This Homemade Teriyaki Sauce is the best and easiest sauce for Asian dishes! It's thick, sweet and savory, and delicious used as a marinade, glaze, or as main sauce. Great with chicken, shrimp, salmon, and vegetarian stir fry!
Homemade condiments are so easy to make! Make a bottle of this sauce, the Sweet and Sour Sauce or Homemade Hoisin Sauce, and never go back to the store-bought kind again.
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Why You'll Love This Sauce
After so many requests, I am finally sharing my recipe for the best, thick Teriyaki Sauce! It's one of the easiest condiments I've made in my own kitchen. I use it in cooking or pour it over a finished dish to add Asian flavor. It only requires a handful of ingredients that I always have in my pantry.
I made it for the first time for my popular Quick Teriyaki Chicken Rice Bowls. I've since had many readers ask if it can be made ahead and stored so it's always ready for this dish. Best idea ever! When I have this sauce on hand, all I need to do is add it to the chicken! It's simple and so tasty!
This Homemade Teriyaki Sauce recipe is the best and easiest and will save you time in the kitchen! Forget the store-bought stuff and make a jar or your own homemade teriyaki sauce!
Ingredients:
- soy sauce: I only use low-sodium to control the flavor; this ingredient is the base flavor for the sauce;
- sesame oil: adds that specific flavor to the sauce; it's very potent so don't go overboard;
- brown sugar: sweetens the sauce which has that perfect balance of sweet and savory flavors;
- garlic: I prefer fresh, minced garlic for this recipe but garlic powder works too;
- ginger: it's not often that I have fresh ginger on hand so I use ginger powder for this sauce;
- cornstarch: this will thicken the sauce
- water: the base for the sauce;
- apple cider vinegar: adds a sour flavor to balance the sweetness.
How to make homemade Teriyaki Sauce?
- Whisk all ingredients in a saucepan.
- Simmer over medium-low heat for about 3 minutes.
- Make a quick cornstarch slurry with water and add to the sauce. Cook just until it thickens. Done!
- You can use the sauce right away by adding it to cooked chicken in a skillet or pour over salmon, shrimp, or chicken tenders and bake.
Helpful Tips!
- Cornstarch: it is my go-to thickener for sauces as it will make a smooth and clump-free sauce every time. I almost completely stopped using flour in my sauces and just keep it for baking. Cornstarch will also make this sauce gluten-free, for those with gluten allergies. You can use flour in place of cornstarch in this recipe, just keep in mind that it will not be as clear in appearance.
- Soy sauce: I recommend using low-sodium soy sauce to control the flavor.
- sesame oil: if you don't have it on hand, skip it but I highly recommend this ingredient for the recipe since it will give it that characteristic Asian flavor. You can use olive oil as a substitute.
- sesame seeds: not necessary but we enjoy them.
Substitutions:
- Instead of soy sauce, use coconut aminos. The sauce will be gluten-free and less salty.
- Skip the sugar and use honey.
- If you don't have fresh garlic and ginger, use the powdered spices.
- While I keep white vinegar for cleaning and use apple cider vinegar in cooking, white vinegar will work here too.
Recipe FAQs:
Flour can be substituted for cornstarch. We had readers use tapioca or potato starch as well.
Yes! Simply place cubed raw chicken or salmon fillet into a Ziploc bag, add sauce, seal tightly, and freeze OR place in the fridge for 30 minutes to overnight. When you are ready, thaw out and bake or cook in a skillet. So easy and saves time! Just remember to use all of the marinade and cook it with the meat.
My go-to mixture to thicken any sauce, but especially this teriyaki sauce, is a cornstarch slurry. I mix water with cornstarch and add it to the sauce while cooking it over low heat and stirring constantly.
If you keep the sauce in a jar with a lid and store it in the fridge, it will last for up to 2 weeks.
How to use teriyaki sauce?
This sauce is perfect in many Asian dishes. Here are my favorites:
- Quick and Easy Teriyaki Chicken Rice Bowl
- Baked Teriyaki Salmon
- 10-Minute Teriyaki Shrimp
- Teriyaki Chicken Stir Fry
More homemade Asian sauce recipes:
If you like this recipe and make it, let me know in the comments below! Don't forget to rate it if you enjoyed it!
