It’s surprisingly quick and easy to make your own Teriyaki Sauce at home with this healthy recipe. Simply combine soy sauce, vinegar, honey, and garlic, along with a few other ingredients, on the stove and then thicken with a slurry for the best marinade. This sauce is delicious in stir-fries or to flavor chicken, beef, shrimp, or veggies.
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Whether you need a stir-fry sauce or want a sticky marinade for chicken, this homemade teriyaki sauce recipe does it all!
It has a wonderfully savory umami flavor with a subtle hint of sweetness from the sugar and honey.
Plus, if you add in a bit of Sriracha sauce it will even have a nice spicy kick!
Teriyaki Sauce is thick, rich, sweet, and savory. It is traditionally found in Asian cuisine. Soy sauce makes up the bulk of the recipe with garlic, ginger, rice vinegar, and a bit of honey or sugar.
It is typically used in chicken stir-fries, beef or salmon teriyaki recipes. However, it also tastes incredible on fish, shrimp, and even vegetables! You can also use it as a marinade to help tenderize meats and infuse them with a ton of flavor.
If you love this homemade sauce recipe, then you’ve got to try this Thai Peanut Sauce next!
Ingredients
For the exact measurements and detailed instructions, you can jump to the recipe.
- Soy sauce. This salty condiment makes up a large majority of the flavor profile. Since soy sauce is typically made from soybeans and wheat, most teriyaki sauces are not gluten-free. For a gluten-free teriyaki sauce, substitute the soy sauce for a gluten-free kind, Tamari, or even coconut liquid aminos. You can opt for low-sodium soy sauce if needed.
- Sugar. Brown sugar or coconut sugar can be used interchangeably in this recipe. If needed, you can sub in white sugar, but it won’t have the best flavor.
- Honey. A little bit of honey gives a wonderful floral undertone to the sauce. If you’re vegan you can also sweeten the sauce with pure maple syrup or agave nectar.
- Vinegar. Rice vinegar, not rice wine vinegar, adds a hint of acidity that helps balance out the sweetness of the other ingredients. If you have trouble finding rice vinegar, white wine vinegar or even lime juice are alternative options.
- Sesame Oil. It may seem like this ingredient wouldn’t matter very much, but it definitely does! Even just a teaspoon of this flavorful oil will give a lovely rich note to the sauce. Make sure you choose a toasted sesame oil.
- Sriracha. This spicy addition is optional and can be left out if you prefer less heat and more sweet.
- Starch Slurry. A combination of water and cornstarch or tapioca starch that is whisked together. You can use arrowroot powder, as well. This gives the sauce a silky consistency.
How to Make Teriyaki Sauce
Jump to the recipe for the full instructions, ingredient amounts, and a printable recipe.
- Combine ingredients. Mix soy sauce, water, vinegar, sugar, honey, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, and Sriracha in a medium-sized saucepan over high or medium heat.
- Bring to a boil. Heat the sauce to a boil and then reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 1-2 minutes or until the sugar begins to dissolve.
- Add the cornstarch slurry. Make a starch slurry by whisking together corn starch and warm water in a small bowl until smooth. Arrowroot or tapioca starch may also be used. Add in the slurry to the saucepan; this will thicken the sauce.
- Stir into the sauce. Stir the sauce for 2-3 minutes over low heat until it is thickened to your desired consistency. Note that the sauce will thicken even more once it cools.
Meal Prep and Storage
- Prep-ahead: This recipe yields 1 cup of teriyaki sauce, perfect to make in advance and use throughout the week. Two tablespoons equals one serving size.
- Storage: This sauce can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 1-2 weeks in an airtight container, like a Mason jar.
- Freezing: It is not recommended to freeze this sauce.
- Reheating: Return to a saucepan over low heat, or pop in the microwave until heated through.
FAQs
The main difference between these two sauces is the ingredients. Soy sauce is actually the base of teriyaki sauce, along with many other Asian sauces. Soy sauce is salty and comes from the soybean. Teriyaki sauce has soy sauce along with garlic, honey, ginger, and other ingredients.
This easy teriyaki sauce recipe is made with a base of soy sauce and rice vinegar, then seasoned with sugar, garlic, ginger paste, and sesame oil.
Originally, teriyaki sauce is from Japanese cuisine. In Hawaii, there is a similar version that has been adapted with local flavors, particularly pineapple juice. Both have simple ingredients that are delicious and perfect in your favorite recipes.
If your homemade teriyaki sauce is not as thick as you’d like, there are a few things you can do. Add a little more sugar. Make sure you do this over heat so the sugar can easily dissolve! Or, simmer it over medium-low heat. This helps to cook off some of the extra liquid. Finally, you can whisk in more starch slurry. Add in no more than 1 tablespoon of starch and 1 tablespoon of water at a time.
The key offender in teriyaki sauce that makes it unsafe for Celiacs is the soy sauce. For a gluten-free teriyaki sauce use either a gluten-free soy sauce, Tamari sauce, or coconut liquid aminos. You can substitute these alternatives in a one-to-one ratio.
Most teriyaki sauce recipes are vegan, but some will contain honey which is technically an animal product. To make a vegan sauce, substitute honey with equal amounts of pure maple syrup, agave nectar, or sugar.
Recipes that Use Teriyaki Sauce
Once you’ve made the best teriyaki sauce at home, there are so many different recipes you can use it in! These are a few of my favorites.
Both Teriyaki Chicken Stir-Fry and Teriyaki Shrimp Stir Fry are so simple and tasty.
Baked Teriyaki Salmon is healthy and delicious.
You have to try these Beef Teriyaki Foil Packets, as well.
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Homemade Teriyaki Sauce Recipe
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Ingredients
- ⅓ cup soy sauce regular, gluten-free, or Tamari sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons sugar brown or coconut sugar
- 2 tablespoons honey or pure maple syrup
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 teaspoon ginger paste or minced ginger
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil toasted
- 1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce optional
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch or tapioca starch
- ¾ cup + 2 Tbsp. water divided
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients except for the starch and 2 tablespoons of water to a medium-sized saucepan over high heat.⅓ cup soy sauce, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 2 tablespoons sugar, 2 tablespoons honey, 2 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon ginger paste, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, 1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce
- Bring sauce to a boil and then reduce heat to low. Simmer for 1-2 minutes or until sugar begins to dissolve.
- Make a starch slurry by whisking together starch and water in a small bowl until smooth. Add starch slurry to the saucepan.2 tablespoons cornstarch, ¾ cup + 2 Tbsp. water
- Whisk sauce for 2-3 minutes over low heat until it is thickened to your desired consistency. (Sauce will thicken even more once it cools.)
- Use teriyaki sauce on chicken, salmon, or in some beef teriyaki foil packets.
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Notes
- Yield: This recipe yields 1 cup of teriyaki sauce.
- Serving size: Two tablespoons equals one serving size.
- Prep-ahead: This recipe yields 1 cup of teriyaki sauce, perfect to make in advance and use throughout the week. Two tablespoons equals one serving size.
- Storage: This sauce can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 1-2 weeks in an airtight container.
- Freezing: It is not recommended to freeze this sauce.
- Reheating: Return to a saucepan over low heat, or pop in the microwave until heated through.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Great recipe, works great with other fish too.
I’m so glad you like this sauce and find many uses for it.