Discover 2 Easy Ways to Make Delicious Teriyaki Sauce - Insider Cooking Tips

If you're a fan of Japanese cuisine, you're probably familiar with the versatility of Teriyaki sauce. This magical sauce can accompany a variety of dishes. Whether you're using it as a marinade for frying, as a meat tenderizer, or as a dipping sauce, it always hits the spot. In our daily 'Tasty Treats' section, Insider Cooking Tips will reveal 2 simple ways to make Teriyaki sauce that are foolproof and delicious. Let's dive in!

1. What is Teriyaki? What Does Teriyaki Sauce Taste Like?

Teriyaki is a familiar type of sauce in Japanese cuisine. This sauce is a blend of various ingredients such as Japanese soy sauce, Mirin rice wine (a type of cooking wine that adds sweetness to dishes), honey, and sometimes even pineapple juice to tenderize the meat and enhance the flavor. 

Experience the Delight of Japanese Cuisine with Teriyaki Sauce - Insider Tips

If you've ever indulged in Japanese dishes, you're likely familiar with the tantalizing Teriyaki sauce. The Japanese often use it for frying, grilling, or as a dipping sauce... Nowadays, you can easily find Teriyaki sauce in supermarkets. However, making Teriyaki sauce is incredibly simple with just a few easy-to-find ingredients. Let's learn the recipe that Insider Tips has gathered for you below!

2. Simple and Authentic Japanese-Style Teriyaki Sauce Recipe

Despite being a divine sauce, making Teriyaki sauce is surprisingly simple. With this sauce recipe, you'll easily pair it with various delicious dishes. Let's get cooking!

• 1.5 tablespoons cornstarch
• 5 tablespoons Japanese soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon finely grated ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
• 45ml Mirin (Japanese rice wine, available at supermarkets)
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• ½ teaspoon sesame oil

Photo: curated collection

Steps to Make Authentic Japanese Teriyaki Sauce

Step 1: Put the cornstarch in a large bowl along with 2 tablespoons of cold water. Mix well to dissolve the cornstarch in the water.

Step 2: Combine soy sauce, water, honey, Mirin, rice vinegar, finely grated ginger, and sesame oil in a small saucepan. Stir well to blend the ingredients.

Photo: curated collection

Step 3: Once the sauce mixture from above is boiling, add the cornstarch mixture from step 1. Simmer gently and stir continuously to create a thick consistency for the sauce, then turn off the heat.

Finished Product

Traditional Japanese-style Teriyaki sauce has an appealing brown color. It has a moderate thickness, not too thick but not too thin either. The sauce has a balanced sweetness with a slight hint of spiciness from the finely chopped ginger. 

3. How to Make Teriyaki Sauce without Sake

If you want to make Teriyaki sauce for kids and prefer not to use sake, the recipe suggested by Blog Mytour below will meet your needs. Instead of using Mirin to add sweetness, Mytour suggests replacing it with pineapple juice to make the dish even more enticing. 

Ingredients to Prepare

• 1 cup soy sauce (preferably Japanese soy sauce) 
• ⅓ cup pineapple juice
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• ½ teaspoon finely chopped fresh ginger (if serving to kids, you can reduce the amount of ginger)
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tablespoon white sesame seeds

Photo: curated collection

Mytour suggests delicious dishes with Teriyaki sauce:

• Pan-Seared Teriyaki Salmon

Steps to Make Teriyaki Sauce without Sake

Step 1: Here's how to make Teriyaki sauce: put the ingredients including soy sauce, pineapple juice, honey, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and finely chopped fresh ginger into a pot, then stir well to dissolve the ingredients together.

Photo: curated collection

Step 2: Simmer the above sauce mixture over low heat for about 5-6 minutes. During simmering, remember to stir constantly until the sauce thickens, then turn off the heat.

Step 3: Add white sesame seeds to the sauce mixture and stir well, then it's ready to enjoy. Teriyaki sauce is best enjoyed warm. If not using immediately, you should let the sauce cool completely before storing it in the refrigerator. 

Photo: curated collection

Finished Product

Although it doesn't use Mirin, the sauce still has a soft sweetness from pineapple juice. The sauce has an appealing brown color, moderate thickness. The flavor is rich, slightly sweet. 

4. Some Tips for Making Teriyaki Sauce

To make Teriyaki sauce as delicious and enticing as restaurant quality, here are some tips you must remember: 

• When simmering Teriyaki sauce, opt for a slightly larger pan to allow the sauce mixture to thicken more quickly.
• Additionally, if you want the sauce to thicken faster, you can mix cornstarch with water and simmer with Teriyaki sauce for about 1-2 minutes.
• Simmer the sauce over low heat to achieve a thick consistency.
• If you prefer not to use Mirin, you can substitute it with pineapple juice and apple cider vinegar to retain the sauce's flavor while enhancing its appeal. Especially for meat dishes, pineapple juice helps tenderize the meat. 

Photo: curated collection

Here are 2 easy ways to make Teriyaki sauce that are simple and straightforward. With this sauce, you can pair it with many different delicious dishes. Let's get cooking!

Explore more sauce recipes: 

• Simplest Way to Make Tonkatsu Sauce
• Easy Recipe for Healthy Sesame Sauce