How to make homemade teriyaki sauce without cornstarch to marinate beef, pork, or make our Teriyaki Chicken Cheesecake Factory for dinner tonight. From scratch you can then make it mild or spicy. So much better than bottled store bought.
This is how to make homemade teriyaki sauce to serve on top of meats or as a marinade before you cook. Sweet and savory mixture that is easy to whisk together and I use on everything. Just one of our cooking basics here on the blog. (affiliate links present)
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When I think of this flavor I think of Hawaiian food, and Huli Huli sauce too. I was born on the big island so my memories with this are long. When many people think of sauce for meats they might immediately go to barbecue, not me. I don’t think I’ve ever made anything with teriyaki that I haven’t loved.
How to Make Homemade Teriyaki Sauce
Yes you can buy it at the store and there are a few brands I keep on hand, I’ll share which ones in a minute. BUT it really is easy to make this in a small or large batch so it’s exactly the heat level you want. From scratch is always best using a few ingredients you probably have already at home.
How to Make Really Sticky Teriyaki Sauce
To get it to this consistency where it will almost caramelize on your meat, that involves the right balance of ingredients and cooking technique. As directed below you will heat mixture over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves completely and begins to simmer. Mix 1 tbsp. cornstarch + 2 tbsp. water to create a smooth slurry. Pour that in, stirring slowly for 5-10 minutes and then cool to continue thickening!
Can we talk about fresh roasted air fryer garlic for a minute? I’m obsessed, it goes in literally everything. I don’t know why I even bought this itty bitty jar in the photo because mine is typically huge. It saves a lot of time to already have it chopped and jarred.
Minced ginger is something you may need to order or pick up at the store. I promise you that there are other recipes to use this in, so it won’t be wasted.
What to use teriyaki sauce for?
Once this is done you’ll want to use for our teriyaki chicken drumsticks and our pop of heat (we add more) to make our Instant Pot spicy teriyaki chicken thighs. I’ve got you covered.
Let’s be honest, I don’t buy low sodium soy, I want the real thing. I do buy half a gallon though so I can refill this container often. Drizzled over Ninja Foodi rice for a quick snack or side dish is just something we all love.
If you do have someone at home watching their blood pressure though you can certainly use the 30% low sodium soy sauce version. And then there is hoisin sauce. Let’s talk about that for a minute. You may never have heard of it but if you’ve ever had Instant Pot Asian chicken at a restaurant before it was surely in that sauce.
Teriyaki Marinade Ingredients
- Soy sauce
- Minced ginger
- Chicken broth
- Minced garlic
- Brown sugar
- Hoisin sauce
- Sriracha is optional for heat
It’s thicker and sweeter than soy and almost always mixed with something else. Once again you won’t use just a bit to make this, our Instant Pot hoisin chicken uses it as well. Chicken broth and brown sugar I know you already have. If you want to add heat just squeeze in some Sriracha.
Many times I do not even cook this. I just whisk it together and use it to marinate chicken. If I want to make and serve this as a sauce to serve over meat that is already cooked, I will continue on with the cooking directions below. That will dissolve the sugar and add a bit of corn starch slurry to get to the desired thickness.
Can you make this gluten free?
Yes. There is gluten free soy sauce available sometimes, but most use what is called aminos which tastes very similar but safe for those with celiac. For the liquid you have a choice beyond chicken broth. Others could be pineapple juice, orange juice, or just add 1/4 cup of those and broth or water for the rest. When using store bought ingredients beyond that just check that back to ensure there is no wheat in it.
How to make teriyaki marinade from scratch
- Whisk all of the listed ingredients together. Pour into a small saucepan and bring to a boil on the stovetop long enough for the brown sugar to dissolve.
- If you would like it thicker whisk together 1 tbsp cornstarch with 2 tbsp water in a dish and add that in.
- Stir, once sauce thickens to your liking remove from the heat. Should be maple syrup consistency. Remove from heat and pour on top of dish immediately or cool completely and then store in a bottle in your fridge. Can in jars to store for longer.
It’s super easy to make this homemade teriyaki sauce recipe. Garnish food with sesame seeds or a splash of sesame oil on top with this and enjoy. It’s a great stir fry sauce, marinade, topping for teriyaki chicken and more. You can get a peek at that dish right here below. One of our favorites made in the air fryer or pressure cooker.
How long does leftover homemade teriyaki sauce last?
You can cool and pour into mason jars with lids. Keep in the fridge for a week or if you want to use it longer then I suggest you follow the link below on how to can sauce. Using a hot water bath you could make a really large amount, bottle it, and have it on hand for literally years on end. Then make all the teriyaki chicken recipes you want.
Homemade Teriyaki Sauce without Cornstarch
Equipment
- 1 pot
Ingredients
- 1 c soy sauce
- 1 tbsp minced ginger
- 1 c chicken broth, use less for thicker if you don't want to add any type of thickener
- 2 tbsp minced garlic
- 6 tbsp brown sugar
- 1/2 c hoisin sauce
- 1-3 tbsp Sriracha, more or less depending on how spicy you want it to be
- How to can
Instructions
- If I am using this as a marinade I whisk together and just add this as is into a large freezer bag with meat and sit into the fridge (since it will cook later). For a sauce I heat it as directed below:
- Whisk all ingredients together. Pour into a small saucepan and bring to a boil on the stovetop just long enough for sugar to dissolve.
- Stir, allow to cook down as some of the broth evaporates to thicken. Remove from heat and pour on top of dish immediately or cool completely and then store in a bottle in your fridge. Can to store when cooled for longer.
- How to thicken homemade teriyaki sauce; #1 you can just use a bit less broth. If you would like it thicker whisk together 3 tbsp all purpose flour with 3-4 tbsp cool water until you get a smooth paste. OR 1 tbsp arrowroot with 2 tbsp water for a smooth paste OR 1 tbsp cornstarch with 2 tbsp water in a dish. When smooth pour that in and stir consistently, bubbling to thicken. Use immediately for best results if thickener is used.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
