Learn how to make delicious and easy homemade Teriyaki Sauce the authentic Japanese way. You only need four ingredients! Sweet, savory, and versatile, it will be your go-to sauce for chicken, salmon, tofu, pork, and even meatballs.
Savory and versatile, Teriyaki Sauce (照り焼きのたれ) is now the mainstay seasoning outside of Japan. Many of you have asked me if you could make your own homemade teriyaki sauce without having to get the store-bought stuff. I am happy that you asked because most Japanese home cooks actually make our own sauce at home.
The best part about homemade teriyaki sauce? It takes only 4 simple ingredients, and you’ll get the most delicious sauce that goes well with everything! It’s so easy that you want to keep it on hand at all times.
Table of Contents
What Exactly is Teriyaki?
First of all, if you aren’t aware, teriyaki (照り焼き) in Japanese actually describes a cooking method. “Teri” (照り) means luster and “yaki” (焼き) means grilled, broiled or pan-fried. It’s not the sauce we refer to, but rather how the food is prepared. So teriyaki essentially refers to any grilled/broiled/pan-fried food with shining glaze.
When the food is prepared in “teriyaki” style, we season the food with soy sauce, sake, and mirin (and sometimes sugar). Since the meaning of ‘teriyaki’ has been deviated by simply referring to a Japanese sauce outside of Japan, I’d just refer to it as a sauce in this post.
As mentioned briefly, we actually don’t use bottled teriyaki sauces in Japan as we make our own sauce. Sometimes I get asked which brand of teriyaki is the best and I can only say the best teriyaki sauce is homemade and it’s as easy as 1-2-3 steps shown in this recipe.
How to Make Authentic Teriyaki Sauce – The Japanese Method
Ingredients You’ll Need
To make the teriyaki sauce, you’ll need only 4 most basic ingredients from the Japanese pantry:
- Soy sauce – Please use only Japanese soy sauce as it has a different flavor profile from Chinese, Thai, or Korean soy sauce. You could use low-sodium, tamari, or gluten-free versions.
- Sake – This is Japanese rice wine. It imparts a hint of fruitiness and complexity to the sauce. You can find sake at Asian grocery stores with an alcohol license, or at any major liquor stores. I recommend Gekkeikan, Sho Chiku Bai, or Ozeki.
- Mirin – This is Japanese sweet rice wine. It adds a delicate sweetness and fragrance and gives the sauce a nice luster.
- Sugar – Sugar adds sweetness and balances the savory taste of the teriyaki sauce. It is also crucial to give the sauce its sticky texture. We don’t use honey or maple syrup because they have a strong flavor. But, if that’s your preference, go ahead but take care as it burns easily.
Both sake & mirin are important ingredients for teriyaki-style cooking. If you can’t consume alcohol, please read the substitution options in my sake and mirin pantry pages. I also included specific substitutions in the recipe card below.
The basic formula is to use equal parts of the first three ingredients, then adjust the amount of sugar to your liking. The easiest way? Have this formula memorized:
Ratio For Homemade Teriyaki Sauce
2 Tbsp soy sauce:2 Tbsp sake:2 Tbsp mirin:1 Tbsp sugar
Overview: 3 Easy Cooking Steps to Make The Best Teriyaki Sauce
- Heat: In a medium-sized saucepan, combine sake and mirin, and add the soy sauce and sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat and continuously stir the sauce until the sugar is dissolved.
- Thicken: Once boiling, lower the heat to medium-low. Simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the sauce is thickened.
- Enjoy: Remove from heat and cool. The sauce will continue to thicken as it cools.
Notes on Non-Japanese Style Teriyaki Recipes
I’ve seen many non-Japanese recipes include ingredients such as rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, sesame oil, or fresh garlic in the teriyaki sauce. Some also use ground ginger or garlic powder. I would not recommend them if you wish to follow the authentic Japanese cooking method.