Homemade Teriyaki Sauce
Ingredients
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- 1 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger optional
- 4 teaspoons minced garlic
- 3 teaspoon sesame oil
- 3 tablespoon cornstarch
- 4 tablespoons water
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, whisk together brown sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, garlic and oil. Heat up until it starts to simmer.½ cup packed brown sugar, 1 cup low-sodium soy sauce, 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar, ½ teaspoon ground ginger optional, 4 teaspoons minced garlic, 3 teaspoon sesame oil
- Reduce heat to low.
- In a small bowl, whisk together water and cornstarch. Add to soy sauce mixture and whisk constantly until the sauce thickens.3 tablespoon cornstarch, 4 tablespoons water
- Remove from heat and let cool. Use right away or store for later.
Notes
- Keep in glass jar with lid in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
- This recipe can be halved to make a smaller amount, good for one meal for 4 people.
- Please note, that the nutrition value can vary depending on what product you use. The information below is an estimate.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published on April 25th, 2018 and updated on October 28th, 2019.
Sheri B. says
How much garlic powered would I add if I don't want to use the minced?
Anna says
Hi Sheri! I recommend 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder. You can add more to taste. I hope this helps!
Sheri says
Yes, it does help Anna.
Thank you!
At least I have a beginning amount to start with!
Anna says
I'm so glad! Enjoy the sauce, Sheri!
Andie says
This Teriyaki sauce is so dang good! I will never buy the bottled kind again!
Anna says
Thank you, Andie! I am so glad you enjoy it!
Kristyn says
This sauce is fantastic & so tasty!! Teriyaki chicken is my favorite & this sauce will be stocked in my fridge, so I can make it frequently!!
Anna says
Yay! That's fantastic! Thank you, Kristyn!
Jessica says
Homemade teriyaki sauce is so much better than storebought. Such a great recipe!
Anna says
I agree! Thank you, Jessica!
Lou says
This hit the spot! Stir fried some chicken (marinated with garlic powder and cornstarch); added1/2 the sauce; served with broc and basmati rice. De...lish...us...
Anna says
Fantastic! I am so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you, Lou!
Amy says
My first time making this sauce and while following the recipe instructions my liquid would not thicken, I even added more cornstarch to see if it would help, It didn’t. I took it off the heat, still wouldn’t thicken. It wasn’t until I turned the heat up it started to thicken up. Then it got too thick because of the extra cornstarch I added. Doh on my part. But I added more soy sauce and it thinned out a bit and it tastes amazing! Probably because of all the salt but still. I will make this again but I’ll turn the heat up when I add the cornstarch instead of turning it to low.
Tina says
The cornstarch alone won't make it gluten free. You must use gluten free soy sauce as well.
Anon says
Who said corn starch has gluten? It's made from corn.
Quick google will tell you cornstarch is gluten free.
While i do agree soy sauce must be gluten free, the corn starch alone WILL make it gluten free.
Anna says
Hi Anon! You are correct, the cornstarch is gluten free. However, in this recipe, it is about the soy sauce which is made from wheat (among other ingredients). You would have to find a gluten-free version, like coconut aminos. Hope this clarifies things!
Michael W Zweifel says
What can you use in the place of corn starch?
Anna says
Flour will work but the sauce can turn cloudy, not clear like on the photos. Let me know if you make it!
Eva-Maria Horner says
Have not made the sauce yet., but have a question. Can I use potato starch ? I bought some at a German store, used it for my Dumplings but am not sure about using it at as a sauce thickener.
Stay well,
Eva
Anna says
Hi Eva-Maria! I think it will be just fine. Let me know how it goes!
Cristina Chang says
Tapioca startch are good as well.
Krissy Allori says
This looks so easy and so good. We love all things teriyaki at my house. It would just make sense to make my own sauce. Thanks for the great recipe.
Anna says
Thank you, Krissy!
Brooke says
Low Sodium tip: instead of a cup of soy sauce, use 1/4 c soy (I used low sodium Tamari), 1/4 c apple cider vinegar, and the rest water. Acidic levels are nearly the same, thanks to the ACV, taste is not compromised (soy is very potent), and Voilà! Much lower sodium content, same taste!
I also threw in some red pepper flakes to make it a spicy/sweet combo! Thanks for sharing this delicious and simple recipe!
Kelsey says
I used a little less sugar and cornstarch, but WOW the flavor of this was delicious!! I’ll be saving this for future use.
Anna says
Thank you so much, Kelsey!
Emily says
About how much is 1 serving? (A tablespoon?)
Brandon says
This makes 8 servings so I’d take the final amount of sauce you get and divide by 8 to get serving size.
