The only and the best teriyaki sauce recipe that you will ever need. Easy to make, five ingredients, and makes a big batch that you can store in your fridge for months. This homemade Japanese teriyaki sauce will become a life changer.
A life changer? Yes, that is a big call, and that's why this particular recipe is one I have been making for years and has a permanent home in my fridge.
I make around three or four batches of this teriyaki sauce a year. Then it is a simple case of reaching into the fridge for easy simple dinners. This flavour packed jar of joy is a staple in my fridge.
It's perfect for those obvious dishes like teriyaki chicken or salmon, but also works brilliantly in fried rice, chicken skewers (yakitori), meatballs, tofu, noodles, and vegetables.
Below I share the multiple ways you can use this sauce. Make yourself up a batch, it is a life changer. It keeps for at least three months in the fridge if it lasts that long.
Sara xxx
Ingredients
- Sake: The sake used is cooking sake, not drinking sake. Japanese cooking sake is available at most big chain supermarkets, and Asian grocers.
- Soy Sauce: I use Japanese soy sauce as a preference, but please use your favourite or prefered soy sauce. Do not use dark soy sauce.
- Mirin: Mirin, like sake, is a rice wine but sweet. Is one of the holy trinity of Japanese ingredients (soy sauce and sake are the other two). Mirin is available from most big chain supermarkets, and Asian grocers. In this recipe I do not recommend using a subsitute.
- Cornflour: I use cornflour/cornstarch in my recipe as it is easier to get your hands on, traditionally potato starch is used. It is used to thicken the sauce and give it a gorgeous gloss.
- Sugar: I use caster/superfine sugar as it disolves more easily than standard granulated sugar.
The art of Teriyaki
The word teriyaki actually refers to a Japanese cooking method. Not just any cooking method, but one of the most popular. As I explained in my yakiniku recipe, "yaki" means grilled. The word "teri" means shine or luster.
Therefore when we say teriyaki sauce we are referring to a sauce used with grilled food to give it a shiny finish.
Many uses for this Sauce
The most common and known ways to use teriyaki sauce is with teriyaki chicken and teriyaki salmon. Both these dishes showcase a beautifully cooked piece of protein coated in a shiny sauce. But there are many other uses for this delicious sauce.
- Teriyaki Chicken: You can glaze grilled or BBQ chicken with the sauce, or pan fry chicken breast and add a few tablespoons of the prepared sauce to finish the dish off. Use is in my Teriyaki Chicken Burger recipe.
- Salmon: Grill, BBQ, or even air fry salmon portions and glaze with the sauce during the cooking process.
- Noodles: Use it as a sauce for wok fried teriyaki noodles.
- Stir Fry: It is perfect as a sauce for your favourite vegetable or vegetable/meat combo.
- Fried Rice: I often use it in place of more traidtional sauce combo used in fried rice. Just a couple of tablespoons added at the end of cooking and stirred through.
- Yakitori: Those delicious grilled chicken skewers you find on all Western Japanese restaurnt menus, yakitori restaurants like Tanuki's, or an izakaya in Japan like Matsu Sou. Easily made at home by simply grilling the skewers on the BBQ and then dunking them in teriyaki sauce before serving.
- Teriyaki Chicken Wings: Instead of using a marinade as I do in my original recipe, simply toss oven baked chicken wings through the sauce during the final 10 minutes of cooking for finger licking deliciousness.
Recipe Instructions
Scroll to the bottom of the page for a printable version of this recipe.
Place the mirin, sake, soy sauce, and caster sugar in a large pot. Place pot over medium heat. Stir with a spoon until the sugar has dissolved.
Once the sugar has dissolved bring the sauce to a gentle simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
After 30 minutes the sauce quantity will have reduced, remove the pot from the heat.
Place cornflour/cornstarch in a small bowl. Add a tablespoon or two of the sauce. Mix well until there aren't any lumps.
Pour the cornflour/cornstarch slurry into the pot of sauce. Stir the mixture in well to the sauce until completely combined. Place pot back on the heat.
Continue to cook the sauce, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens and is glossy.
Once the sauce thickens strain sauce into a sterilised glass jar or bottle
Store sauce in a sterilised glass jar in the fridge until needed. The teriyaki sauce will last at least 3 months in the fridge.
Teriyaki Sauce FAQs
Teriyaki sauce is made from the holy trinity of Japanese ingredients, sake, mirin, and soy sauce with the addition of sugar. I thicken my recipe with cornstarch or potato starch which also gives the sauce a luscious glossy finish.
