Authentic Teriyaki Sauce Recipe

No need to buy teriyaki sauce when you can make a homemade teriyaki sauce recipe in your own kitchen. This easy recipe doubles as a flavorful marinade and comes together in minutes.

Best Homemade Teriyaki Sauce Recipe

This homemade teriyaki sauce is a fan favorite—and for good reason. It’s sweet, savory, and bright from fresh ginger and garlic. The recipe requires just a handful of common ingredients, takes under 10 minutes to prepare, and works wonderfully as a sauce, glaze, or marinade for chicken, salmon, pork, shrimp, or vegetables.

What does teriyaki sauce taste like?

Teriyaki sauce is thick, sweet, and savory with a strong soy base. The balance of salty soy, warm sweetness, and aromatic ginger and garlic creates a rich, caramel-like glaze that complements proteins and vegetables.

What is teriyaki sauce made of?

This version uses a soy sauce or tamari base, maple syrup for sweetness, minced garlic, fresh grated ginger, and an optional touch of sriracha for heat. Cornstarch can be used as an optional thickener when a glaze or dipping sauce is desired.

How to Make Teriyaki Sauce

Looking for a simple homemade teriyaki sauce recipe? This one uses ingredients you likely already have and can be mixed in a jar or heated briefly on the stovetop. Use it to toss with stir-fry, brush on grilled chicken, glaze salmon, or marinate meats before cooking.

Teriyaki Sauce Ingredients

Classic store-bought teriyaki often includes soy, sugar, sake or mirin, and ginger. This simplified, pantry-friendly version captures the same savory-sweet profile with easy swaps and fresh flavors.

These are the ingredients you need:

• 1/4 cup soy sauce (or tamari for a gluten-free option; low-sodium soy sauce works to reduce salt)
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup (or honey)
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic (fresh preferred)
• 2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger (or 1 teaspoon ground ginger)
• Optional: 1 teaspoon sriracha for a spicy kick
• Optional thickener: 2 teaspoons cornstarch + 2 tablespoons warm water

Mix it all together

Combine soy sauce, maple syrup, minced garlic, and grated ginger in a mason jar or small bowl. If you want heat, add sriracha to taste. Stir or shake until the mixture is well combined. That’s your basic homemade teriyaki sauce—ready to use as-is or thickened into a glaze.

How to Thicken Homemade Teriyaki Sauce

If you’d like a thicker sauce for glazing or dipping, use a cornstarch slurry and briefly simmer:

1. In a small bowl, whisk 2 teaspoons cornstarch into 2 tablespoons warm water until fully dissolved to make a slurry.
2. Pour the prepared teriyaki sauce into a small saucepan and heat over medium-high until it begins to simmer.
3. Whisk in the cornstarch slurry, reduce the heat to medium, and continue whisking until the sauce reaches your desired thickness.
4. Remove from heat and let cool slightly before using as a glaze or dip.

Quick Q&A

How to Use Teriyaki Sauce

Stir-Fry: Toss the sauce with chicken and vegetables for a quick weeknight meal.

Dip, Sauce, or Glaze: Thicken the sauce slightly for a dipping sauce or brush it on while grilling for a glossy glaze.

Meat Marinade: Marinate about 1 lb. of chicken, salmon, pork chops, or shrimp in 1/2 cup of the sauce for 30 minutes up to 24 hours for deeper flavor. Then grill, bake, or pan-sear.

Storage

Store this teriyaki sauce in a Mason jar or another airtight container in the refrigerator. It will keep up to one week. Shake before using to recombine any settled ingredients.

To freeze:

1. Mix all ingredients except the cornstarch (add the cornstarch when thawed, if you plan to thicken later).
2. Pour the sauce into an ice cube tray and freeze for a couple of hours.
3. Transfer the frozen cubes into an airtight container or freezer bag and store for up to three months.

Homemade Teriyaki Sauce Recipe

Summary: Make your own teriyaki sauce using soy sauce, garlic, fresh ginger, and maple syrup. This batch serves about four and takes about 10 minutes from start to finish.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup soy sauce or tamari (for gluten-free)
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup (or honey)
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger
• Optional: 1 teaspoon sriracha
• Optional thickener: 2 teaspoons cornstarch + 2 tablespoons warm water

Instructions

1. Place the soy sauce, maple syrup, minced garlic, and grated ginger into a mason jar or bowl. Add sriracha if you want a little heat—start with one teaspoon.
2. Close the jar and shake, or stir the mixture well until combined.
3. To thicken, whisk together 2 teaspoons cornstarch with 2 tablespoons hot water until dissolved to form a slurry.
4. Heat the teriyaki sauce in a small saucepan over medium-high until it begins to simmer. Whisk in the cornstarch slurry, reduce heat to medium, and continue whisking until the sauce thickens to your preferred consistency.
5. Let cool slightly before using as a glaze, dip, or marinade.

Tips & Notes

• Nutrition estimates do not include optional sriracha or cornstarch.
• Substitute honey for maple syrup if preferred—both provide a natural sweetness and caramel notes.
• Use tamari for a gluten-free sauce, and choose low-sodium soy sauce if you want to cut back on salt.

Nutrition (per serving, approximate)

Calories: 56 kcal | Carbohydrates: 13 g | Protein: 2 g | Fat: 0 g | Sugar: 10 g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.