The Best 15-Minute Homemade Teriyaki Sauce: Sweet, Savory, and Ready for Glazing
Stop buying bottled sauce. You can make this easy homemade teriyaki sauce from scratch in 15 minutes. It is better than store bought and perfect as a glaze, marinade, or stir fry sauce.
- Prep Time: 5 min
- Cook Time: 10 min
- Total Time: 15 min
- Yield: About 1 cup 1x
- Category: Condiment
- Method: Stovetop Simmering
- Cuisine: Japanese
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
- 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
- 2 tablespoons mirin (or substitute with dry sherry)
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon cold water (for slurry)
Instructions
- Combine the soy sauce, 1/2 cup water, brown sugar, mirin, ginger, and garlic in a small saucepan.
- Place the saucepan over medium heat and bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring until the sugar dissolves completely.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of cold water to create a slurry.
- Once the sauce is simmering, slowly whisk in the cornstarch slurry.
- Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 1 to 2 minutes. This creates your thick teriyaki glaze.
- Remove the sauce from the heat. Use immediately as a glaze or marinade, or cool completely before storing.
Notes
- You can make this sauce vegan by ensuring your soy sauce does not contain non-vegan additives, though most standard brands are fine.
- For a spicier kick, add 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes when simmering the sauce.
- Store any leftover homemade teriyaki sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 tablespoons
- Calories: 55
- Sugar: 9
- Sodium: 450
- Fat: 0
- Saturated Fat: 0
- Unsaturated Fat: 0
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 13
- Fiber: 0
- Protein: 1
- Cholesterol: 0