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

a jar of teriyaki sauce next to orange slices and garlic

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.

Pouring homemade teriyaki sauce over raw chicken in a clear glass bowl

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.

  1. Combine Ingredients: Mix soy sauce, water (or orange juice), garlic, ginger, and brown sugar in a saucepan per the recipe below.
  2. 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.

Wooden spoon in a glass jar of teriyaki sauce

Teriyaki Favorites

What’s your favorite way to use Teriyaki Sauce? Leave us a comment below!

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a jar of teriyaki sauce next to orange slices and garlic
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Teriyaki Sauce

Easy homemade teriyaki sauce is our go-to recipe for flavorful dishes like Teriyaki pork, chicken, wings, and even rice!
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 20 tablespoons

Equipment

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Ingredients  

  • cup soy sauce
  • ½ cup water
  • ½ cup orange juice or pineapple juice or additional water
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
  • 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

This recipe will make about 1 1/3 cups of sauce. Nutrition information is based on 1 tablespoon of sauce.
Low sodium soy sauce is not recommended in this recipe. If using water in place of juice, add a teaspoon or so of rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
4.99 from 110 votes

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1tablespoon | Calories: 13 | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 0.4g | Fat: 0.01g | Saturated Fat: 0.001g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.002g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.001g | Sodium: 217mg | Potassium: 12mg | Fiber: 0.05g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 0.03IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 3mg | Iron: 0.1mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Course Dip, Sauce
Cuisine American, Asian
What Is The Difference Between Teriyaki Sauce and Soy Sauce?

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.

What is teriyaki?

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.

Can I Substitute Teriyaki Sauce For Soy Sauce?

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!

How Do You Thicken Teriyaki Sauce?

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.

Teriyaki Sauce in a glass jar with a title
pouring Teriyaki Sauce over chicken with writing
jar of Teriyaki Sauce with a title
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About the author

Holly Nilsson is the creator of Spend With Pennies, where she creates easy, comforting recipes made for real life. With a passion for nostalgic flavors and simplified techniques, Holly helps busy home cooks create delicious meals that always work. She is also the author of “Everyday Comfort,” which promises to inspire even more hearty, home-cooked meals.
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  1. Have made this multiple times. Sometimes just water only. Sometimes half water half orange juice. Always comes out great use it on multiple things.5 stars