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This homemade teriyaki sauce has the perfect blend of sweet, salty, and savory flavors, and comes together in a flash!

I love making my own dressings and sauces for meals and salads, that way I know exactly what ingredients go into it, and I can adjust the ingredients when necessary.

This homemade teriyaki sauce is the perfect blend of sweet and savory flavors, with low sodium soy sauce (to cut down on some of the salt content,) sweet dark brown sugar, mirin, seasoned rice wine vinegar, spicy fresh grated ginger, earthy garlic, cornstarch, and water. 

Did you know teriyaki comes from two Japanese words, “teri” meaning shine, and “yaki” meaning grilled? No wonder it’s a family favorite! I love it in my Teriyaki Salmon Bowls and my Instant Pot Teriyaki Chicken.

Trust me, once you make this easy homemade teriyaki sauce, you’ll never go back to store-bought again!

Ingredients for homemade teriyaki sauce

• Low sodium soy sauce – I’ve chosen low sodium so that I can control the amount of salt that goes into my teriyaki sauce.
• Dark brown sugar – Dark brown sugar will add sweetness to the teriyaki sauce. 
• Mirin – Mirin will add a tanginess to the sauce.
• Seasoned rice wine vinegar – Seasoned rice wine vinegar will brighten the sauce. 
• Grated ginger – Grated ginger will add sweetness and some spice.
• Garlic – A classic ingredient that will add earthiness to the sauce.
• Cornstarch and water – These will help thicken the sauce to the perfect consistency.

What is mirin?

Mirin is a rice wine that can be found in many Japanese recipes.

Its flavor is slightly sweet and slightly tangy, and 100% gives that classic teriyaki flavor we all know and love from our favorite restaurants.

You can easily find mirin in any local Asian market, or in the International foods aisle of most major grocery stores.

If you can’t find it, no worries!

You can replace it with dry sherry. It’s not a perfect match, but it will lend similar flavors to the dish.

Make ahead

You can easily make up a batch of this homemade teriyaki sauce for later use!

Make as directed, and store in a squeeze bottle in the refrigerator where it can last up to 2 weeks!

Variations

Sugar:

You could replace the brown sugar with white sugar, honey, or a sugar substitute if you cannot have sugar.

Spice:

You can turn up the heat by adding a little bit of red pepper flakes!

Everything nice:

If you don’t have fresh ginger or garlic, you can easily use powdered garlic and ginger!

Storage and leftovers

This recipe is perfect to make ahead!

It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

More Asian inspired dishes

• Looking for a hearty dinner? Try my Honey Garlic Chicken Bowls
• Want to try something new? Try my Savory Asian Oat Bran
• Need something spicy? Try my Spicy Shrimp Egg Roll Skillet
• Craving takeout but want to stay in? Try my Cashew Chicken Pad Thai