turned out perfect! I added 1/8 tsp of crushed red pepper to give it a kick. It’s so much better than store bought. This will now be my go to recipe for this sauce. Thanks for sharing it.
Deborah says
Oooh, I love the idea of adding the crushed red pepper!
Summer says
This was good but a little weak! Next time I might sub chicken broth for the water to give a little more flavor.
Deborah says
That’s a great idea to sub in broth!
Andrew says
Great sauce, and it’s now a go to for a quick and easy dinner in my apartment. Only thing I modified is slightly less brown sugar. 2-3 tablespoons seemed to do the trick as 5 was just to sweet for myself.
Deborah says
I’m glad you enjoyed it and that you were able to modify it for your tastes!
Suzanne says
Made this marinade today for grilled chicken. Easy to make and was great!
Deborah says
I’m glad you loved it!
Danielle says
I made this for my family with a tofu stir fry and everyone wanted seconds! I used arrowroot powder, coconut sugar, fresh ginger and agave nectar as substitutes and it was fabulous. The sauce was definitely dark and thick and delicious!
Deborah says
Yay – so glad everyone loved it!
Elyce says
I have used this recipe, with my tweeks for taste, many times, both in the Crockpot (slow cooker) & in the oven, & on b/s chicken thighs & breasts & on bone-in/skin- on thighs. I also add a bit of sesame oil, but very little, maybe a 1/4 teaspoon, because it will overpower other flavors. I also add a teaspoon, or more to taste, of seasoned rice wine vinegar. I always taste & tweek, as some like a sweeter sauce & some like it more savory with additional soy, garlic & ginger. This is an excellent base from which to start!
Patricia Mc. says
This is an awesome recipe. Taste absolutely great.
Kaylee says
I have to give the recipe 5 stars, if I could give more I would. I have never left a comment on a recipe before, but I had to for this one. Everyone in the house loved this sauce, I made it yesterday for a recipe, now I’m making it again for another recipe!
Nate says
New to cooking.
I doubled everything to have enough for a marinade and it’s not very thick, the color is of a mocha coffee (not dark like the sauce should be) and it lacks a strong taste, any ideas?
Thanks! Excited to figure this out!
Deborah says
Hmmm, the sauce is pretty thick and pretty dark. I’d double check to make sure you got all of the ingredients right. Otherwise, I’m not quite sure. Sorry!
Carol says
This is really good. Didn’t add the cornstarch because I’m using it as a marinade. Chicken pieces sitting in it right now😊.
Definitely a keeper and will be using again.
Deborah says
I’m so glad you liked it!!
Jackie says
I followed this recipe to a T. It is taking way longer to thicken up and am not sure it ever will. Smells good but the rest of the dinner is done. Hopiuit won’t be cold before the sauce thickens.
Deborah says
Hopefully it thickened up for you. It should thicken up pretty quickly with the cornstarch, so you might want to do a quick double check to make sure the quantities you added were correct. Hopefully it all worked out!