How to Make Teriyaki Sauce

Co-authored by Amber Crain

Last Updated: May 4, 2021 Tested

If you love the sweet, tangy teriyaki sauce served in Japanese restaurants, you can make your own delicious teriyaki sauce at home. Teriyaki sauce isn't difficult to make, and is versatile enough to use as a marinade, stir-fry sauce, or dipping sauce. You can make your sauce on the stove-top, or try an even easier no-heat recipe. The 2 sauces have a fairly similar flavor, but the stove-top version is more traditional and allows you to better control the sauce's consistency. Adjust the seasonings to suit your taste!

Ingredients

Stove-Top Teriyaki Sauce

4 cups (950 ml) of soy sauce
1 cup (240 ml) of water
1⁄2 tsp (2 g) of ground ginger
1⁄4 tsp (1 g) of garlic powder
5 tbsp (75 g) of packed brown sugar
1 to 2 US tbsp (15 to 30 ml) of honey
2 tbsp (28.3 g) of cornstarch
¹⁄₄ c (59 ml) of cold water

Yields 1.5 cups (350 ml) of sauce

No-Heat Teriyaki Sauce

¹⁄₂ cup (120 ml) of soy sauce
2 teaspoons (9.9 ml) of dark sesame oil
Juice of 2 oranges
2 tablespoons (30 ml) of honey
2 tbsp (28.3 g) of ginger, peeled and minced
1/2 cup (118 g) of scallion, chopped
2 tsp (8 g) of garlic, minced
2 tsp (8 g) of sesame seeds, toasted

Yields 1 cup (240 ml) of sauce

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:
Cooking Stove-Top Teriyaki Sauce

1
Mix the soy sauce, water, spices, sugar, and honey in a saucepan. Measure out and add 4 cups (950 ml) of soy sauce, 1 cup (240 ml) of water, 1⁄2 tsp (2 g) of ground ginger, 1⁄4 tsp (1 g) of garlic powder, 5 tbsp (75 g) of packed brown sugar, and 1 to 2 tablespoons (15 to 30 ml) of honey to a saucepan.^{[1]
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- Stir the ingredients thoroughly until they’re well-combined.
- You can add more or less honey depending on your sweetness preference.
2
Turn the stove burner on medium heat. Place the saucepan on your stove-top and slowly start heating up the ingredients over medium heat. Stir the mixture occasionally as it heats up.^{[2]
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3
Mix the cornstarch and cold water together in a small bowl. Add 2 tbsp (28.3 g) of cornstarch and ¹⁄₄ cup (59 ml) of cold water to a bowl, then mix the 2 ingredients together until the cornstarch dissolves completely.^{[3]
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4
Add the cornstarch mixture to the saucepan. Make sure the saucepan mixture is heated through, then whisk or stir the cornstarch mixture into it. Keep whisking until they’re thoroughly combined.^{[4]
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5
Heat the teriyaki sauce until it reaches your desired thickness. Continue stirring occasionally as the sauce heats and thickens, which will take around 10 minutes. Once the sauce has reached your desired consistency, remove the saucepan from the heat.
- The longer you heat it, the thicker it will get.
6
Cool the teriyaki sauce to room temperature before serving. If you’re not planning to use it immediately, transfer the sauce to an air-tight container and refrigerate it for up to 1 week.^{[5]
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- Bring the sauce to room temperature before using it.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:
Mixing No-Heat Teriyaki Sauce

1
Mince the ginger and garlic. Peel the ginger and remove the garlic’s outer skin. Use a sharp knife to mince the ginger until you have about 2 tbsp (28.3 g). Mince the garlic until you have about 2 tsp (8 g).^{[6]
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2
Chop the scallions. Rinse your scallions under fresh water to remove any dirt and debris. Then, use a sharp knife to chop the scallions roughly until you have about 1/2 cup (118 g).^{[7]
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3
Mix all of the ingredients in a large bowl. Combine the ginger, scallions, and garlic in a large bowl. Then, add ¹⁄₂ cup (120 ml) of soy sauce, 2 tsp (9.9 ml) of dark sesame oil, 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of honey, 2 tsp (8 g) of toasted sesame seeds, and the juice of 2 oranges to the bowl.^{[8]
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- Stir the ingredients thoroughly to combine them.
4
Cover the bowl and refrigerate the sauce for at least 1 hour. Snap on an air-tight lid or stretch a piece of plastic wrap over the top of the bowl, then place the sauce in your fridge. The flavors will meld after about an hour.^{[9]
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- Keep the sauce refrigerated until you’re ready to serve it.
5
Bring the sauce to room temperature before using it. If you’re not planning to use your sauce immediately, you can cover and refrigerate the teriyaki sauce for up to 1 week.^{[10]
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- When you’re ready to serve it, allow it to come to room temperature first rather than serving it cold.