Teriyaki sauce has a wonderful sweet and savoury flavour combination with a nice kick of umami. It is thick and sticky with a luscious feel on the palate.
Teriyaki sauce makes an easy and delicious dip for a variety of foods. Though not a traditional use for the sauce it is perfect for dipping chicken nuggets, Japanese spring rolls, crudités, fries, dumplings, or even meatballs.
Teriyaki sauce contains mirin, which is sweet cooking sake. It also contains cooking sake. Both these ingredients contain a small amount of alcohol. Soy sauce is also a key ingredient in teriyaki sauce, this too contains a trace amount of alcohol due to the fermenting process when being made.
All the ingredients are simmered for a duration of 30 minutes when making teriyaki sauce. The cooking would remove all trace amounts of alcohol from the sauce.
Yes, you can freeze teriyaki sauce in a freezer safe container. Though freezing teriyaki sauce is quite pointless as this recipe will keep in the fridge for at least 3 months.
Best Teriyaki Sauce
Ingredients
- 375 mls (1½ cups) mirin
- 250 mls (1 cup) sake | cooking sake
- 375 mls (1½ cups) soy sauce | Japanese soy sauce
- 55 grams (½ cup) caster/superfine sugar
- 3 teaspoons cornflour/cornstarch | or kuzu, or arrowroot
Instructions
- Place mirin, sake, soy sauce, and caster sugar in a large pot.
- Place pot over medium heat. Stir with a spoon until the sugar has dissolved.
- Once the sugar has dissolved bring the sauce to a gentle simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- After 30 minutes the sauce quantity will have reduced, remove the pot from the heat.
- Place cornflour/cornstarch in a small bowl. Add a tablespoon or two of the sauce. Mix well until there aren't any lumps.
- Pour the cornflour/cornstarch slurry into the pot of sauce. Stir the mixture in well to the sauce until completely combined. Place pot back on the heat.
- Continue to cook the sauce, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens and is glossy.
- Once the sauce thickens strain into a sterilised jar or bottle.
- Store sauce in a sterilised glass jar in the fridge until needed. The teriyaki sauce will last at least 3 months in the fridge.
- This recipe makes 2 cups of sauce.
Notes
- Teriyaki Chicken: You can glaze grilled or BBQ chicken with the sauce, or pan fry chicken breast and add a few tablespoons of the prepared sauce to finish the dish off. Use is in my Teriyaki Chicken Burger recipe.
- Salmon: Grill, BBQ, or even air fry salmon portions and glaze with the sauce during the cooking process.
- Noodles: Use it as a sauce for wok fried teriyaki noodles.
- Stir Fry: It is perfect as a sauce for your favourite vegetable or vegetable/meat combo.
- Fried Rice: I often use it in place of more traidtional sauce combo used in fried rice. Just a couple of tablespoons added at the end of cooking and stirred through.
- Yakitori: Those delicious grilled chicken skewers you find on all Japanese restaurnt menus. Easily made at home by simply grilling the skewers on the BBQ and then dunking them in teriyaki sauce before serving.
- Teriyaki Chicken Wings: Instead of using a marinade as I do in my original recipe, simply toss oven baked chicken wings through the sauce during the final 10 minutes of cooking for finger licking deliciousness.
- 1 teaspoon equals 5ml
- 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml (Nth America, NZ & UK use 15ml tablespoons)
- 1 cup equals 250ml (Nth America use 237ml)
- 4 teaspoons equal 1 tablespoon
- I use the below unless specified in my recipes.
Mick
You forgot garlic and ginger.
Sara McCleary
Hi Mick
No, I didn't forget the ginger or garlic. This recipe is for an authentic traditional teriyaki sauce, not a pimped up Westernised version. One of the pleasures of Japanese cuisine is restraint, and often simplicity. Of course, if you want to add ginger, garlic, or whatever else because you enjoy it, please do so. Life's too short to not enjoy food the way you like it 😉
Cheers, Sara.
Sue R
Nice recipe, handy too. I added a little sesame oil to mine but it was great as is.
Sara McCleary
Hi Sue
It really is a great staple to have on hand. I hear you regarding the addition of sesame oil. I love that flavour combination too. I often add some sesame oil into the dish I am using the teriyaki sauce in.
Cheers, Sara.