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.
Hi Naomi, I do not have sake. Can I omit it in the recipe or is there a substitute?
Thanks
Hi Eileen! Thank you very much for trying Nami’s recipe!
You can substitute with dry sherry or Chinese rice wine. Or increase the amount of Mirin and reduce the sugar amount as you like.
We hope this helps!
Hi Nami! I’ve been using your recipes here for years, I love your work and authenticity!
May I ask what the difference is between teriyaki sauce and unagi sauce?
Hi Jess! Thank you very much for reading Nami’s post and trying many of her recipes!
The difference between the two sauces is the balance of the flavor, and some readers prefer Nami’s Unagi sauce as Teriyaki Sauce.
We hope you find the perfect balance of Sake, Mirin, Soy Sauce, and Sugar for your dish! 😊
Nami,
This sauce is just perfect – so incredibly easy and incredibly tasty on just about everything. I prefer it without ginger, just as it is written here. My friend recently made an Americanized version with ginger and it was good, but I like your version better. I admit I don’t have the patience to wait for it to thicken, so I add some cornstarch mixed with water. Also, honestly, the flavor is already so bold, I feared that if I cooked it down to thicken it, the taste might be too strong. Anyhow, it’s absolutely delicious so thank you!
Also, in general, I am really loving your blog! What a wonderful resource for those who want to appreciate and learn about Japanese cuisine (and I love the tidbits of information you share about other aspects of Japanese culture as well). Thank you!
Hi Katalin, Thank you very much for trying Nami’s recipe and for your kind feedback!
We are glad to hear you enjoyed Nami’s flavor of Teriyaki Sauce!
Nami and JOC team are so happy to know that you love our website and enjoyed reading posts. Thank you for taking your time to write to us.☺️
Thank you for sharing! This is the most delicious and easiest recipe for homemade teriyaki sauce. We use it with almost everything.
Hi Nami,
I made this as is with Salmon, then I made it with Chicken and added some Ginger. It was wonderful! What are your thoughts about adding Togarashi for a little kick?
Hi Harrie, Thank you very much for trying Nami’s recipe!
We are so happy to hear you enjoy many dishes with the sauce.
We have never tried adding Togarashi into the sauce before, but it sounds excellent! 😋
The only modification I did, is cutting the sugar in half. It turned out brilliantly! I used an entire 750 ml bottle of sake, in ration to the other ingredients and am keeping it in the fridge. Used some of it for chicken teriyaki dinner, sprinkled in some sesame seeds, garlic and ginger, heated it up a little, it perfectly hit the spot. Will never buy teriyaki sauce again. Thank you!
Hi Dusty1912! Wow! 750 ml bottle of sake! 😊
We are so happy to hear you enjoyed Homemade Teriyaki Sauce! Thank you for trying this recipe and sharing your cooking experience with us.
I made chicken teriyaki using your homemade sauce. It was extremely good. Handy to have in the refrigerator for those nights when you aren’t sure what to cook!
Hi Suzanne, Awesome! Thank you very much for trying this recipe and for your kind feedback!
I had this rather excellent Teriyaki Tofu Don for lunch one day but the only problem I had with the dish was that the sauce a bit too sweet for my liking. I’m very conscious about my sugar intake and I realised that most Japanese restaurants (at least the ones here in Australia) have savoury dishes with a sweet component which are a bit too sweet for my taste. I know salty, umami and sweetness are backbone flavours of Japanese cuisine but I wonder do home cooks omit sugar in foods or use them sparingly compared to what you’ll find in restaurants?
Hi Ruwindu, In Japanese home cook, it depends on the region, we prepare each dish with slightly different sugar and salt amounts. And yes, we sometimes notice that restaurants worldwide also change the sweetness level depending on the area’s preference, making it too sweet for a Japanese.
We think everyone has different taste buds, and it’s ok to feel some recipes taste a bit too sweet especially when everyone uses different brand sugar. So please feel free to adjust the salt and sugar level for your home cooking.🙂
We hope this helps, and you can enjoy homemade Japanese food! Thank you very much for trying this recipe!
Love teriyaki sauce thanks for recipes
Hi June,
Thank you very much for trying this recipe and for your kind feedback!
What type of sake should be used? Regukar IR sweet?
Hi Cliff,
You may use cooking sake or regular sake. You can learn more about Sake in this post: https://www.justonecookbook.com/sake/.
We hope this helps!
This is just a delicious teriyaki sauce & the tip to lightly flour the fish worked like a charm!
We have spent quite a lot of time in Japan and I have made many teriyaki recipes from different sources – I think this is among the best of them. Thank you!
Hi Rachel!
Aww… We are so happy to hear that this is the best one!☺️
Thank you very much for trying this recipe and for your kind feedback.
This is my go to recipe for teriyaki sauce! I do use date syrup instead of sugar. It’s a very good substitute and blends well with umami flavors. Love your site!
Hi Chelsea,
Thank you very much for trying this recipe and for your kind feedback!
The date syrup sounds very yummy in this sauce. We have to try it one day.😉
Thank you for sharing your cooking experience with us.
Thank you for this. I have never liked the thick texture of storebought sauce, and now that I have this recipe, I won’t need to buy it again. I so much appreciate how professional and helpful this website is!
Hi Dr. Merika Graham Skirko,
Thank you very much for your kind words!
We hope you enjoy this sauce and many other Japanese dishes from our website.
Happy cooking!😊
I will be doing this tonight for my hubby’s birthday. I just have one question. Did you use firm tofu or the soft one?
Thank you
Yoroshiku onegaishimasu
Hi Mari!
Nami used Medium-Firm tofu. But you may use Firm tofu as well.
Thank you for trying this recipe!
Habashi is a sauce or a type of cooking how to make it if is a sauce
Hi Melina,
We are not sure what is “Habashi” Is it Japanese? Where did you hear the word?