The stark difference between store-bought teriyaki sauce and homemade teriyaki sauce is drastic. While a bottle of your favorite teriyaki sauce will only set you back a few dollars, it is also likely loaded with unnecessary ingredients and sweeteners.
Homemade teriyaki sauce, by contrast, can be made with 3 simple ingredients: sake, soy sauce, and mirin. This recipe is from Alex Delany of Bon Appetit’s basically, and it is stellar.
We made it a few different times, with varying ratios of each ingredient, trying to figure out whether the sauce could benefit from less soy, more sake, or even the addition of sugar.
Guess what? It’s perfect as is! Thick, concentrated and full on umami. Bonus? It only takes 10 minutes total!
Trust us, this is work the 10 minutes!!
Teriyaki Sauce Ingredients
- sake
- soy sauce
- mirin
What is mirin? Mirin is a lightly sweetened Japanese rice wine. It’s similar to sake, but has more sugar (which is why we’re not adding any additional sweetener to this teriyaki sauce recipe!) and less alcohol.
Doesn’t take much to bring this easy teriyaki sauce recipe to life!
How To Make Homemade Teriyaki Sauce
- Combine sake, soy sauce, and mirin together in a small sauce pan.
- Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer. Reduce teriyaki sauce for 8-10 minutes.
This yields ½ cup teriyaki sauce total.
Is Teriyaki Sauce Gluten Free?
Both sake and mirin are naturally gluten free. If you use a soy sauce that is also gluten free, then yes, you’re good to go! Make sure to read the labels first!
Ways To Use Teriyaki Sauce
Oh, the possibilities are endless! Our favorite way is on baked chicken teriyaki. Beyond that, here are a few simple ideas (though we’re sure you can come up with more!):
- added to your favorite stir fry recipe!
- on grilled chicken wings!
- glazed on pineapple (omg yum)!
- brushed on top of salmon
- with steamed broccoli and white rice – my kids’ favorite!
Simply put, this is the best teriyaki sauce we’ve ever had. I know, I know — that is a super bold claim. But with a 10 minute cook time, practically no effort involved, and a huge payoff, we can’t think of one good reason that this shouldn’t be stocked in the fridge at all times!
If you make this Homemade Teriyaki Sauce, please let us know by leaving a review and rating below.
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For more Asian recipes, check out the following:
- Better than takeout ramen noodles
- Blistered shishito peppers
- Tuna poke bowls
- Soy sauce ramen eggs
- Spicy krab salad
3-Ingredient Homemade Teriyaki Sauce Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup sake
- ¼ cup soy sauce low-sodium
- ¼ cup mirin
Instructions
- Combine sake, soy sauce, and mirin in a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer.
- Reduce for 8-10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl or storage container. Should yield ½ cup teriyaki sauce.
Let us know your thoughts!