Melissa says
I made this along with stir fry last weekend and everyone love it!
Toni says
I was out of teriyaki sauce and needed it for a recipe. I Google'd and found this one. It's better than store bought sauce.
Suzy says
I never knew how easy this would be to make at home but it was! Definitely going to be staple in our house!
Julie Blanner says
I love this sauce! It's such a great addition to chicken.
Laura Reese says
This is a delicious recipe! Makes everything so tender and flavorful.
Jennifer Barry says
Made it. It tastes good, but I feel like it's way too thick. I made it exactly as posted. I think next time I will use a little less cornstarch. But overall, it tastes just fine.
Michelle says
Can this marinade be used for grilling chicken?
Prakash Nadkarni says
Really good recipe, thanks for making it publicly available. (It shows up #1 on Gooogle.).
You might want to invest in a used copy of Harold McGee's "On Food and Cooking"(2004 edition) - this is the Bible that most serious chefs use: while not containing a single recipe, it talks about food ingredients, food science and how different things are made (including chocolate and soy sauce). This is a book that you can open anywhere and read for pleasure. (It's highly likely that your public library may have a copy.)
Japanese-style soy sauce uses equal parts of soy beans and wheat as the raw materials. (If it uses only soybeans, it's called Tamari - this is the gluten-free stuff.)
The wheat serves a useful purpose - its starches are broken down by fermentation into sugars and trace amounts of alcohol, and the sugars combine with the proteins from soybeans to form savory brown compounds (similar to what you get when you brown meat). As a result, soy sauce made with wheat has a more complex and richer flavor than that made with soybeans alone (provided you're not gluten-sensitive).
Ed Matthews says
I see the picture of this sauce has sesame seeds in it. Is this for looks or was it omitted from the recipe by mistake?
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
Hi Ed! I used the seeds to have a point for my camera to focus. It's hard to do that on a dark liquid surface. Sorry if it was confusing. Sesame seeds are often used as a garnish and you can sprinkle them over the finished dish. I hope you will give this teriyaki sauce a try!
Ed Matthews says
OK !! I have seen so many recipes for this sauce but it's the only one I see that uses Sesame Seed Oil and instead of Mirin, uses apple cider vinegar and no honey. Try omitting the oil,use Mirin,and a bit of honey and let me know how you like it. I'm still looking for that Genuine recipe.
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
Hi Ed! You are welcome to use whatever you like. My recipe is easy and uses easy to find ingredients. Give it a try. You might like it! 😀
Aspen Dean says
Hey! I was wanting to make this for dinner tonight and was wondering if the ground ginger needed to be fresh or a powder spice. Also, is Braggas Liquid Aminos a good substitute for the soy sauce?
I’m excited to try!
Stephanie says
I forgot sesame oil, is there anything I can use instead?
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
Hi Stephanie! Olive oil will work just fine. Let me know if you make this sauce. Thank you!
Nicole says
I've made several stir fry or peanut sauces but this by far trumps them all. Definitely going to save this for a go-to sauce. So good!
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
Thank you, Nicole! I am so glad you love it!
Marc says
The recipe looks awesome, but-
BE WARNED:
This sauce will NOT be gluten free just because you use corn starch instead of flour. If you are using genuine brewed soy sauce, the making of that sauce uses wheat in the fermentation process. You MUST use gluten free soy sauce along with the corn starch to make the recipe gluten free.
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
Thank you, Marc! I believe Kikkoman makes a gluten free version of their soy sauce.
Patricia says
What to cook with teriyak sauce? Oh, man...I could eat it with a spoon 🙂 I love it and use it on a lot of things, so I look forward to trying your recipe!
Amanda Livesay says
I had no idea teriyaki sauce as so easy! I can't wait to make it!
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
You have to try it, Amanda!
Des says
This teriyaki sauce sounds delicious! It is one of my favorite sauces to use while cooking.
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
Same here! Thanks, Des!
Jacque Hastert says
Nothing beats homemade. Know I have NO excuse to buy the jar stuff.
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
Yay! I hope you love this homemade version!
Cathy says
Yesssss! Love teriyaki and I bet homemade is amazing!
Abeer says
Looks perfectly delicious!I am going to save this recipe!
Amanda says
This will be tasty on so many things, great job!!
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
Thank you, Amanda!
Kalyn says
I love Teriyaki and your homemade version sounds delish! Thanks for a shout-out for my Sugar-FreeTeriyaki Sauce!
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
Thank you, Kalyn!