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
Wish to learn more about Japanese cooking? Sign up for our free newsletter to receive cooking tips & recipe updates! And stay in touch with me on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram.
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.
May i request for takoyaki sauce if possible
Hi Rolly! Nami has a Takoyaki Sauce recipe here:https://www.justonecookbook.com/takoyaki-sauce-recipe/
We hope you enjoy it.
Hi,
May I ask a stupid question?
Why should we boil the sauce and then use for meat+fish?
Can I use the sauce without boiling it?
Thank you so much,
Ally
Hi Ally! Thank you for reading Nami’s post and trying her recipe!
The boiling of the sauce adds texture to the sauce and will thicken the sauce.
If you are cooking without pre-made sauce, you can follow the Teriyaki Salmon recipes, etc that don’t require pre-boiled Teriyaki Sauce.
https://www.justonecookbook.com/teriyaki-salmon-recipe/
We hope this helps!
Hi Nami-san,
Every brand of shoyu is different (some are stronger or saltier than others) so my Mom always said to dip your finger and taste it and it’s always better to be a little sweeter than salty. I also include a teaspoon of oyster sauce which I think improves the teriyaki taste but that’s just my opinion. I always keep about a quart of unheated teriyaki sauce in the refrigerator which can be used in stir fried vegetable or sauteed dishes. Many uses for a batch of teriyaki sauce kept in the refrigerator which will keep for weeks.
Hi Dan! Thank you for reading Nami’s post and sharing your mom’s tip and yours!
Homemade Teriyaki Sauce is the best!😉
I have subscribed to your site for quite a while and have a number of your cookbooks, all are great.
I have not made this recipe yet buy am looking forward to it on the weekend. I was wondering and this may sound strange but is there a preference for which type of sugar to use. I have a number of different types, what with making ocashi and wagashi, excluding brown.
Hi Robert! Thank you for subscribing to our site and trying Nami’s recipes!
Nami uses organic cane sugar (natural blond/tanned color sugar) unless she mentions a different type in the recipe card.😉
We hope this helps!
This is the best recipe for teriyaki sauce! I try to have some on hands at all times and I make it for my friends all the time!
Hi Casey! We are so happy to hear you enjoyed Nami’s Teriyaki Sauce recipe!
Thank you for trying her recipe and for your kind feedback.
Hi there, do you know if this sauce is also good to marinate tempeh ?
Hi, dirk! We have never tried it before. Let us know how it goes!
This is so good. Nice balance of flavors. I made one of those cornstarchy teriyaki sauces the other week, ended up throwing out the chicken it was on. Not even the cat would eat it. Yours apparently gets two paws up.
Hi TinaD! We are glad to hear you enjoyed Nami’s homemade Teriyaki Sauce recipe!
Thank you very much for trying her recipe and for your kind feedback.
Happy Cooking!
[…] and savory: The sweet sauce stir fry sauce is inspired by teriyaki flavors (think sugar, soy sauce, and vinegar). It also has black vinegar, a sweet vinegar […]
I’m glad I finally found a teriyaki sauce that tastes like what I had in Japan when I was young. I wanted to make some one day, and I was out of sake so I substituted bourbon in my teriyaki sauce. It was delicious! I highly recommend that you try it.
Hi Brenda! Bourbon!? We have to try it. 🤩
Thank you very much for trying Nami’s recipe and sharing your experience!
I am searching years to find a recipe for that teriyaki sauce I love. Now I just found that (too) simple recipe here😂
Thanks so much!
somethimes the easiest things are the best!
Hi Phil! We agree with you! The easiest things are the best! 😃
Thank you very much for trying Nami’s recipe and for your kind feedback.
I have some excellent go-to salmon recipes, but this is the best I’ve ever made! Even my finicky cat couldn’t get enough! I used brown sugar because I had no granulated sugar, and it was fabulous, especially the skin!
Hi Laurie! We are so glad to hear you enjoyed the dish!
Thank you very much for sharing your cooking experience with us.😊
Can I use aji-mirin here, anyone know whats the deal there?
Hi Kevin, Thank you very much for reading Nami’s post and trying her recipe!
If you can get Mirin, it would be much better than Aji-mirin. Ajir-mirin contains extra salt and other product, so you might want to adjust the flavor.
Here is the post, you can learn more about Mirin: https://www.justonecookbook.com/mirin/
We hope this helps!
Can you use this as a marinade to cook frozen salmon in the oven at 425F for 25 minutes?
Hi Willis, Thank you very much for reading Nami’s post and trying her recipe!
Yes. You can use this as a marinade.
As for cooking time, it’s about 20~25 minutes, but it changes depending on the size of your salmon. So please make sure the minimum internal temperature reaches 145°F for doneness.
We hope this helps!
Hi Nami, do most of the alcohol cook off? Is it safe to serve this to toddlers? Thanks.
Hi San! Thank you very much for trying Nami’s recipe!
Most of the alcohol will cook-off, but you can make this without Sake for toddlers. Please see Nami’s note at the bottom of this recipe card. You can replace Sake with Water.
We hope this helps!
What kind of soy sauce do you use?
Hi Dan! Thank you very much for trying Nami’s recipe!
Koikuchi soy sauce is the most common Japanese soy sauce, and Nami uses this soy sauce. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B013H9XTN0?ref=exp_justonecookbook_dp_vv_d
We hope this helps!