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.
Bunnie says
This recipe makes me look like I know what I’m doing in the kitchen!! I do not! Thank you! This recipe is spot on and delicious!
Larry Wright says
We had to substitute flour for corn starch but other wise prepared as prescribed. Very good on steak as well as dumplings, and fried rice. Will punch it up a bit next time as I like hot spicy with the sweet.
Terry Shuttleworth says
Such a yummy sauce. I made it for grilled chicken pieces and sprinkled sesame seeds on the pcs. It was such a winner.
Roscope says
Substituted 1 tbsp sugar with 1 tbsp hon mirin and only used 1 tbsp corn flour. This sauce was perfect!
Tricia Morris says
Wow, this is excellent! I was going to add “teriyaki sauce” to my shopping list but then thought I just might have the ingredients on hand. I did, and this is SO MUCH BETTER! Thank you!
Lisa Miller says
This is a great recipe! I used it for some sliced turkey kielbasa, red onion, and peppers to serve over rice. I also added some canned pineapple and a little of the pineapple juice. DEElicious!!
Imperfect says
This tastes phenomenal.
Patrick p says
Delicious, I did add one more clove of garlic just because….and replaced soy sauce with Maggis. Maggis has way less salt and way better flavor. Will make it again and again. Thank you
Jo says
A must keep recipe; thank you for sharing your recipe with us and keep this going! This recipe is great hit in my family 🙂 Keep up with the excellent work
Matthew E says
10/10 great recipe. Made it with some grilled chicken and asparagus and they made a great trio together. I’ll definitely make it again.
Jane Lou says
I loved this recipe! Had to tweak it for my own tastes but it was super easy and delicious.
Donna Stewart says
This recipe is very good and it’s easy. I love how you cook the sauce to thicken it. My 12 year old grandson is learning to cook. We are going to make this the next time we have chicken wings.
Kay says
This sauce is great! I have a picky eater and he loved it, too. I love that I already have all of these ingredients around pretty much all the time. Thank you for the recipe.
I did put the ingredients through a mesh strainer after making the sauce, just to make sure it was perfectly smooth (on behalf of aforementioned picky eater!).
Joan Robinson says
I love this recipe! I used it on chicken pot stickers. This is a keeper!
Brooke says
So good! And so quick and easy to whip up!
A new go-to for me, thanks!
J Treantenou says
Ok very good teriyaki chicken minus homey