Make Teriyaki sauce at home using simple ingredients like soy sauce, ginger, and garlic to add an umami flavor to your favorite dishes!
We love using it to make Teriyaki pork, Teriyaki chicken, Teriyaki salmon, or even on chicken wings!
Ingredients in Teriyaki Sauce
Teriyaki sauce is a sauce that is rich, thick, and filled with umami flavors.
Soy Sauce – Most teriyaki sauces have a base of soy sauce and water however, I love adding orange juice (or pineapple juice) for extra flavor. While I often use low-sodium soy sauce, this recipe tastes best with regular soy sauce.
Garlic/Ginger – Garlic and ginger add great flavor to this sauce. Freeze ginger and grate it with a box grater right from frozen for sauces and stir fries. Fresh ginger is best, but in a pinch, replace it with ¼ teaspoon ground ginger.
Sweetness -Brown sugar is the sweetener of choice, but in a pinch, white sugar or honey will work.
Variations – For added flavor, try adding sesame seeds, green or minced white onions, and citrus zest.
How To Make Teriyaki Sauce
Once you make homemade Teriyaki sauce, you won’t buy bottled anymore, the flavor is so much better. If using this mixture as a teriyaki marinade, you can skip the cornstarch and thickening.
- Combine Ingredients: Mix soy sauce, water (or orange juice), garlic, ginger, and brown sugar in a saucepan per the recipe below.
- Simmer to blend flavors: Bring to a simmer and continue to simmer for a couple of minutes or until all of the brown sugar is dissolved.
How to Thicken Teriyaki Sauce
Thickening this homemade teriyaki sauce recipe is optional. If you’re using it as a marinade, simply boil it to blend the flavors and then cool completely.
If using it as a sauce for a stir fry, as a baste or glaze, or to drizzle over a bowl of rice, it can be thickened. Make a slurry with equal parts cornstarch & water. Whisk the slurry into the boiling Teriyaki sauce until it thickens.
Teriyaki Favorites
What’s your favorite way to use Teriyaki Sauce? Leave us a comment below!
Teriyaki Sauce
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup soy sauce
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup orange juice or pineapple juice or additional water
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon ginger minced
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
Slurry
- 2 tablespoons cold water
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, combine soy sauce, 1 cup of water and/or juice, garlic, ginger, and brown sugar.
- Turn the heat to medium and simmer the mixture while whisking for 2 minutes until the brown sugar has dissolved.
- To thicken the sauce, in a separate small bowl, combine water and cornstarch to create a slurry.
- While the sauce is at a low boil, slowly whisk in the slurry a little at a time until it reaches the desired consistency.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Dip, Sauce
Cuisine American, Asian© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
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They have different flavors. Soy sauce is the base of teriyaki sauce, but the saltiness is cut with brown sugar and other ingredients like ginger. Teriyaki sauce can be thicker, while soy sauce is a thin watery addition to dishes like fried rice.
Teriyaki is a Japanese cooking method. It involves grilling or broiling with a combination of sugar and soy sauce (and often mirin), and it’s often made with fish. This recipe is oven baked and then broiled for that crisp texture and flavor.
Both sauces have vastly different flavor profiles and consistencies, so soy sauce wouldn’t work well as a substitute. In a pinch, mix up this easy teriyaki sauce recipe!
1.) Create a slurry by mixing equal parts water and corn starch until no lumps remain.
2.) Pour the slurry into the teriyaki sauce bit by bit while whisking, until the desired thickness is reached.
Quick and easy recipe. I did half orange juice and it was still good, but probably will just use all water next time.
Tried this recipe last night. The sauce was used on chicken breast ponded thin & grilled. I was quite pleased and my husband said it was delicious. Thank you for sharing.
Delicious and guaranteed to get the whole family to clean their plates!
If you don’t eat corn starch, try brown rice flour. Just takes a few minutes to thicken.
Thanks for the tip Shena!
I was skeptical but I gave it a go and loved it and felt so much better eating it than store bought. I increased the amt of cornstarch and water because I like it a tad thicker. This recipe is a keeper !!
You are consistently one of my top 3 go-to’s for great recipes. Thank you for sharing them with us. You’ve taught me so much over the years.
Thank you so much Barbra! So happy you are enjoying our recipes :)
Very tasty! Easy recipe followed exactly and it came together quickly! Next time I’ll add the orange juice. Thank you for the recipe!
I only say this because it needed way more Brown Sugar to make it a true Teriyaki Sauce. I did use half pineapple juice and half water, then also doubled the recipe, If I am going to take the time to make it then I need enough to use whenever I need it.
Best recipe ever! Only thing I did different was as orange zest. The recipe I’ve been searching for. Nicely done
Yum Rob! That sounds delicious.
Do you crush/mince the garlic, or just use the cloves?
The cloves should be minced.
I’m going to try this today! Can’t wait to see how it turns out! Thank you!
Quickest, easiest recipe for teriyaki sauce that is also a winner on taste! Great basic marinade that can be made with ingredients already on hand! Fabulous money saver since I don’t have to buy expensive bottled stuff!
Just made this teriyaki sauce to marinate pork tenderloin. Amazingly delicious!
Yum, great idea Susan!
Can i substitute honey for the brown sugar?
For this recipe, we use brown sugar but you can add a bit of white sugar or even honey if it’s all you have on hand. :)
Amazing!
I tried this recipe today. It’s quick, easy and tastes great. I used this sauce on wings I did in instant pot duo crisp. The wings lasted less than 5 minutes!!!!
Have you tried the brine or rub in spam, with the teriyaki sauce or another compatible sauce?
I used the sauce for chicken wings and it was delicious. Great sauce, super easy to make.
I actually use this recipe all the time. I dont have raw ginger but the ground ginger tastes really good (I use the same amount recipe says for raw ginger). I also do the optional orange juice. It’s such a hit at my house I have to double the recipe. I find it helpful to heat a small pan and cook the sauce with the slurry ( little at a time, enough to cover the pan) to make it thick and set it aside.
Made this tonight to pour over pork tenderloin. Turned out well, used pineapple juice. That’s what I had on hand. Will definitely make again.
Have not tried yet. Can you use ground ginger?
Hi Trish, we have only made this recipe as listed. But if you want to sub in ground ginger it is more potent than fresh so be sure to reduce the quantity.
I have been trying to find a good gluten free teriyaki sauce that looks good-I can substitute GF soy sauce in your recipe and make this…yummy!
Great idea Susan! Enjoy!