Homemade Teriyaki Sauce
A glossy, balanced teriyaki sauce made with soy sauce, mirin, brown sugar, fresh garlic and ginger. It comes together in about 15 minutes and is ready for glazing, stir-frying or dipping.
- Prep
- 8 min
- Cook
- 7 min
- Wait
- 5 min
- Total
- 20 min
- Makes
- About 1 cup (240 ml) sauce, 8 servings of 2 tablespoons each
Steps
Before you start
- Mix the cornstarch and cold water in a small bowl just before you need it. Cornstarch settles quickly, so re-stir it right before adding.
- Use regular soy sauce, not low-sodium, for the intended balance. If you use low-sodium, add a pinch of salt at the end if needed.
- Grate the ginger and garlic on a fine rasp-style grater so they melt into the sauce.
- Use a small saucepan with room to bubble. The sauce foams when it boils.
Grate aromatics
- Peel the garlic and ginger.
- Grate them on a fine rasp-style grater into a small pile.
- You need 2 cloves of garlic and 2 teaspoons of ginger.
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Ready when: Garlic and ginger look like a wet paste with no chunks.
Tip: Freezing the ginger for 15 minutes first makes it easier to grate.
Mix the slurry
- In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch with the 2 tablespoons cold water until completely smooth.
- Set it next to the stove.
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Ready when: Liquid is milky with no dry lumps.
Tip: Use cold water. Warm water makes cornstarch clump.
Combine sauce base
- In a small saucepan, combine the soy sauce, ½ cup (120 ml) water, mirin, brown sugar, garlic, ginger and rice vinegar if using.
- Whisk to start dissolving the sugar.
Bring to a simmer
- Set the pan over medium heat.
- Stir occasionally for 3 to 4 minutes until the sugar dissolves and small bubbles break steadily around the edge of the pan.
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Ready when: Sugar is fully dissolved, with steady small bubbles at the edges.
Tip: Don't walk away. The sauce can foam over once it boils hard.
Thicken the sauce
- Re-whisk the slurry, since the cornstarch will have settled.
- While whisking the sauce constantly, pour in the slurry in a thin stream.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes.
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Ready when: Sauce turns glossy and coats the back of a spoon. A finger drawn through it leaves a clear line.
Tip: Boil the sauce for at least 1 minute after adding the slurry. Otherwise it can taste starchy and thin out later.
Finish with sesame oil
- Remove the pan from the heat.
- Stir in the toasted sesame oil if using.
- Taste: it should be salty-sweet with a gentle ginger and garlic note.
- If it is too salty, stir in 1 teaspoon of water.
- If too sharp, stir in ½ teaspoon of brown sugar.
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Ready when: Balanced taste, with sweetness and saltiness in harmony.
Tip: Add sesame oil off the heat so its aroma doesn't cook away.
Cool and store
- Let the sauce cool in the pan for about 5 minutes.
- It thickens a little more as it cools.
- Pour it into a clean jar and use warm, or cover and refrigerate once fully cool.
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Ready when: Sauce is thick like warm maple syrup and pourable.
Tip: If it gets too thick after chilling, whisk in 1 teaspoon of warm water at a time.
Good to know
Tips
- For a glaze, brush the sauce on meat or vegetables only in the last 2 to 3 minutes of cooking so the sugar doesn't burn.
- For a stir-fry, use about 2 tablespoons of sauce per serving and toss it in during the last minute.
- For a thinner marinade-style sauce, skip the cornstarch slurry. Don't reuse a marinade that has touched raw meat unless you boil it first.
- Grate garlic and ginger finely so the sauce stays smooth and does not need straining.
Make ahead
"Make up to 1 week ahead and refrigerate in a sealed jar. The flavor deepens after a day."
Storage & reheating
"Room temperature: up to 2 hours. Refrigerator: up to 1 week in a sealed jar. Freezer: up to 3 months in an airtight container or ice cube tray, then thaw in the fridge. Reheat in a small pan over low heat or in the microwave in 15-second bursts, stirring in a splash of water if it has thickened."
Substitutions
- mirin → dry sherry or dry white wine plus ½ teaspoon extra sugar. Use 1/4 cup (60 ml). The flavor will be slightly less complex.
- soy sauce → tamari. Use the same amount for a gluten-free sauce. Check that the mirin is gluten-free too.
- cornstarch → arrowroot powder. Use the same amount. Do not boil it for long, or it can lose thickening power.
- light brown sugar → honey. Use 3 tablespoons (60 ml) in place of the sugar. The sauce will taste slightly floral.
