This easy teriyaki sauce recipe makes for a tasty sweet and savory flavor booster! It’s a combination of soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, rice wine, garlic, ginger, and sesame oil thickened with cornstarch.

A classic Japanese-style teriyaki sauce can be swiftly made right at home in just five minutes. Balancing just the right ratio of savory, sweet and pungent ingredients elevates the umami flavors. Cornstarch helps to create a luxurious glaze that thickens in just seconds when heated.

This quick and easy sauce clings nicely to slices of meat, tofu, steamed vegetables, and tiny rice granules. This condiment is versatile to add flavor as a stir fry sauce when making wok-fired dishes or as a dipping sauce.

The main ingredients

Teriyaki sauce is composed of soy sauce, water, rice wine, rice vinegar, and a sweetener like honey, maple syrup or brown sugar as the base ingredients. These provide a balance of savory, sweet, and tangy notes.

To add more depth and appetizing aromatics, I use freshly minced garlic, minced ginger, and sesame oil. You can substitute ¼ teaspoon garlic powder and ⅛ teaspoon ground ginger for fresh as a convenient swap. Dried seasonings are more intense in flavor so less is needed.

How to make teriyaki sauce

Whisk together water, soy sauce, honey, vinegar, wine, garlic, ginger, and sesame oil.
In a small bowl whisk together cornstarch and water.
Simmer in a saucepan over medium-high heat.
Whisk in cornstarch slurry and cook until it thickens.

Thicken the sauce

Using a thickening agent like cornstarch is essential to create a shiny glaze that sticks to the food. It’s best to disperse the starch in water first before heating up the sauce. Adding the cool cornstarch slurry to the hot liquid prevents the sauce from clumping.

Make sure to constantly whisk the sauce as the slurry is added so the starch granules stay separate, swell, and effectively thicken.

Perfect for stir-fry cooking

This teriyaki sauce recipe works well when making a stir-fry in a large wok or pan. Move the protein or vegetables away from the center, creating a well-shape then add the sauce mixture towards the end of the cooking process.

Let it bubble and simmer over medium-high heat for 1 minute, then add in the cornstarch slurry, continuously stirring until the sauce thickens up. Toss the ingredients with the sauce and serve immediately.

How long will it last?

It’s best to use the teriyaki sauce the same day for the best consistency. Cornstarch loses its thickening power when it’s reheated and thin out. The sauce base can be mixed together and stored in an airtight container or jar up to 3 days in advance. Then add the slurry when heating the sauce so that it stays nice and thick.

Ways to use teriyaki sauce

Drizzle over baked tofu
Serve with steamed broccoli or asparagus
Pour over cauliflower rice or broccoli rice

Substituting the cornstarch

Arrowroot powder is a comparable substitute for cornstarch, keeping the sauce translucent. Use 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon arrowroot powder dissolved in 4 tablespoons water. Although flour is an effective thickener, it will turn the sauce opaque and murky in appearance, which is great for gravy but not teriyaki sauce.

Nutrition Facts

Homemade Teriyaki Sauce

Amount Per Serving

Calories 24 Calories from Fat 9

% Daily Value*

Fat 1g2%

Saturated Fat 1g5%

Sodium 207mg9%

Potassium 11mg0%

Carbohydrates 6g2%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 5g6%

Protein 1g2%

Vitamin C 1mg1%

Calcium 1mg0%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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