Sweet, tangy and full of flavor, this Easy Homemade Teriyaki Sauce is just what your stir fry or grilled dinners are missing!
Spring is here! Grilling days are right around the corner, so I had to share my Easy Homemade Teriyaki Sauce. I’ve tried tons of store-bought teriyaki sauces and they were FINE…but it was never love at first bite. Making my own was an immediate game changer. Now I’m ready to put this sauce on everything, starting with Teriyaki Salmon with Pineapple Salsa or a simple Chicken & Veggie Stir Fry!
Ingredients in Homemade Teriyaki Sauce
I’ve found that simpler is always better in homemade sauces. It’s more about the perfect balance of flavors! For this Teriyaki Sauce I experimented until I had the just-right amounts of salty, umami, sweet, and tangy to fill every bite.
- Brown sugar – The sweetness balances out the salty, tangy soy sauce or coconut aminos.
- Soy sauce or coconut aminos – Use your favorite soy sauce for this recipe. Coconut aminos are one of my favorite swaps for soy sauce; they’re made from fermented coconut palm sap and I actually prefer the taste! It’s also naturally gluten-free.
- Honey – Just a splash of honey makes the whole dish sing! You can also use pure maple or agave syrup if you’d like.
- Garlic – Mince the clove of garlic as small as you can so it distributes evenly throughout the entire dish. You can even use a garlic press to make it easier!
- Ground ginger – It wouldn’t be a good teriyaki without the tiniest zing from ginger!
- Arrowroot or cornstarch – Both arrowroot and cornstarch work as a thickening agent that’s going to create the just-right texture in this sauce. Use whichever one you have on hand or prefer.
How to Make a Slurry
“Slurry” is just a fancy word for whisking a thickening ingredient (like arrowroot or cornstarch) until it’s suspended in the water. This helps the starch move throughout the entire batch of sauce and create a thick, saucy texture without clumping together! No stress, no mess, just perfect Easy Homemade Teriyaki Sauce.
Food Photography by Ashley Cuoco
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Easy Homemade Teriyaki Sauce
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: about 1 cup 1x
- Category: Sauce
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: Asian inspired
Description
Sweet, tangy and full of flavor, this Easy Homemade Teriyaki Sauce is just what your stir fry or grilled dinners are missing!
Ingredients
- 1 cup water plus ¼ cup
- 5 tablespoons brown sugar
- ¼ cup soy sauce or coconut aminos
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 tablespoons arrowroot or cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon salt (as needed)
Instructions
- In a small saucepan add 1 cup water, brown sugar, soy sauce, honey, garlic and ground ginger. Heat over medium heat, whisking until sugar dissolves, about 2-3 minutes.
- Make the arrowroot (or cornstarch) slurry on the side. In a small bowl add ¼ cup water and 2 tablespoons of arrowroot and mix until combined. Pour mixture into the saucepan and whisk until your desired thickness is reached. This should take about 4-6 minutes. Turn off heat and set aside to cool.
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