The addition of these ingredients produces a slightly different flavor and potentially overpowers a dish. Japanese cuisine is all about delicate taste.
That said, you have the freedom to do what you like and adapt a recipe to your liking. Depending on the protein or vegetable, I sometimes add grated ginger, minced garlic, and butter in my teriyaki sauce for extra flavors.
How to Thicken Teriyaki Sauce
Americanized teriyaki sauce is very thick and syrupy compared to the teriyaki sauce in Japan. Japanese teriyaki sauce is reduced in the pan until it reaches a thicker consistency. We do not use cornstarch slurry or honey, like other non-Japanese versions.
Of course, there is no strict rule on the recipe, you can still make a thick sauce by adding a mixture of 2 Tbsp water and 1 Tbsp cornstarch or potato starch if that’s your preference.
Adjust the ratio of ingredients each time you make a teriyaki recipe. Homemade teriyaki sauce is healthier than store-bought ones since it does not contain any additives.
How to Store Your Homemade Teriyaki Sauce
You can use the homemade sauce immediately as needed or store it in an airtight, sterilized jar like mason jar in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 weeks.
Teriyaki sauce is great to make ahead so you can always reach for the sauce when you need to cook up something quick for a weeknight meal.
How to Use This Homemade Teriyaki Sauce
The wonderful thing about teriyaki sauce is its versatility. Here are some of my favorite ways to use this sauce:
- As a marinade for meat or seafood
- As a glaze over your grilled or pan-fried dishes
- In stir-fries
Once you start to experiment with your own teriyaki sauce, you will have fun dishing out different delicious recipes with this all-purpose seasoning.
Delicious Recipes with Homemade Teriyaki Sauce
- Chicken Teriyaki
- Pan-Fried Teriyaki Tofu Bowl
- Teriyaki Burger
- Teriyaki Salmon
- Beef Teriyaki
- Teriyaki Chicken Meatballs
- Teriyaki Chicken Quesadilla
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Teriyaki Sauce
Video
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients. See Notes for half-portion ingredients and substitutions for sake and mirin.
- In a saucepan, add ½ cup sake and ½ cup mirin.
- Add ½ cup soy sauce and ¼ cup sugar.
- Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat and continuously stir the sauce until the sugar is dissolved. Once boiling, lower the heat to medium low. Simmer for 10–15 minutes or until the sauce is thickened.
- As you mix the sauce or tilt the saucepan, small bubbles will start to rise and appear on the surface. When this happens, the sauce is ready to use. Pour the sauce into a sterilized jar and leave uncovered to cool. The sauce will thicken as it cools.
To Store
- Once cooled, close the lid and store in the refrigerator for up to 2–3 weeks.
To Use the Teriyaki Sauce
- Teriyaki Salmon: Season salmon fillets with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Lightly coat the salmon with all-purpose flour. Heat a frying pan over medium heat, then add cooking oil or butter. Add the salmon to the pan and cook it on one side for 3 minutes. Once nicely browned, flip the salmon. Add 1 Tbsp sake and cover to cook for another 3 minutes. Remove the lid and spoon the Teriyaki Sauce over the salmon to coat well.
- Teriyaki Chicken: Season boneless, skin-on chicken thighs (or chicken breast, if you prefer) with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Lightly coat the chicken with all-purpose flour. Heat a frying pan over medium heat, then add cooking oil or butter. Add the chicken to the pan, skin side down, and cook until browned. Flip the chicken and cover the pan until the chicken is cooked through. Wipe off the oil from the frying pan with a paper towel. Spoon the Teriyaki Sauce over the chicken to coat well.
- Teriyaki Tofu: Drain well a block of firm tofu (pressing it or microwaving it for 1 minute). Cut the tofu into steaks (slabs) and lightly coat them with all-purpose flour. Heat a frying pan over medium heat, then add cooking oil. Add the tofu steaks and cook on both sides until golden brown. Spoon the Teriyaki Sauce over the tofu steaks to coat well.
