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Did you know you can easily make homemade teriyaki sauce with everyday ingredients? Skip the store-bought bottle and make your own teriyaki sauce at home in less than 10 minutes!
This homemade teriyaki sauce (better than store-bought) is sweet, savory, and incredibly easy to make with simple pantry ingredients. It comes together in minutes and tastes fresher and less salty than most store-bought versions. Use it as a glaze, marinade, or stir-fry sauce for chicken, salmon, beef, or veggies.
Why Make This Homemade Teriyaki Sauce
- Made with simple, everyday ingredients
- Ready in about 10 minutes
- Less salty than bottled sauces
- Easy to adjust for sweetness or thickness
- Works as a sauce, glaze, or marinade.
Recipe Overview
Key Ingredients
- Low-sodium soy sauce, or tamari, or shoyu if you are gluten-free.
- Fresh orange juice: I prefer fresh, but if in a pinch, you can use store-bought pulp-free orange juice.
- Honey: or if you are looking for a vegan option, use maple syrup. Brown sugar will also work.
- Garlic cloves: skip the store-bought minced garlic and make your own!
- Fresh ginger: It has to be fresh for the best flavor. This teriyaki sauce isn’t as delicious with ground ginger.
- Chili flakes: a teaspoon adds just enough heat to the teriyaki sauce; if you prefer it spicier, feel free to add more.
- Gluten-free flour: this helps thicken the sauce while it cooks. Other alternatives are cornstarch, arrowroot powder, Tapioca flour, or rice flour.
Tips for the Best Teriyaki Sauce
- Use low-sodium soy sauce so the sauce doesn’t turn out too salty.
- Grate the ginger fresh for the best flavor, but ground ginger works in a pinch.
- Simmer gently, not rapidly. A slow simmer helps the sauce thicken smoothly.
- Adjust sweetness to taste. Add more honey or sugar if you like it sweeter.
- Let it cool slightly. The sauce thickens more as it cools.
How to Make Homemade Teriyaki Sauce
- Combine all the ingredients in a small pot or saucepan and stir until the flour has been mixed in.
- Bring the sauce to a boil on the stovetop before lowering it to a gentle simmer, stirring throughout.
- Simmer the teriyaki sauce until the sauce has reached your desired thickness.
- Use immediately or let cool and store.
Common Questions
Homemade teriyaki sauce should last up to 10 days if stored in the fridge.
Yes! However, this recipe makes just a bit more than ½ cup of sauce, so it could be used up relatively quickly. You might not even have any left to freeze! The easiest way to freeze just enough teriyaki sauce for individual portions is to use an ice cube tray. That way, you can thaw just what you need.
Absolutely. Just set some aside before cooking if you also want to use it as a glaze.
It likely simmered too long. Stir in a splash of water to thin it out
Variations
- To make it vegan: If you swap honey for maple syrup, you can make this teriyaki sauce vegan!
- Make it gluten-free: As soy sauce uses wheat, teriyaki sauce is not naturally gluten-free. However, if you purchase certified gluten-free tamari or shoyu (both soybean-based), the teriyaki sauce will be gluten-free.
- To make it spicier: The chili flakes add just enough heat to this teriyaki sauce without making it overly spicy. However, if you want it spicier, you can add more!
Storage Tips
- Store in an airtight container or jar in the fridge for up to 10 days.
- Shake or stir before using, as the sauce may thicken as it sits.
How to Use Teriyaki Sauce
This teriyaki sauce can be drizzled over salads, meats, grains, and more. You can also use it as a marinade. Here are a few of my recipes that use teriyaki sauce if you’d like to cook with it!
More Homemade Sauces
Thanks for stopping by and trying one of my recipes. If you enjoyed it, please leave a rating and share your thoughts in the comments. It really helps, and I love hearing from you.
Homemade Teriyaki Sauce
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- ¼ cup fresh orange juice
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 2-3 tablespoons water
- 3 tablespoons honey, or brown sugar
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated or minced
- 1 teaspoon chili flakes, or to taste
- ½ tablespoon gluten-free flour, or corn starch
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients in a small pot or saucepan and stir until the flour has been mixed in. (⅓ cup low-sodium soy sauce, ¼ cup fresh orange juice, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, 2-3 tablespoons water, 3 tablespoons honey, 2 cloves garlic , 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, 1 teaspoon chili flakes, and ½ tablespoon gluten-free flour)
- Bring the sauce to a boil on the stovetop before lowering it to a gentle simmer, stirring throughout.
- Simmer the teriyaki sauce until the sauce has reached your desired thickness.
- Use immediately or cool and store in a lidded jar in the fridge.
Notes
- If using as a marinade, omit the flour or cornstarch
- Makes about 3/4 cup
- Serving size 2 tablespoons
- Us low sodium soy sauce for lower sodium levels or tamari.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
