Teriyaki Sauce

Teriyaki Sauce is one of the most popular marinades and glazes used in the United States. It is versatile and super tasty.

Teriyaki Sauce can be made into an easy teriyaki marinade or glaze. Perfect for teriyaki chicken, easy stir fry recipe or even making homemade beef jerky. #teriyakisauce #chickenteriyaki www.savoryexperiments.com


 

Teriyaki Sauce can be made into an easy teriyaki marinade or glaze. Perfect for teriyaki chicken, an easy stir fry recipe or even making homemade beef jerky.

Despite homemade teriyaki sauce being an easy recipe, most folks end up buying it in a bottle. I am here to tell you that like most recipes, making homemade teriyaki sauce is way better than store bought!

Did you know that like yakitori, teriyaki is seen as a style of Japanese cooking, not necessarily a sauce. In the states, we view it as the name of the recipe.

Teriyaki Sauce can be made into an easy teriyaki marinade or glaze. Perfect for teriyaki chicken, easy stir fry recipe or even making homemade beef jerky. #teriyakisauce #chickenteriyaki www.savoryexperiments.com

Authentic teriyaki sauce has a base of just three ingredients: mirin, soy sauce and sugar, with other flavors sometimes being added. As I learned on my recent trip to Japan, Japanese teriyaki sauce is much thinner and watery than those served in the states.

Mirin

What is mirin?

Mirin is a sweet rice wine. It has a much lower alcohol level than other rice wines, like sake. Like most cooking wines, the alcohol will completely burn off during the cooking process.

Teriyaki Sauce can be made into an easy teriyaki marinade or glaze. Perfect for teriyaki chicken, easy stir fry recipe or even making homemade beef jerky. #teriyakisauce #chickenteriyaki www.savoryexperiments.com

Mirin is a staple in Japanese cuisine. Substitutions for mirin include rice vinegar white wine, vermouth or sherry with sugar. Use 1 tablespoon of sugar for every 1/2 cup of liquid. The key is having something both sweet and acidic.

There is very little difference between a Teriyaki Marinade versus and Teriyaki Sauce or Glaze. A marinade is thinner, allowing it to better penetrate the meat.

Use a marinade for anything from chicken, beef, vegetables or duck. I even use it for marinating beef for homemade beef jerky. I use it in my hibachi at home!

Teriyaki Shrimp Stir Fry in a black bowl

A Teriyaki Sauce or Glaze is thicker and shiny. Teriyaki Sauce is best for finishing a meal, basting or dipping. It won’t penetrate well due to the consistency, but sticks to things.

The only difference is adding cornstarch or arrowroot to the basic teriyaki marinade recipe. This is typically the sauce you will use for a stir fry or baked teriyaki chicken.

What is arrowroot? Arrowroot is a great alternative to cornstarch. It is white, powdery and water soluble. It has no flavor and twice the thickening power to straight up flour.

It is also gluten free and made from tropical tubers, such as the arrowroot plant and cassava. It also mixes clear, as opposed to the milky color of cornstarch, and dilutes in acidic sauces. On the flip side, arrowroot is also more expensive.

Teriyaki Sauce can be made into an easy teriyaki marinade or glaze. Perfect for teriyaki chicken, easy stir fry recipe or even making homemade beef jerky. #teriyakisauce #chickenteriyaki www.savoryexperiments.com

Tools for making Teriyaki Sauce:

Micrograter– A small kitchen utensil you find you use a lot more than you expected!

Mini Food Processor– I use this thing daily! It is by far my most used kitchen appliance, it is small and I throw all the parts into the dishwasher, well except the base and cord, of course!

Immersion Blender/Stick Blender– I used to transfer anything I needed to blend to my blender and then back to the cooking pot. Silly me. An immersion blend, sometimes seen as a stick blender, is a cheap, small and easy to use and clean kitchen appliance. Perfect for sauces, especially those using a cornstarch or arrowroot at the end, soups and smoothies.

More easy Asian recipes!

Teriyaki Sauce can be made into an easy teriyaki marinade or glaze. Perfect for teriyaki chicken, easy stir fry recipe or even making homemade beef jerky. #teriyakisauce #chickenteriyaki www.savoryexperiments.com
Teriyaki Sauce can be made into an easy teriyaki marinade or glaze. Perfect for teriyaki chicken, easy stir fry recipe or even making homemade beef jerky. #teriyakisauce #chickenteriyaki www.savoryexperiments.com

Teriyaki Sauce

4.50 from 20 votes
Teriyaki Sauce can be made into an easy teriyaki marinade or glaze. Perfect for teriyaki chicken, an easy stir fry recipe or even making homemade beef jerky.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 2 cups

Ingredients

Teriyaki Marinade

Teriyaki Glaze

Instructions

  • Combine all ingredients for teriyaki marinade in a small sauce pan. Bring to a low boil, then a simmer for 10-15 minutes. Mixture will be thin. Use this for marinating. 
  • Using an immersion blender or small food processor, blend well.
  • To make marinade into a sauce, whisk together cornstarch and water until fully combined. Mix with teriyaki marinade until it becomes glossy. Remove from heat, mixture will thicken as it cools.
  • If you’ve tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was! 

Video

Notes

*You can chop, mince or grate garlic and ginger. The size has a lot to do with preference. I like my teriyaki sauce to be smooth which requires an immersion blender or food processor. If you are going to blend yours, don’t pay as much attention to the size of your chopping. If you don’t plan to blend, I highly recommend using a micro grater.

Nutrition

Calories: 401 kcal, Carbohydrates: 88 g, Protein: 12 g, Fat: 2 g, Sodium: 7095 mg, Potassium: 323 mg, Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 56 g, Vitamin C: 1.1 mg, Calcium: 60 mg, Iron: 3 mg
Author: Jessica Formicola
Calories: 401
Course: Condiment
Cuisine: Japanese
Keyword: teriyaki sauce
Did you make this recipe?I’d love to see your recipes – snap a picture and mention @savoryexperiments or tag #savoryexperiments!
Jessica Formicola in her ktichen

About the Author

Jessica Formicola

Jessica the mom, wife and food lover behind Savory Experiments. She is obsessed with butter, salt and bacon and spends all her time in the kitchen and behind a camera. Jessica is a contributor to PopKitchen by Parade, Better Homes & Gardens, The Daily Meal Food + Travel and more!

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Questions and Reviews

  1. 5 stars
    Hi Jessica,
    This is my 3rd time making your recipie and my family loves it. I add a touch of honey for a little more sweetness in the glaze. It is perfect!!! This is my go to recipe!!!❤❤

  2. 5 stars
    My husband loved this recipe. It is so easy to make and it sure delivers! I would suggest to double the recipe to keep ON hand when you are in a pinch for dinner.

    1. 5 stars
      Really good! I made this sauce today and it was amazing. I can’t wait to add it to my ahi tuna. Thanks for sharing!