by Holly
Homemade Teriyaki Sauce is one of our go-to sauce recipes. We love using it to make teriyaki pork, teriyaki chicken, teriyaki salmon, or even on chicken wings!
Teriyaki sauce is easily bought at the store, but it tastes SO much better homemade. It lasts about 3 weeks in the fridge, so I like to whip it up along with some balsamic vinaigrette for salads, and even some Italian dressing. Everything uses basic ingredients!
What Is Teriyaki Sauce
Teriyaki sauce is a sauce that is rich, thick, and filled with umami flavors. Teriyaki sauce ingredients include:
- Base: Soy sauce and water. I usually substitute half of the water for orange juice (or even pineapple juice) for added flavor. While I often use low sodium teriyaki sauce, I prefer this recipe with regular teriyaki sauce.
- Aromatics: Garlic and ginger add great flavor to this sauce. I freeze ginger and break a piece off when I need it or even grate it right from frozen for Stir Fry.
- Sweetness: I use brown sugar but you can add a bit of white sugar or even honey if it’s all you have on hand.
Sesame seeds, green (or minced white) onions, and citrus zest all add great flavor to this teriyaki marinade too!
How To Make Teriyaki Sauce
Once you make homemade teriyaki sauce, you will not want to buy it at the store again! I thicken it to make sauce but I don’t bother thickening if I’m making a teriyaki marinade.
- Combine Ingredients: Combine soy sauce, water (or orange juice), garlic, ginger, and brown sugar in a saucepan.
- Simmer to blend flavors: Bring to a simmer and continue to simmer for a couple minutes or until all of the brown sugar is dissolved
- How Do You Thicken Teriyaki Sauce? Thickening teriyaki sauce is optional. If you’re using it as a marinate, simply boil and cool completely. I like to make it a little thicker if I am using it as a sauce or baste. Create a slurry with cornstarch and water and pour it into the boiling teriyaki sauce while whisking until you reach desired consistency.
What Is The Difference Between Teriyaki Sauce and Soy Sauce
Well, both have different flavors. Soy sauce is the main component in teriyaki sauce, but the saltiness is cut with brown sugar and other ingredients like ginger.
Teriyaki is also very thick, where as soy sauce is a thin watery addition to dishes like fried rice.
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 just whip up this easy teriyaki sauce recipe!
To thicken teriyaki sauce:
- Create a slurry by mixing equal parts water and cornstarch until no lumps remain
- Pour the slurry into the teriyaki sauce bit by bit while whisking, until the desired thickness is reached.
It’s super easy, and makes the best homemade sauce ever!
More Stir Fry Recipes
- Cashew Chicken Stir Fry – better than take out
- Easy Pepper Chicken Stir Fry
- Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken – fresh and delicious
- How to Cook Rice – So fluffy!
- Pineapple Teriyaki Shrimp Foil Packets – great in the summer!
- Teriyaki Chicken– Favorite!
Teriyaki Sauce
Prep Time 5 minutes
Servings 1 cups
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup soy sauce
- 1 cup water or use half orange juice
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon ginger minced
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
Slurry
- 2 tablespoons cold water
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Instructions
- Combine soy sauce, 1 cup liquid, garlic, ginger and brown sugar in a small saucepan.
- Simmer 2 minutes or until brown sugar is dissolved.
Slurry
- Combine the water and cornstarch to create a slurry. Pour into the boiling sauce a little at a time to reach desired consistency.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Information
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.)
This was amazing! I added more orange juice than water because I let it cook down a bit too much. Also I used 1/4 cup brown sugar. I only had powdered ginger so I tasted as I cooked it. My truly extra addition was a few shakes of red pepper flakes and chili powder to give it some extra kick. My daughter loved this and wants me to make it frequently. Thanks for a great recipe.
You’re welcome Shelley! So happy to hear how much your daughter loves this sauce!
Made it exactly as it says on the recipe. It’s delicious. Used half orange juice and half water. Used it to marinate my chicken for shish kebabs. Thank you for this. Love it!
We love this sauce, I was out of orange juice the last time I made it so I used some pineapple instead. It was a huge hit!