Teriyaki sauce
A glossy, sweet and salty teriyaki sauce made with tamari, mirin, ginger and garlic, in 15 minutes.
Make this once, then cook it into 23 different dishes.
- Time15 min
- LevelEasy
- Costabout £1.42 a head
- Makesabout 300 ml, enough for 2 or 3 meals for 4 people
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Mix the cornflour with the 2 tbsp cold water in a small bowl until smooth.
- 2
Put the tamari, mirin, 60 ml water, sugar, garlic and ginger in a small saucepan. Stir over a medium heat until the sugar dissolves.
- 3
Bring to a gentle boil, then simmer for 5 minutes, until slightly reduced and syrupy.
5 min - 4
Stir the cornflour mixture again and pour it into the pan while whisking. Cook for 1 minute until the sauce is glossy and coats the back of a spoon.
1 min - 5
Taste. It should be salty-sweet and savoury. Add a splash of water if too strong, or a little sugar if too salty.
- 6
Cool completely, then pour into a clean jar. You should have about 300 ml.
About teriyaki sauce
Teriyaki sauce is a glossy Japanese glaze made from soy sauce, mirin and sugar, which is brushed on to grilled or pan fried food as it cooks. In Japanese, teri means shine and yaki means grilled, which describes exactly what it does.
It tastes salty, sweet and savoury, with a mellow roundness from the mirin and a little warmth from ginger and garlic. Bought bottles are often thick and very sweet, but a homemade sauce is lighter, fresher and easy to adjust.
This version is gluten free because it uses tamari. One batch makes about 300 ml, enough for two or three meals for four people at 120 ml each. Use it for salmon, chicken thighs, tofu, vegetables and noodles.
Tips
- Add the sauce to the pan only at the end of cooking. The sugar burns quickly if it goes in too early.
- For a thinner glaze, skip the cornflour and simmer longer. For a thicker, clinging sauce, use a little more cornflour.
- Mirin is a Japanese sweet rice wine. Look for real mirin rather than "mirin style seasoning" for a better taste.
- Honey or maple syrup can replace sugar, but the flavour will change slightly.
- Do not baste cooked food with sauce that touched raw meat unless you boil it for 2 minutes first.
Storing and freezing
Keeps up to 1 week in a clean jar in the fridge, or up to 3 months in the freezer in 120 ml portions. Cool within 1 hour before chilling, and reheat until bubbling before using as a glaze.
Dishes you can make with teriyaki sauce
Tsukune Kare (Chicken Meatball Curry)
GFNFChicken Teriyaki Donburi (Teriyaki Chicken Rice Bowls)
GFDFEFSaba no Teriyaki (Teriyaki Mackerel with Sesame Spinach)
GFDFEFTsukune with Teriyaki Glaze (Japanese Chicken Meatball Skewers)
GFDFNFSticky Teriyaki Chicken Wings
GFDFEFTeriyaki Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry
GFDFEFHawaiian Teriyaki Chicken and Pineapple Skewers
GFDFEFTeriyaki Pork Tenderloin with Pak Choi
GFDFEFNasu Teriyaki (Teriyaki Aubergine Rice Bowls)
GFDFEFTeriyaki Shiitake and Pak Choi Noodle Bowls
GFDFEFTeriyaki Chicken Onigiri (Japanese Rice Balls)
GFDFEFTeriyaki Prawn Noodle Bowls
GFDFEFQuestions
Is this teriyaki sauce gluten free?
Yes. It uses gluten free tamari instead of ordinary soy sauce. It is also dairy free, egg free, nut free and vegan. Check your tamari and mirin labels, as some brands include wheat or additives.
What can I use instead of mirin?
Use dry sherry or rice wine with an extra teaspoon of sugar. Alternatively use rice vinegar mixed with a little sugar. The flavour is different but still good.
How do I use teriyaki sauce?
Brush it onto salmon or chicken in the last few minutes of cooking, or toss it with stir fried vegetables and tofu. Use about 120 ml for a meal for four people.
Can I make it thicker?
Yes. Simmer it for a few more minutes, or add a little more cornflour mixed with cold water. The sauce thickens further as it cools.
Is teriyaki sauce the same as soy sauce?
No. Soy sauce is a salty, fermented seasoning. Teriyaki sauce is made from soy sauce with mirin and sugar added, so it is sweeter, thicker and used as a glaze.
More base recipes
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.