- You can also pour additional Teriyaki Sauce onto the finished dish.
Notes
- with alcohol: ½ cup dry sherry or Chinese rice wine
- without alcohol: ½ cup water
- with sake: ¼ cup sake + ¼ cup water + 3 Tbsp sugar
- without sake: ½ cup water + 3 Tbsp sugar
Nutrition
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on Jun 12, 2013. It’s been updated with a new video and images in January 2018 and with updated content in August 2022.
How long will meat keep in teriyaki sauce? I made teriyaki beef for oshogatsu and barbequed most of it but still have some meat marinating. Are shoyu and sake preservatives or should I dump the batch?
Thanks
Hi Neal! Personally, I do not marinate the meat (or any ingredient) more than 1 day as it gets too salty. It’s been several days since Oshogatsu… I found good article on this topic here:
http://startcooking.com/marinating-101-an-introduction-to-marinating-beef-chicken-and-fish
Hope that helps! 🙂
Hi,
What kind of soy sauce should I use? I use chinese soy sauce so not sure whether i should use the dark soy sauce (mainly used for color) or the light soy sauce (salty)? Going to make it tonight!
Thanks for your advice?
Hi S Lai! I hope you haven’t started cooking yet. Japanese use Japanese soy sauce (https://www.justonecookbook.com/pantry/soy-sauce/). It’s different from dark soy sauce. I have never used light soy sauce… are they similar to one you dip gyoza etc? Basically you need that kind of soy sauce. Someone told me Chinese soy sauce is different from Japanese soy sauce, so I’d recommend you to use Japanese soy sauce if you make teriyaki sauce. 🙂
ok thanks Nami. Will have to go shoppong!
Hi. As per your article, there seems to be 3 kinds of Japanese sauce: dark, light and sweet. Which one is it used for this recipe?
Hi Sylvia! Unless mentioned, I (or regular Japanese recipes) use regular soy sauce (we do not say “dark” soy sauce like Chinese soy sauce).
Oh. I got confused between the 2 types of Japanese soy sauce in the soy article: Usukuchi (light) and Koikuchi (dark). So wasnt sure by ‘soy sauce’ in this teriyaki sauce if the normal Kikkoman is separated into either Usukuchi/Koikuchi types. :/
Hi Sylvia! Unlike Chinese dark soy sauce and light soy sauce that texture and flavor are different, Japanese have regular soy sauce. Different regions use different soy sauce like Usukuchi soy sauce or Amakuchi soy sauce, but regular soy sauce is considered just one – Koikuchi Soy Sauce, or just soy sauce. Kikkoman is a company and they sell regular soy sauce, Usukuchi soy sauce, and Amakuchi soy sauce etc. Most house has just regular Koikuchi soy sauce and in Japanese recipes, that’s the standard soy sauce. Some people in different regions may know how to swap it with their own Amakuchi soy sauce etc. But it’s just regional flavor. 🙂 Hope it’s clear…
Hi, if I wanted to just use sake, without Myrin what I would do?
I like my Terayaki sauce with brown sugar and honey. Thanks
Hi Ken! You can add sugar to Sake as a substitute for Mirin. The ratio of sake and sugar is 3 to 1.
For more detail about Mirin, please check this post! https://www.justonecookbook.com/mirin/
Thank you for trying Nami’s recipe!
Hi! Thanks! and to Majorca sauce what is a good amount? Also, is the mirin necessary? I would use it but I do not have it on hand.
Hi Ken! We are not sure what is meant by Majorca sauce… 🤔 Sorry.
Mirin tenderizes and adds a mild sweetness to the dishes. With a deeper body and umami, it also helps to mask the smell of fish and seafood, and it helps the flavors “sink in” to the dish better. So we recommend using it.
