3-Ingredient Authentic Homemade Teriyaki Sauce
Savory, authentic teriyaki sauce is just 3 ingredients away! I’m thrilled to share this “secret” to help you level up dinner.
Much like this fettuccine alfredo recipe, which is the original straight from Rome, this recipe is the actual, authentic way teriyaki sauce is made. It really does just take 3 ingredients and about 10 minutes to have your own Japanese cuisine!
This recipe is a super simple way to make a shiny, savory teriyaki sauce. You can use it to make teriyaki salmon, teriyaki meatballs, or an excellent plate of teriyaki chicken. Cooking meats in this will help yo get a nice sear, and you can use a generous amount to flavor stir-fries, or even as a salad dressing.
What’s in 3-ingredient teriyaki sauce
There are 3 main ingredients in authentic Japanese teriyaki sauce. They’re actually super simple ingredients — I found mine at Walmart!
- Soy Sauce: A lot of the flavor comes from the soy sauce, and the better quality you have, the tastier your savory sauce will be. You can use normal, or the less sodium version if you want to avoid so much salt!
- Mirin: This is a sweet Japanese rice wine. It has a very low alcohol level that cooks off almost completely in this recipe. You can sub this for rice vinegar, sake, or white wine vinegar. You might need to add a little sugar if you’re using a sub to match the sweetness.
- Granulated Sugar: You can sub this with light-brown sugar. I’ve tried both and while you get a slightly different final product, both are good!
Making your own homemade teriyaki sauce
Step 1 | Heat
First, place all ingredients in a small saucepan. Use a whisk to combine them, then bring them to a boil over medium heat. Because of the high sugar content, this can burn, so make sure that you’re watching out and whisking often enough to keep it from burning.
Once the ingredients reach boiling, turn the heat down to medium-low. Allow the sauce to simmer, whisking often enough to avoid burning, as the sauce thickens. This part takes 8-10 minutes, depending on how thick you like your sauce. The longer you cook, the thicker sauce you get!
Step 2 | Check Consistency
You can skip this step if you want. If you’d like to check the sauce consistency, you can put a drop on a plate, then run your finger or a spoon through the middle. If the two sides flow back together immediately, it’s a thin sauce. If it takes a minute, you’ve got a medium thickness. If they stay separated, it’s thick!
Step 3 | Enjoy!
Once your sauce is made, you can use it immediately. I love to toss it over popcorn chicken, chicken breasts, salmon, or as a dipping sauce. Below, I have a 10 minute dinner you can make — the hardest part is making your sauce!
10 Minute Teriyaki Stir Fry
What you need:
- Teriyaki Sauce
- Olive Oil
- Frozen Stir Fry Veggies
- Tyson Grilled Chicken Breast Strips
How to Make:
- Add teriyaki sauce and toss to coat. Serve over rice or noodles, or on it’s own!
- While your teriyaki sauce is cooking, put a tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet, frying pan, or wok.
- Sauté stir fry veggies and chicken breasts strips until cooked through.
Add Some Flavor
You can add to this easy recipe to make flavored teriyaki sauce. Here’s a few typical additions:
- Red pepper flakes: Stir into completed sauce.
- Sesame seeds: Stir into completed sauce.
- Chopped green onion: Stir into completed sauce.
- Pineapple juice: Sub 1/2 the mirin for pineapple juice for a savory-salty-sweet flavor!
- Fresh ginger: Add grated ginger to sauce while it simmers.
- Garlic: Add fresh minced garlic or garlic powder to the sauce while it simmers.
FAQs
Yes! If you don’t have mirin, you can use a mix of rice vinegar and a bit of extra sugar, or substitute it with sake and sugar.
Let the sauce cool completely, then store it in an airtight container or jar in the refrigerator for up to one week. If it thickens in the fridge, you can reheat it gently on the stovetop or microwave before using.
Teriyaki sauce is incredibly versatile! Use it as a marinade for chicken, beef, or salmon, a stir-fry sauce for vegetables and tofu, a glaze for grilled meats, or even a dipping sauce for dumplings and sushi. You can also drizzle it over rice or noodles for extra flavor.
3-Ingredient Teriyaki Sauce
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 cup mirin
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, whisk together the soy sauce, mirin, and granulated sugar.
- Bring ingredients to boil over medium heat, whisking to avoid burning.
- Reduce heat to medium low and allow sauce to simmer, whisking occasionally to avoid burning. Sauce will thicken. This takes 8-10 minutes.
- Allow sauce to cool, and then it's ready to use!
