Skip to Content

Tangy Teriyaki Sauce Recipe

Tangy Teriyaki Sauce Recipe That's Quick to Make From Your Home
Teriyaki Sauce in a Japanese ramekin with a bowl of chicken teriyaki and chopsticks in the background.

Teriyaki is a staple of the Japanese-American culinary scene with the key component being the sauce. In this article I will share with you a teriyaki sauce recipe that’s second to none. Best of all, you only need four ingredients and it takes only 15 minutes to make!

Vertical photo of teriyaki sauce in a Japanese ramekin with a chicken teriyaki bowl and chopsticks in the background.

What is Teriyaki Sauce?

Horizontal pic of teriyaki sauce in a Japanese ramekin with chopsticks and a chicken teriyaki bowl in the background.

Teriyaki sauce is tangy mixture of soy sauce, sake, mirin, and brown sugar that’s used to flavor a variety of meats and vegetables including chicken, beef, shrimp, and salmon. While most Westerner’s associate it as a Japanese staple, the teriyaki that we know today actually originated in the United States by Japanese-American immigrants in the 1950’s.

When I first started experimenting with teriyaki sauces, I quickly realized that there are several different variations that produce very different flavors. I love my version because it packs a strong flavor punch and it’s very simple to make.

How to Make Teriyaki Sauce

My teriyaki sauce is very simple to make and only contains four ingredients and takes about 15 minutes to cook!

1. Add all ingredients to a sauce pot and slowly bring to a boil on medium heat, stirring frequently to dissolve the sugar.

Add the teriyaki sauce ingredients to the sauce pan and bring to a boil.

2. Once the teriyaki sauce comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer for around 10 minutes. You can reduce longer if you would like thicker sauce. However, I prefer to finish thickening the sauce by adding it to the hot pan with the meats or veggies when preparing your final teriyaki dish.

Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer the teriyaki sauce for an additional 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

3. Once the sauce has reached your desired thickness, remove from the heat and let it cool.

4. Enjoy in your favorite teriyaki dish!

Tangy Teriyaki Sauce Recipe

Teriyaki Sauce in a Japanese ramekin with a bowl of chicken teriyaki and chopsticks in the background.

Tangy Teriyaki Sauce Recipe

Tangy Teriyaki Sauce Recipe That's Quick to Make From Your Home
No ratings yet
Print Pin
Course: Sauce
Cuisine: Japanese
Keyword: Teriyaki Sauce
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 110kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Small Pot

Ingredients

  • 2/3 Cup Soy Sauce
  • 2/3 Cup Sake
  • 2/3 Cup Mirin
  • 3 Tbsp. Brown Sugar

Instructions

  • Add all ingredients to a sauce pot and slowly bring to a boil on medium heat, stirring frequently to dissolve the sugar.
  • Once the teriyaki sauce comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer for around 10 minutes. You can reduce longer if you would like thicker sauce. However, I prefer to finish thickening the sauce by adding it to the hot pan with the meats or veggies when preparing your final teriyaki dish.
  • Once the sauce has reached your desired thickness, remove from heat and let cool.
  • Enjoy in your favorite teriyaki dish!

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 0.25Cup | Calories: 110kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 2.5g | Sodium: 1580mg | Potassium: 58mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 13g | Calcium: 9.1mg | Iron: 0.6mg

Is teriyaki sauce gluten-free?

In most restaurants, I would assume that the teriyaki sauce served will contain gluten unless specifically stated that it doesn’t. However, you can make your own teriyaki sauce that tastes amazing and is gluten-free by using gluten-free soy sauce.

Is teriyaki sauce healthy for you?

While it tastes amazing and is often used to season healthy meals that contain protein and vegetables, teriyaki sauce in and of itself is not very healthy for you in large quantities.

Final Thoughts on Teriyaki Sauce

Teriyaki is a flavorful meal that I love to cook for family and friends. I hope that this teriyaki sauce elevates your future teriyaki meals. Happy cooking!

For more fun Japanese sauce recipes, check out the below articles:

Spicy Yakiniku Sauce (Japanese BBQ Sauce)

Katsu Sauce (Tonkatsu Sauce) Recipe

Homemade Ponzu Sauce Recipe

Also, subscribe to our YouTube Channel for some great videos!