I’m so happy I found your recipe for teriyaki Sauce me and my family loved it its so much better than store brought thank you
Hi Jasmine! So happy to hear you and your family liked this teriyaki sauce recipe! Thank you for your kind feedback! 🙂
Can I add a little Cayenne to the sauce to add a little kick to it and if yes what is the amount u recommend? Thanks in advance
Hi Layl! Yes you can. It’s up to your preference on how spicy you like. I personally can’t take too much spice, so I’d just put a little, but you may enjoy adding more. 🙂
I used an AGED balsamic vinegar as a mirin substitute. It is a sweet yet slightly tart vinegar and the flavor came out well for what I was making
Hi Colin! Hmm sounds wonderful! If love to try that some day!
Thank you so much for sharing. I lost my other recipe and found this one which was closest to the one I had. I made it with 2 1/2 tbsp sugar (didn’t have mirin) and just a pinch of cinnamon and it was perfect. Thanks again for sharing this wonderful recipe.
Hi Eddie! A pinch of cinnamon! I never tried that and definitely will check it out next time. Thank you for trying my recipe and I’m glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for the feedback! 🙂
Thank you for the reply. I tasted it before the meal was complete and it was “missing” something, a friend recommended ginger but I was out of that also. So, I went online and cinnamon was on the list as a substitute.
I see! Thank you for sharing!! 🙂
Hi Nami!!
you can’t imagine how excited I m to find your recipe. its hard to find a non alcohol teriyaki sauce. I just want to make sure about the sugar that used as a substitute of mirin. so in total since i will not use miring, the sugar that i will use is 5 tablespoon?or the 2 tablespoon sugar is a brown sugar? I will cook the chicken tomorrow if God will. thank you in advance 🙂
If you avoid mirin, you need to use 5 Tbsp sugar (total). Adjust the amount of each condiment/ingredient according to what you are going to use teriyaki sauce for. Hope this helps! 🙂
Hi Nami…thank you for the respond..it took awhile for me to back to you..had been busy with a lot of papers and works! I did tried the recipe and did as you said and it becomes hit in my family..my husband request this every weekend lol. he loves the sauce and we all love the sauce!thank you so much for the recipe. i even share this with my in laws! 😀
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you so much for your feedback and sharing with your in laws!! 😀
No worries..keep sharing your wonderful recipes!:D *cheers*
Hi, Dear Nami,
I love your recipes. It is much more enjoyable if there are more spicy and (chili) hot recipes. Thank you.
Piccolo
Hi Piccolo! Well, Japanese cuisine doesn’t really have spicy food, as spice wasn’t available for a long time. Most of traditional foods are not spicy at all, and I think only recently we started to include spices in our cooking. Yet, it’s very rare to see “spicy” food even at Japanese restaurants. 🙂
I too have been on a quest for the perfect teriyaki sauce! I love making sauces and anything humanly possible from scratch to avoid preservatives and unecessary ingredients, so I wanted the most authentic way to make it and I think I found it
Thank you!!!
Hi Chrissy! Thank you so much for trying this recipe, and I’m so glad you liked it. I agree, homemade sauces are delicious and it’s good for us. Thanks for your feedback! 🙂
Is not the teriyaki sauce ingredients relatively similar to mentsuyu soup base except with the addition of sugar and the reduction of the teriyaki sauce (I understand that your mentsuyu also contains katsuobushi.) In a future post could you also expand on the myriad of ways the mentsuyu base could be used other than the a cold noodle dipping sauce. Thank you.
Hi Constantine! Mentsuyu always have dashi in it, and it’s considered more like soup or dipping sauce rather than “sauce” over something. However, there are a lot of recipes that uses Mentsuyu instead of soy sauce just to change flavors (as it goes well).
For example, I like to use Mentsuyu for yaki udon (while a lot of people use soy sauce) and Japanese mushroom pasta. It’s fun to experiment with mentsuyu. Hope this helps. 🙂
Hi Nami,
Thank you for the recipe. I just want to have your opinion, how much of the prepared sauce will be needed for each dish you mentioned (salmon/chicken/beef) ?
