Homemade sauces and condiments always taste better than store bought, and this delicious Honey Teriyaki Sauce is no exception. And you won't believe how easy it is to make!
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What is Teriyaki Sauce?
Teriyaki Sauce, as opposed to teriyaki marinade, is meant to be a glaze or grilling sauce. A teriyaki marinade is made with the same ingredients as teriyaki sauce, but it is not cooked or thickened before marinating. We can also use this Honey Teriyaki recipe as a marinade by skipping the cooking step, which thickens the sauce.
Teriyaki is a combination of two words. Teri, which in Japanese means "gloss", or "shine" and Yaki which means "grill". So, although we in North America think of teriyaki as a sauce or marinade, in Japan it's a cooking method.
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What's to Love About This Recipe
- This sauce is thick and glossy, without cornstarch or any thickeners.
- It's super easy to make. Whisk everything together and cook for 5 minutes. That's it!
- Only 5 ingredients. No unpronounceable additives or preservatives.
- No refined sugar. Just honey, so it's not an overly sweet sauce.
- Takes just 5 minutes! Okay, 6 if you count the measuring of ingredients.
- Goes on everything. Chicken, salmon, beef, pork, shrimp, tofu, noodles, rice, vegetables, you name it! Teriyaki sauce is one of the best all-around sauces there are, so it's worth making it yourself.
- Crazy delicious. So much better than anything on a store shelf.
Here's What You Need
- Honey. You can make this recipe vegan by replacing the honey with agave or corn syrup. Although maple syrup might work, I haven't tried it so I can't vouch. If you try it with maple syrup, please let me know how it went!
- Mirin. Mirin is a fermented rice wine that is a common ingredient in Japanese cooking. It's tart, rich, a bit syrupy, and slightly sweet. You can find it in the Asian section of your grocery store or on the link at the beginning of this paragraph and it's definitely worth looking for. If you haven't used mirin before, when you do, you will realize what's been missing when you cook Japanese recipes.
- Soy Sauce. There's quite a lot of soy sauce in the recipe, so it can be very salty unless you use a low or reduced-sodium version. I use reduced-sodium tamari, which is gluten free. You can also find reduced-sodium gluten-free soy sauce in the grocery store.
- Garlic and Ginger. I love my little mini food chopper for making quick work of mincing both garlic and ginger.
How To Make It
- Whisk all the ingredients together in a small saucepan.
2. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 5 minutes before removing it from the heat and allowing the honey teriyaki sauce to cool.
Tips
- Use a non-reactive pan. Stainless steel works best.
- After bringing the sauce to a boil, immediately reduce the heat to low or just to a simmer. Even then, it may bubble up, and you will need to watch it carefully and stir to prevent bubbling over.
- Brush teriyaki sauce on food at the end of cooking time. Because it is a sweet sauce, it can burn if brushed on the food too soon.
FAQs
Yes, you can! Just skip the cooking step and marinate your protein or vegetables in the combined ingredients.
Your teriyaki sauce may seem thin when you remove it from the heat. But don't worry, it will thicken to the perfect consistency while it cools.
No cornstarch or any other thickening agent is required for this recipe! The sauce will thicken on its own while it simmers.
You can store homemade teriyaki sauce in the fridge for up to two weeks.
Regular soy sauce is made with wheat, so this recipe is only gluten-free if you use tamari or gluten-free soy sauce. As always, check labels carefully.
Yes, you can swap the honey for agave syrup or corn syrup to make this sauce vegan.
How To Use It
This honey teriyaki sauce is super versatile. Its delicious brushed on Grilled Asian Salmon Kebabs, or, instead of Chimichurri Sauce, on Grilled Pork Tenderloin. Use it on steaks, burgers, or stir-fries like Cabbage Stir-Fry or Steak & Asparagus Stir Fry. It's a perfect chicken wing sauce, and you can even use it as a dip for Air Fryer Asparagus Fries.
More Sauces To Try
Now that you've seen just how easy it is to make your own teriyaki sauce, you might also want to try these other simple sauces, too:
Did you make this recipe? Please leave a rating in the comments below and let us know how it turned out. Did you make any changes? We would love for you to share and your feedback is important! Thank you for visiting The Food Blog!
Recipe
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Honey Teriyaki Sauce
Ingredients
- 1.25 cup mirin
- 1.25 cup tamari or soy sauce reduced-sodium
- .25 cup honey
- 1 teaspoon garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon ginger minced
Instructions
- In a heavy saucepan, whisk together all ingredients
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, stirring down and bubbling for 4 minutes, or until the sauce has started to thicken.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool completely
- Transfer to a glass jar with a lid and store in the fridge for up to two weeks.
