Homemade Teriyaki Sauce is an umami-packed Japanese sauce that comes together in 10 minutes with 4 ingredients. This homemade recipe includes steps to make a teriyaki marinade and a thick teriyaki glaze for chicken, fish, beef, tofu, and more.
Add soy sauce, sake, mirin, and sugar to a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk until combined. Heat the sauce on medium heat and bring to a quick boil, then lower to a simmer for 10 minutes, occasionally whisking. Remove from the heat and use as a glaze for vegetables, teriyaki beef, fish, chicken, tofu, and more.
StorageRefrigerate leftover teriyaki sauce in an air-tight container or lidded jar for up to 2 weeks. Before using it again, stir it softly so it reaches its original consistency. You can also freeze teriyaki sauce for a few months. Just be sure to store it in the correct container (not a lidded glass jar, which can break in the freezer). When you are ready to enjoy it again, let it thaw.Top tips
To use teriyaki sauce as a glaze for meat or fish, drizzle the sauce on the meat while cooking. Be careful not to add the sauce early or it will burn.
The amount of time you need to marinate a protein will depend on what kind of protein it is. For fish and shrimp, we recommend marinating for 30 minutes while meat can marinate overnight. Tofu should marinate for at least 30 minutes.
You can replace brown sugar with granulated sugar.
To make the recipe gluten-free, use gluten-free soy sauce or tamari.