Hi Novi! Hmmm depends on how much protein you use, but for 1 serving of the protein, probably about 2 Tbsp. Some people may prefer lots of sauce, but I don’t. 🙂
can i put instead of mirin one of my own favorites sake into the sauce?
Hi Michael! Sure, mirin is basically sake + sugar so you need to add more sugar. 🙂
thanks a lot now i know what to make
Hi! In the post you mention for a authentic teriyaki sauce to equal parts of soy sauce, sake, and mirin, but does it still contain the corn starch? Just want to make sure I get it right and would love to try it the way it is meant to taste. Thanks!!
Hi Cristina! Thank you for your question. Adding corn starch is really optional. If you like the sauce to be thicker, then you can add. A lot of Japanese “teriyaki” dishes doesn’t include it, but we reduce the sauce so it’s a little bit thicker (not like corn starch thickness) because mirin and sugar will caramelize and will be naturally thick. To summarize, I basically add corn starch depending on the recipes. Hope I answered to your question. 🙂
Thanks! That helps, I will give it a try.
Hi Nami!
Thank you for your recipes! We’ve made your sukiyaki and it was so good 😀
Can I make a batch of the teriyaki sauce and keep it in the fridge for future use? I was thinking of putting it in a bottle 🙂 And If I can, how long can I keep it in the fridge?
Thank you!
Hi Lorn! So glad to hear you enjoyed Suykiyaki. 🙂 Yes, probably 1-2 weeks would be okay in the fridge. I usually don’t make it in advance since it’s quick to make. 🙂
Hi Nami, I tried this and it is wayyyy better than any store bought teriyaki sauce. I marinated extra firm tofu in the sauce, grilled it to get a crust, then brushed on more sauce and served it over rice 🙂 My vegetarian brother in law loved it! Thank you!!!
Hi Vivi! Yay, so happy to hear your brother-in-law enjoyed it! I really like the flexibility in home cooking as we can change things up depending on the ingredients or how you feel like on that day. 🙂 Sometimes I make it sweeter and sometimes less sweet…or thicker or less thick. Versatile when it’s homemade. 🙂 Thank you so much for trying this recipe! xo
Hi, I feel like I’m on a quest to create a Teriyaki sauce. So this post is really enlighten me. 🙂
For the recipe, it’s written mirin could be substituted with sugar so since I can’t use either mirin or sake, the recipe will have 5 tbsp sugar?
Hi Junny! Yes, but if you prefer less sweet, add sugar one Tbsp. at a time to get your favorite sweetness. 🙂 Mirin creates nice luster and texture to the sauce, but sugar and soy sauce can create similar flavor. Depending on the usage of your sauce, adjust the thickness with water/cornstarch. Hope that helps! 🙂
Thanks for the response Nami, now I know what I am going to cook today. 😉
Hi Nami, can pregnant women eat the original recipe that uses sake/cooking wine? I want an authentic teriyaki flavour, but also want to be safe. Do I have to substitute the sake/cooking wine with water? Thank you!!
Hi Jenny! Yes, the Japanese pregnant women use sake and mirin in daily cooking. What you need to watch out is the sake/mirin usage in NON-COOKING recipes…. which is rare, but examples are sauces and dressings that don’t get cooked at all before consumption.
You can use sake and mirin as long as it’s cooked for 1-2 minutes until alcohol is fully evaporated (just wave over the cooking liquid to see if you smell alcohol). We use this evaporating sake/mirin technique when we don’t want that alcohol smell in our cooking but need to rely on the taste and luster effect (in case of mirin).
Hope this helps!
Thank you for your thorough explanation, Nami! I tried it and it is delicious! Thank you for sharing this recipe! =)
Hi Jenny! My pleasure. 🙂 Congratulations and have a happy pregnancy! 🙂