I'm so excited to share this one because it's saved more weeknight dinners than I can count. This homemade teriyaki sauce is thick, sweet, and savory, and it comes together in about 15 minutes with stuff you probably already have in your kitchen.
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Here's the thing about store bought teriyaki sauce. It's fine in a pinch, but it's usually loaded with sugar and preservatives, and honestly, it never tastes quite right to me. Once Donald convinced me to try making it from scratch, I never went back.
Alex asks for this teriyaki sauce on basically everything now. Chicken, salmon, rice bowls, you name it. If you're looking for something to pour it over, my asian broccoli recipe makes the perfect side dish, and the two together taste like takeout without the delivery fee.
Why You'll Love This Teriyaki Sauce Recipe
There's a lot to love here, honestly. Let me break it down.
- It's ready in 15 minutes, start to finish
- Just 9 simple ingredients, nothing fancy or hard to find
- Thick, glossy texture that clings to chicken, salmon, or noodles
- Sweet and savory flavor with just the right amount of tang
- Way cheaper than buying bottled sauce every time
- Easy to make gluten free with one simple swap
Sarah calls it "the brown sauce," and honestly, that's fair. It's the sauce we reach for more than almost anything else in our fridge.
Ingredients For Homemade Teriyaki Sauce
Here's what you'll need. Nothing complicated, I promise.
- ½ cup low sodium soy sauce (regular soy sauce works too, just watch the salt)
- 3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons honey, or pure maple syrup if that's what you have
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ¼ cup water
A quick note on substitutions. I've made this with maple syrup instead of honey plenty of times and nobody in my family noticed the difference. Low sodium soy sauce is my go to, but if all you have is regular, just taste before adding any extra salt to whatever you're cooking.
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Homemade Teriyaki Sauce
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 1 cup 1x
Description
Thick, sweet, and savory homemade teriyaki sauce that comes together in about 15 minutes with simple pantry ingredients. It's better than anything from a bottle and perfect for chicken, salmon, rice bowls, or stir fry.
Ingredients
- ½ cup low sodium soy sauce (regular soy sauce works too, just watch the salt)
- 3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons honey, or pure maple syrup if that's what you have
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ¼ cup water
Instructions
- Add the soy sauce, brown sugar, honey, rice vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, and garlic to a small saucepan.
- Whisk everything together over medium heat until it comes to a gentle simmer, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Turn the heat down to medium low once it's simmering.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water until smooth with no lumps.
- Pour the slurry into the saucepan, whisking constantly for 1 to 2 minutes until the sauce turns thick and glossy.
- Use the sauce right away over chicken, salmon, or stir fry, or let it cool completely and store it for later.
Notes
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Don't freeze, the texture gets grainy once thawed. For less sweetness, cut the brown sugar to 2 tablespoons. Fresh ginger and garlic make a real difference, so skip the jarred stuff if you can.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Sauce
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Asian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 tablespoons
- Calories: 45
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 420mg
- Fat: 1g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 9g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
How To Make This Teriyaki Sauce
This really is one of those recipes where the hardest part is just standing at the stove for a few minutes. Let's walk through it.
Combine And Simmer The Base
Add the soy sauce, brown sugar, honey, rice vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, and garlic to a small saucepan. Whisk everything together over medium heat until it comes to a gentle simmer. This usually takes 2 to 3 minutes.
Once it's simmering, turn the heat down to medium low. Your kitchen should already smell amazing at this point. Alex usually wanders in around now asking what's cooking.
Thicken With The Cornstarch Slurry
In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water until smooth. There shouldn't be any lumps.
Pour this slurry into the saucepan, whisking constantly. Keep whisking for 1 to 2 minutes, and you'll watch the sauce go from thin and watery to thick and glossy right in front of you. It's honestly kind of satisfying to watch.
Serve Or Store
Once it's thickened, you can use it right away over chicken, salmon, or in a stir fry. Or let it cool completely and store it for later. I usually make a double batch because it disappears fast in our house.
If you want to use this as a marinade instead, my salmon recipe pairs beautifully with it. Just let the fish sit in the sauce for 20 to 30 minutes before cooking.
Storage And Reheating
This sauce keeps really well, which is one of the reasons I always make extra.
Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator, and it will stay good for up to a week. I use a small mason jar so I can see how much is left at a glance.
To reheat, just warm it gently on the stove or in the microwave in short bursts, stirring in between. If it's thickened up too much in the fridge, a splash of water while reheating brings it right back to that glossy consistency.
I don't recommend freezing this one. The texture gets a little grainy once it thaws, and honestly, it's so quick to make fresh that it's not worth the freezer space.
Tips And Variations For Teriyaki Sauce
Here's what I've learned after making this more times than I can count.
- Want it less sweet? Cut the brown sugar down to 2 tablespoons. I've done this when Donald was watching his sugar intake and it still tasted great.
- Adding red pepper flakes gives it a nice kick if your family likes a little heat.
- This sauce works as a dipping sauce too, not just a glaze. We use it for egg rolls all the time, and it goes especially well with this egg roll in a bowl recipe.
- Have you ever tried it on grilled fish tacos? It sounds unusual, but a drizzle over my whole grilled fish tacos recipe is unexpectedly good.
- Watch your heat closely once you add the cornstarch slurry. I learned the hard way that if it boils too hard, the sauce can break and turn a little separated looking.
- Fresh ginger and garlic really do make a difference here. I tried the jarred stuff once out of laziness, and it just wasn't the same.
Honestly, once you have a jar of this in your fridge, you'll find yourself using it on things you never expected, like roasted vegetables or even a simple bowl of rice.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is homemade teriyaki sauce made of?
This teriyaki sauce is made with soy sauce, brown sugar, honey, rice vinegar, sesame oil, fresh ginger, and garlic, thickened with a simple cornstarch and water mixture. That's it. No strange additives, just real ingredients you probably already have.
How do you thicken teriyaki sauce?
The trick is a cornstarch slurry. Whisk cornstarch with cold water until smooth, then stir it into the simmering sauce. Keep whisking for a minute or two and it thickens up right before your eyes. Just don't skip whisking it constantly, or you'll end up with little lumps.
Can homemade teriyaki sauce be made gluten free?
Yes, and it's an easy swap. Just replace the regular soy sauce with gluten free tamari or gluten free coconut aminos. Everything else in the recipe stays exactly the same, and honestly, you won't notice a difference in taste.
How long does homemade teriyaki sauce last in the refrigerator?
Stored in an airtight container, it keeps for up to a week in the fridge. I like using a small jar so I can keep track of how much is left, since this one tends to go fast around here.
Recipes You May Like
If you loved this teriyaki sauce, here are a few more sweet and savory family favorites worth trying next.
- Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs With A Crispy Glaze — another sticky, glossy glaze that Alex asks for on repeat.
- Honey Garlic Butter Chicken That's Quick And Easy — a weeknight dinner that comes together almost as fast as this sauce does.
- Sweet And Spicy Honey Garlic Shrimp Stir Fry For Dinner Delight — perfect if you want to swap in shrimp for your next teriyaki night.
Final Thoughts On This Teriyaki Sauce
This homemade teriyaki sauce has become one of those recipes I just always have on hand. It's simple, it's fast, and it tastes so much better than anything from a bottle.
Whether you're using it on chicken, salmon, or just drizzling it over rice like Sarah does, I think you're going to love how easy this one is.
Give it a try this week and let me know how it turns out for you! This one's a family favorite around here, and I hope it becomes yours too.