Evi
This is such a good teriyaki sauce recipe! I love the amount of sweetness, and was really good with porkchops!
Christina
I love the honey instead of sugar for health reasons, but others I tried weren't that great. This one is not just better than the other healthy ones, it's better than *any* recipe I've tried. Served over steak and fried rice.
Thank you for this recipe, it's going to be a staple here!
Colleen
Hi Christina! I'm glad to hear that you loved this honey teriyaki sauce! It's a staple for us, too. Your feedback is much appreciated. Thank you, and enjoy!
Sabrina Straus
Delicious!!! At first I was upset bc I used ALL of my mirin and soy sauce so if it didn’t turn out I was going to cry, but this is delicious. I did add a little brown sugar bc I didn’t have enough honey and a splash of vinegar bc my soy sauce wasn’t low sodium so it was just super rich and needed some acid… but I’m so glad I have leftovers of this sauce for more recipes! Thanks for sharing! So easy
Colleen
Hi Sabrina. I'm super happy that you loved this easy teriyaki sauce and it turned out great for you! Thanks so much for coming back to comment and share your tweaks to the recipe.
Fareen
I can't wait to try this recipe. I am definitely a sauce girl and I especially love teriyaki sauce. This sounds amazing!
amyg
I came across this honey teriyaki sauce as I wanted to put it over a grilled salmon. Let me tell you how delicious it was! This recipe is a keeper. You got to try it!
Terri
I’ve never made my own teriyaki - pinning to try! Love that you gave the substitution for mirin- I was going to ask!!
Colleen
Hi Terri. Once you make your own, you'll never want to buy it again. Enjoy!
Brianna
My first time making teriyaki sauce and it turned out fantastic! This was so easy to make and perfect for chicken.
Colleen
Brianna! I'm super thrilled that it turned out for you. It's amazing for chicken and so much else. Thanks for letting me know!
Ramona
Yummy, I absoloutly love making homemade sauces, it's always the better option and it always tastes much better in my opinion! The sound of honey and teriyaki both together sounds super delicious and flavoursome and I am dying to make this. Thank you for sharing this recipe, I cant wait to try this out!
Colleen
I know you're going to love it, Ramona!
Elaine
I just NEEED to make this sauce for my next gathering. It certainly looks absolutely amazing and is exactly what I have been looking for!
Colleen
Hi Elaine! I agree, you do need this sauce! Once you see how easy and yummy it is you'll know why!
Lori | The Kitchen Whisperer
What an amazingly delicious and EASY recipe! I make my own sauces and love your version of teriyaki! Yours is so simple and so delicious! Thank you so much for this!
Colleen
Hi Lori, I'm super happy to hear this! You are very welcome!
Leslie
I make most of my own sauces so I'm very excited about this recipe! The flavors are a great combination! Thank you for this!
Colleen
You're so welcome, Leslie! I know you're going to love it!
Cindy Mom the Lunch Lady
Oh wow, what a simple and flavorful recipe. Perfect to have on hand for a craving. It looks so glossy and delicious 🤩😍
Sharon
This is fabulous and I love that there are no refined sugars! The store-bought ones are packed with sugar. Thanks so much for this delicious option.
Colleen
You're so welcome, Sharon! Enjoy!
Ashling
Loved this! The notes are super helpful. I didn't have another substitute for mirin so I decided to try 1c ACV + ¼c (extra) honey instead and it turned out fab! I also included a couple of dashes of fish sauce for umami and additional aroma since I was missing that key ingredient. Overall, I'd highly recommend trying this recipe as honey will be my go-to for teriyaki in future!
Colleen
Hi Ashling! I'm so happy that you loved this honey teriyaki recipe. It's an all time favorite. Thanks for sharing your tweaks, too. I like the idea of adding a little fish sauce. Your feedback is appreciated!
Vanessa
So easy and delicious! I love making homemade sauces because they taste so good and I know exactly what is in them.
Colleen
I'm totally in agreement, Vanessa. I like knowing what's in the sauce, too!
Marie
My son LOVES everything that's drizzled with teriyaki sauce and I've tried countless recipes over the years (I can't get over the sodium levels in store-bought sauces!) I never quite got the balance right but your sauce looks so rich and flavorful! I will serve it with grilled salmon tonight.
Colleen
Hi Marie, you will love this with grilled salmon. Sounds delicious!
amyg
I came across this honey teriyaki sauce as I wanted to put it over a grilled salmon. Let me tell you how delicious it was! This recipe is a keeper. You got to try it!