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Home ·  Recipes ·  Side Dishes

Homemade Teriyaki Sauce

Author: Maryanne CabreraPublished: Oct 29, 2014Updated: Jun 8, 2022
View Recipe9 Reviews
This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy.

Homemade teriyaki sauce is super easy to make! It takes three main ingredients plus a little sugar to make the best chicken teriyaki sauce ever!

Chicken Teriyaki Sauce

Chicken teriyaki was a staple dish during my childhood. My mom made it often because it was a meal no one has complaints about.

She would make different versions of the sauce to throw us off from time to time and to make sure we never got bored of her cooking.

Sometimes, she would add minced ginger. Another week, there might be a splash of pineapple juice or a hint of garlic.

Regardless, the base sauce consisted of the same three ingredients.

Teriyaki Sauce

Easy Teriyaki Sauce

Homemade teriyaki sauce is simple to make. I remember the first time I watched my mom make it.  

I was around 10 years old and at that time, my only understanding of sauce making came from watching episodes of Jacques Pepin and Julia Child make super labor intensive French sauces.

I figured all sauces just took time. Obviously, my mind was blown when I watched my mom make teriyaki sauce in less than 5 minutes!

Teriyaki Sauce

Easy No Fail Sauce

It’s so easy that you can totally memorize the recipe without any effort.

Simply use equal parts:

  • Sake
  • Mirin
  • Reduced-sodium soy sauce

Add sugar (brown sugar or honey works too) according to your desired sweetness.  

You can boil the mixture to reduce and thicken the sauce, or you can save time by adding a cornstarch slurry.

I choose the slurry. When using cornstarch, be sure to dissolve it in water before adding it to the sauce.  Once you’ve added the cornstarch slurry to the sauce, bring the liquid mixture to a boil to cook off any unwanted starchy flavor.

As the sauce cools, it will thicken thanks to the cornstarch.

Chicken Teriyaki Sauce

That’s it! No need to order take-out tonight. Stay in and make easy dinners like this.

The teriyaki sauce keeps well in the fridge for about a week, or you could just make another batch in 5 minutes.

This sauce is terrific on any protein or vegetable. It’s wonderful with this barley rice bowl or drizzle over .

In addition, the sauce makes for a delicious marinade.

Thicken the sauce even more to use as a glaze for chicken wings, grilled fish, or baked tofu.

Chicken Teriyaki Bowl
Chicken Teriyaki Sauce

Teriyaki Sauce

This super simple, no fail, best teriyaki sauce will become a staple in your weeknight dinner menu. The sauce works on just about anything- grilled chicken, baked fish, or steamed vegetables!
Yield: about 1 ½ cups sauce
Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes minutes
Servings: 8
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Ingredients

  • ½ cup sake
  • ½ cup Mirin (Japanese sweet cooking rice wine)
  • ½ cup reduced sodium soy sauce
  • 2 Tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 1 ½ Tablespoon cornstarch

Instructions
 

  • In a small sauce pot, combine sake, Mirin, soy sauce and sugar.  Set over medium heat and cook until sugar dissolves.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch with 2 Tbsp water to make a slurry. Once smooth, whisk into sauce. Bring sauce to a boil. Remove from heat.

Notes

Keep leftover sauce in an airtight container for up to a week. The sauce will thicken when cold. Simply reheat in the microwave or over low heat to loosen. 
Author: Maryanne Cabrera
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Japanese
Keyword: teriyaki sauce, easy sauce, chicken teriyaki, homemade teriyaki sauce
Did you make this recipe?Show us on Instagram! Tag @littleepicurean and hashtag #littleepicurean.
9 Reviews
Filed in:
Side DishesAsian · Savory

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Reader Questions and Reviews

  1. Jen @ Baked by an Introvert says:
    October 29, 2014

    I love homemade teriyaki sauce. I’ve never added sake to mine. I think it’s time I do! Thanks for a great reicpe!

    Reply
    • Maryanne Cabrera says:
      October 30, 2014

      I hope you like it! :)

  2. Millie+|+Add+A+Little says:
    October 29, 2014

    This looks delicious! I love easy comforting meals like this!

    Reply
    • Maryanne Cabrera says:
      October 30, 2014

      Thanks Millie!

  3. Ciara (My Fussy Eater) says:
    November 1, 2014

    This looks so delicious and so simple. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • Maryanne Cabrera says:
      November 1, 2014

      You’re welcome! Thanks for stopping by, Ciara! :)

  4. Carla (@charliesue) says:
    November 2, 2014

    Oooh, love this. Kind of makes me feel silly for ever buying it! Thank you! :)

    Reply
    • Maryanne Cabrera says:
      November 3, 2014

      You’re welcome! It’s super easy, you’ll never have to buy it again :)

  5. Sarah @ SnixyKitchen says:
    November 5, 2014

    I LOVE teriyaki sauce, but since eating gluten-free, I never get to eat it. I’m excited to try your mom’s no-fail version with some tamari sauce. Also, I think I say this all the time, but these photos are so captivating. I love the way the light hits the sauce!

    Reply
Maryanne Cabrera

Meet the Author

Maryanne Cabrera is a classically trained pastry chef, baker, cake maker, and cocktail shaker.
Read more about me

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