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This is the best Teriyaki Sauce recipe every which is great to use as a marinade or to coat your favorite protein for a restaurant-worthy meal at home.
We Love Asian Food!
We have always loved Asian recipes, but after living in China for a semester the love grew even more!
We had all sorts of meats and sauces while there, and although Teriyaki sauce first originated in Japan, we also enjoyed variations of it in China. Since then, we wanted to come up with our own variation that was not too ginger-y and had a hint of pineapple (similar to the sauces found in Hawaii).
The result is the BEST teriyaki sauce recipe which is a perfect coating for chicken or perfect with Rice in a Crockpot. We also like to pair it with some of our favorite Asian appetizers for delicious takeout at home.
Why we love this recipe:
- Various uses. Use teriyaki sauce in Asian dinner recipes. It’s great to use in stir-fries or as a glaze when baking or grilling. Use it on vegetables, beef, poultry, pork, salmon, and other fish.
- Homemade. Skip all the additives found in store-bought sauce and make your own using ingredients you know.
- Quick and easy. This homemade teriyaki sauce can be made in just 5 minutes, making it perfect for busy weeknights.
Ingredients
TOTAL TIME: 5 minutes
- 1 cup water
- ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce – or tamari sauce
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon pineapple juice – optional or use orange juice.
- ⅓ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch – or use arrowroot or a flour roux.
- ⅓ cup cold water
How to Make Teriyaki Sauce
- MIX. Combine 1 cup water, ¼ cup soy sauce, 2 tablespoons honey, 1 tablespoon pineapple juice, ⅓ cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon garlic, and ¼ teaspoon ginger in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
- Whisk 2 tablespoons cornstarch and ⅓ cup water to make a slurry and mix until cornstarch is dissolved. Add to the sauce.
- COOK. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, until sauce thickens. If the mixture becomes too thick, add more water to thin it out.
- TERIYAKI CHICKEN. To make with chicken, add sauce to the skillet with the cooked chicken and cook for about 5 minutes to thoroughly coat chicken. Serve with rice, noodles, and/or steamed veggies.
Make it a Marinade
Homemade teriyaki sauce is thicker than a marinade, but this recipe can easily be adjusted so you can marinate your favorite cuts of meat.
To turn this sauce into marinade omit the cornstarch and the ½ cup of water. Combine the remaining ingredients in a bowl. Stir, add meat, and let it marinate in the fridge.
Complete the Meal
- Side dishes: Crock Pot White Rice, Homemade Fried Rice, Asian Noodle Salad
- Desserts: Pineapple Upside Down Cake, Fortune Cookie Recipe, Vanilla Ice Cream
- More marinades and sauces: BBQ Sauce, Easy Steak Marinade, Best Chicken Marinade
More collections: Chicken Dinner Ideas, Grilled Dinner Ideas, Easy Dinner Ideas
Best Teriyaki Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce, or tamari sauce
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon pineapple juice, optional
- ⅓ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- ⅓ cup cold water
Instructions
- Combine water, soy sauce, honey, pineapple juice, brown sugar, garlic, and ginger in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
- Whisk cornstarch and water together to make a slurry and mix until cornstarch is dissolved. Add to the sauce.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, until sauce thickens. If the sauce becomes too thick, add more water to thin it out.
Make Teriyaki Chicken
- Add sauce to the skillet with the cooked chicken and cook for about 5 minutes to thoroughly coat. Serve with rice, noodles, and/or steamed veggies.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
Why is my teriyaki sauce salty?
- If the sauce tastes too salty, add a bit of brown sugar and honey to counteract the salty flavor. Slowly add a little more water and cornstarch. You can also use low-sodium soy sauce instead of regular to combat the salt flavor.
Change the Texture?
- Thicken the sauce. Make a cornstarch slurry: add 1 teaspoon of cornstarch to a separate small bowl and 1 teaspoon of cold water. Once it is smooth pour it into the sauce and simmer.
- Thin out the sauce. Whisk in more water.
Is teriyaki sauce gluten-free?
- This sauce can be gluten-free, just double-check the labels on each of the separate ingredients.
How to store teriyaki sauce?
- Store in a mason jar or other airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
How to Freeze?
- Freeze this savory sauce in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw and reheat in a small saucepan.
I usually just buy a sauce the grocery store for grilled chicken, but making homemade sauce is way better and easy.
I love this Teriyaki sauce. It’s so delicious and can be used to turn many recipes into yummy. Happy I found it on your site!
Sooo good!! & so much better than store bought! Loved it!
This sauce is amazing!! It’s creamy & delicious!! One of the best teriyaki sauces ever!! Couldn’t believe how easy it was to make!
This is a hit! This teriyaki sauce is so easy to make and turned out to be flavorful. This is a must-try recipe, thanks Kristyn for this wonderful recipe!
We had chicken and rice last night and with this Teriyaki Sauce, everything had so much flavor.