This simple homemade teriyaki sauce recipe only takes 5 minutes to prepare and contains no refined sugar or preservatives! You’ll never want to purchase teriyaki sauce again.
Have you ever prepared teriyaki sauce from scratch? When Alex and I crafted this recipe years back, it transformed our lives. Our homemade teriyaki sauce requires just 5 minutes to create and is incredibly delicious. It surpasses store-bought teriyaki sauce in flavor, and has no added salt, sugar, or preservatives. Plus, there’s no refined sugar involved!
We broke down teriyaki sauce to its essential elements, yet the taste remains fantastic with just a few key ingredients. A friend of mine mentioned she whips it up weekly for beef and broccoli, and it’s equally fantastic for a tofu stir fry or teriyaki salmon!
Where did teriyaki sauce come from?
Teriyaki has its origins in Japan, but in Japan, it actually denotes a cooking technique: grilling foods in a combination of soy sauce, mirin, and sugar. A dish like chicken teriyaki is, in fact, more of an American innovation than a traditional Japanese one!
It is believed that teriyaki sauce was developed by Japanese immigrants who settled in Hawaii. They crafted a marinade with local ingredients, such as pineapple juice mixed with soy sauce. This gradually evolved into what we recognize today as teriyaki sauce. So, to summarize: teriyaki sauce has Japanese origins, but it is primarily an American invention rather than an authentic Japanese recipe.
How to create homemade teriyaki sauce
Crafting homemade teriyaki sauce is genuinely simple: and in this recipe, we made it even easier by focusing on its primary components. Our recipe calls for only soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, and maple syrup.
Using maple syrup ensures that it is free of refined sugar and has a natural sweetness, which is a great advantage! The quantity of soy sauce is also spot on: it’s just salty enough without being overly salty.
You’ll warm the ingredients and then stir in a cornstarch slurry to give it thickness and shine. The sauce can be prepared in around 5 minutes, so we’re officially done with buying teriyaki sauce!
As mentioned in the recipe, as it cools, the sauce thickens significantly. You may find it necessary to add a tiny amount of warm water to achieve a slightly thinner texture.
Dietary notes
This straightforward homemade teriyaki sauce recipe is vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free (if using tamari), plant-based, dairy-free, refined sugar-free, and naturally sweet.
Homemade Teriyaki Sauce
This simple homemade teriyaki sauce recipe only takes 5 minutes to prepare and contains no refined sugar or preservatives! You’ll never want to purchase teriyaki sauce again.
Author: Sonja
Prep Time: 1 minute
Cook Time: 4 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Yield: About 1 cup
Category: Sauce
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: Japanese American
Ingredients
– ¼ cup regular soy sauce (or substitute tamari or coconut aminos)
– ¼ cup maple syrup
– 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
– 1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
– ½ cup water
Instructions
1. For the homemade teriyaki sauce: Mix the soy sauce, maple syrup, and rice wine vinegar in a medium saucepan and place it over medium heat.
2. In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with water and whisk until it’s dissolved. Pour the cornstarch mixture into the saucepan.
3. Heat the sauce for a few minutes, whisking continuously, until it becomes thick, smooth, and glossy. Transfer the sauce to a bowl and let it cool while you finish the rest of the recipe. (You can also prepare the teriyaki ahead of time and refrigerate it until needed.) If the sauce gets too thick after cooling, add a tiny amount of warm water gradually to return it to the desired consistency.
Other homemade sauce recipes to try
Homemade sauces are the best! Here are a few more of our essential sauce recipes: