The Best Homemade Teriyaki Sauce Recipe
Why buy store-bought teriyaki sauce when you can make a fresher, tastier version at home? This homemade teriyaki sauce is easy to whip up in minutes with just 6 simple pantry ingredients. Packed with rich umami flavor, it’s the perfect addition to your homemade meals. Whether you’re using it for baked teriyaki salmon, making teriyaki chicken skewers, or adding it to a stir-fry like san choy bau, this homemade sauce delivers the perfect balance of sweet, savory, and umami flavors.
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Homemade Teriyaki Sauce Recipe
SAVE THIS RECIPE 💌
We’ll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Ingredients
- ½ cup tamari sauce or use soy sauce if gluten is not an issue.
- ¼ cup filtered water
- 2 teaspoons sugar I use raw organic sugar. You also can use honey instead.
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves minced
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, combine tamari sauce, water, minced garlic, raw sugar, and olive oil. Bring to a simmer over medium heat.
- Let the mixture simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- In a small bowl, whisk cornstarch (or tapioca/potato starch) with water until smooth. Slowly add this mixture to the saucepan, stirring continuously.
- Simmer for an additional 3-4 minutes, or until the sauce thickens.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly before transferring to a glass jar for storage.
- Optional: For a smoother sauce, strain through a sieve to remove any garlic pieces before adding the starch mixture.
Video
Notes
- Storage: Store the sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. For longer storage, freeze the sauce in portions (e.g., using ice cube trays) and use within 3 months.
- Thickening: If the sauce thickens too much after refrigeration or freezing, simply reheat gently over low heat and stir in a small amount of water until it reaches your desired consistency.
- Gluten-Free Tip: Ensure that all ingredients, especially tamari sauce or soy sauce, are labeled gluten-free to maintain the recipe’s gluten-free status.
- Substitutes: You can use tapioca starch or potato starch as a 1:1 substitute for cornstarch. Keep in mind that tapioca starch may make the sauce glossier and stickier.
📝 Recipe Ingredients
Only a few simple ingredients are needed to make this delicious homemade teriyaki sauce. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Tamari Sauce: I use tamari, which has the same great flavor as soy sauce but without the wheat, making it the perfect gluten-free alternative. Ensure your tamari is certified gluten-free by organizations like the Celiac Disease Foundation.
- White Vinegar: You can also use rice vinegar as a substitute.
- Raw Sugar: I prefer raw sugar because it’s less processed, but feel free to use white sugar if that’s what you have on hand.
- Garlic.
- Cornstarch: To thicken the sauce.
- Olive Oil
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients 👇
Variations
- Soy-Free Option: Substitute tamari sauce with coconut aminos for a soy-free version.
- Traditional Teriyaki Sauce: Feel free to use regular soy sauce if wheat is not an issue.
- Spicy Teriyaki Sauce: Add 1-2 teaspoons of sriracha or a pinch of red pepper flakes for a spicy kick.
- Low-Sodium Version: Use low-sodium tamari or coconut aminos to reduce the salt content.
☀️ Top Tips To Make Homemade Teriyaki Sauce
- The sauce thickens quickly due to the cornstarch. Keep an eye on it while simmering, and if it becomes too thick, add a little water to thin it out.
- You can tweak the sweetness by adding more raw sugar or swapping sugar for honey, maple syrup, or even coconut sugar.
❄️ How to Store
- Refrigerate: Once the sauce has cooled down completely, transfer it to a clean, airtight container. It can be safely stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Be sure to label the container with the preparation date to keep track of freshness.
- Freeze: For longer storage, you can freeze the teriyaki sauce. Place it in a freezer-safe container, leaving a bit of room at the top for expansion. Alternatively, you can freeze the sauce in ice cube trays for easy portion control. Once frozen, transfer the cubes to a freezer bag. Frozen teriyaki sauce can last up to three months in the freezer. Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight before using it again.
Recipe FAQs
If the sauce didn’t thicken, it might be because you haven’t fully dissolved the cornstarch or didn’t cook it at a high enough heat. Be sure to whisk the cornstarch into cold water before adding it, and simmer until thickened.
Yes, you can use tapioca starch or potato starch as a 1:1 substitute for cornstarch. Keep in mind that tapioca starch may give the sauce a slightly glossier and stickier texture. Dissolve the tapioca starch in cold water before adding it to the sauce to prevent clumping.
More Delicious Sauce Recipes You’ll Love
If you tried this Homemade Teriyaki Sauce Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
This gluten-free teriyaki sauce is so easy to make and tastes delicious. It’s such a great alternative to the store-bought variety. We use it to make teriyaki salmon or teriyaki chicken rice bowls, and it is so good!