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Here is a short video explaining the process, scroll down for detailed ingredients and step by step recipe method. Thanks for coming and do not forget to check other recipes on our homepage.
Let me ask you something. When did we all decide that teriyaki sauce had to come from a bottle? Because it doesn’t. It really, truly doesn’t. This homemade teriyaki sauce comes together in about 15 minutes using things you almost certainly already have sitting in your pantry right now — and it tastes so much better than the store-bought stuff that you’ll have a hard time going back.
Use it as a marinade. Use it as a glaze. Use it as a dipping sauce. Pour it over chicken, beef, pork, salmon, wings, vegetables — honestly, if you can eat it, this sauce probably belongs on it. Buckle up. Here we go.
What You’ll Need
- 4 cloves of garlic
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 4 tablespoons water
- Sesame seeds (optional, but highly recommended)
That’s it. Nothing exotic. Nothing you need to make a special trip for. Pure pantry power.
Step 1: Prep the Garlic (Do It Properly — It Matters)
Start with your four garlic cloves. Give them a good smash with the flat side of your knife first — this loosens the skin so it peels off easily. Peel them, then dice them up finely.
But we’re not stopping at diced. Once the garlic is chopped, take that flat knife edge again and smash the diced garlic into the board, working it into a rough paste. This is the move. It releases the oils, brings out the deeper sweet flavors hiding in the garlic, and softens that sharp raw bite.
The garlic is going into the sauce and staying there — so this step makes sure you’re getting flavor, not just chunks. Take the extra minute. You’ll taste the difference.
Step 2: Build the Sauce
Grab a saucepan and set the heat to medium to medium-high. Now just start adding everything in — this is the part where it gets easy:
- ½ cup brown sugar — in it goes
- 1 cup low sodium soy sauce — pour it right in
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar — a nice little splash
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger — from the spice rack, straight in
- Your garlic paste — bring those bad boys into the pool
Give everything a good stir and let it all incorporate together over the heat. You’ll start to smell it almost immediately — that sweet, savory, garlicky aroma is a very good sign.
Step 3: Add the Sesame Oil
Once everything is mixed, add 2 teaspoons of sesame oil. Not more. Sesame oil is incredible but it’s also bold — too much and it takes over the whole sauce. Two teaspoons hits that sweet spot where it adds a warm, nutty depth without overwhelming everything else.
Stir it in and let the sauce continue to come up to a boil.
Step 4: Make the Cornstarch Slurry
While the sauce is heating up, take a small bowl and combine 3 tablespoons of cornstarch with 4 tablespoons of water. Mix them together until it’s fully combined and smooth — this is your thickening agent, and it’s what’s going to turn this from a thin liquid into that gorgeous, glossy, coat-the-back-of-a-spoon teriyaki sauce you’re after.
Set the slurry aside for now. It goes in once the sauce starts to boil.
Step 5: Thicken It Up
Once the sauce reaches a boil, let it bubble for about a minute, then pour in your cornstarch slurry and stir immediately. Keep stirring as it comes back up to a boil — you’ll watch it transform in real time, thickening up into that perfect glossy consistency.
As soon as it reaches the right thickness, turn off the heat. Don’t keep cooking it. You’re looking for a sauce that coats a spoon nicely — not too runny, not gloopy. When it looks perfect in the pan, it’s done.
Step 6: Toast the Sesame Seeds (Don’t Skip This)
You don’t have to do this. But you should absolutely do this.
Throw some sesame seeds into a dry pan — no oil needed — over medium heat. Now stay right there. Don’t walk away. Sesame seeds go from pale to golden to burned faster than you’d expect, and you want golden.
Once they start picking up a light brown color, pull them off the heat. The pan is still hot, so keep shaking and moving them around for another minute — they’ll keep toasting from the residual heat. What you’re after is that beautiful nutty, slightly crisp flavor that comes with a proper toast.
Once they’re done, stir them straight into the finished sauce. No need to add them over heat — just mix them in and you’re done.
What You’ve Got
A thick, glossy, deeply flavored teriyaki sauce with real garlic, real ginger, and toasted sesame seeds running through it. It smells incredible. It looks stunning. And it’s going to make everything it touches better.
Here’s just a few ideas for what to do with it:
- Chicken — grill it, then glaze it, then try not to eat the whole thing
- Salmon — marinade for 30 minutes, then pan-sear or bake
- Beef or pork — brushed on during the last few minutes of cooking
- Broccoli or stir-fried vegetables — toss everything in a hot wok and finish with this sauce
- Wings — toss straight after frying for a sticky, glossy coating that’ll disappear fast
A Few Quick Tips
- Low sodium soy sauce is important. Regular soy sauce will make the whole thing too salty. Stick with low sodium.
- Don’t over-sesame-oil it. Two teaspoons. Trust the measurement.
- Stir the cornstarch slurry right before adding it — it settles quickly, so give it a quick mix just before it goes in.
- Store it in a jar in the fridge — it keeps well and actually gets even better the next day once everything melds together.
This is genuinely one of the easiest things you can make from scratch, and once you’ve made your own teriyaki sauce, the bottled version just won’t cut it anymore. It takes fifteen minutes, uses everyday pantry staples, and tastes completely out of this world.
Make a batch this week. Your meals will thank you.
