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This pretty authentic teriyaki sauce is easy to make at home with just 3 ingredients & 10 minutes. Mirin, soy sauce and honey combine to create this delicious sauce, marinade or glaze - great with chicken, salmon, rice, noodles and in a stir-fry.
This Teriyaki sauce is such a delicious, versatile condiment. Not only can you use it as both a sauce, marinade, glaze and stir-fry sauce, it's also super easy to make and follows a super easy recipe.
Nothing unnecessary is added to this version. There's no ginger or pineapple juice, as these are not really included in authentic Teriyaki sauce.
The only "authentic" ingredient I left out is sake, as in my opinion it doesn't do much for the taste, and is not really a pantry staple in most US & European homes.
This sauce is great with all kinds of protein - use it to make amazing Teriyaki chicken, Teriyaki salmon or even Teriyaki tofu! You can even serve it as a dipping sauce for spring rolls or dumplings!
Why you will love this recipe
- It's quick - 10 minutes is all you need
- It's easy - combine ingredients, mix and simmer. Done!
- It's delicious - salty, sweet & with just a slight hint of tanginess
- It's versatile and can be used as a sauce, glaze, marinade or stir-fry sauce and goes great with any protein
- It's pretty authentic - I just skipped the sake, because who has that at home?!
What you need to make it
Ingredient notes & substitutions
- Mirin can be found in most supermarkets and definitely in Asian supermarkets. It can be substituted for sherry or marsala wine. You can also use dry white wine, rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar, but you then need to add a ½ teaspoon of sugar or honey for every 1 tablespoon.
- Honey: Liquid honey is easiest to use, but any kind works.
How to make it
- First, gather your ingredients
- Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and mix
- Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes, until reduced in volume by about ⅓. It should now be a bit sticky.
- Serve! Top with sesame seeds, or serve just as it is.
Tips & tricks
- If you want a really thick Teriyaki sauce let it cool down for at least 10 minutes before using
- Store leftovers in the fridge in an air tight container for up to 4 days
- Serve leftovers cold or heated
- To make leftover sauce more liquid again, just reheat it (it gets thicker and stickier as it cools)
Recipe FAQ
This sauce thickens by simmering. Simmering allows for some of the liquid to evaporate which leaves the sauce thicker than it was at the start. The sugar in the honey and mirin makes the end result nice and sticky.
The sauce will also get stickier and thicker as it cools, so if you plan on using it as a glaze and want it to be really sticky I recommend allowing it to cool down a bit before using.
No, this Teriyaki sauce is not vegan as it contains honey. To make it vegan you can substitute honey for the same amount of brown sugar.
This depends on the mirin and soy sauce used. Both can contain wheat, and soy sauce often does. To make it gluten free, use a gluten free Japanese soy sauce and make sure your mirin is gluten free.
This depends on how you're using it. I aim for the following:
Glaze: ⅛ cup (30 ml) per person
Marinade: ⅛ cup (30 ml) per person
Sauce: ¼ cup (60 ml) per person
Stir-fry sauce: ¼ cup (60 ml) per person
More quick & easy sauces
Love quick and easy sauces, like this one? Then I think you will love these!
- Gyoza Sauce
- 5-minute Blue Cheese Sauce
- 2-minute Gluten Free BBQ Sauce
- 5-minute Lime Aioli from Scratch
- Avocado Lime Ranch Dressing
- Chipotle Ranch Dressing
Did you love this recipe? Rate it five stars!
...and let me know what you loved about it in the comments.
Easy 3 Ingredient Teriyaki Sauce
Print RateIngredients
- 1 cup mirin
- ½ cup Japanese soy sauce*
- 3 tablespoon honey
- sesame seeds optional
Instructions
- Combine mirin, soy sauce and honey in a saucepan and mix.1 cup mirin, ½ cup Japanese soy sauce*, 3 tablespoon honey
- Place over medium heat, bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes until reduced in volume by about ⅓ and a bit sticky.
- Use straight away or set aside to cool down for at least 10 minutes for a stickier glaze. Top with sesame seeds before serving.sesame seeds
Equipment needed for this recipe
- Measuring cups (metric or US)*
Video
Notes
Ingredient notes & substitutions
- Mirin can be found in most supermarkets and definitely in Asian supermarkets. It can be substituted for sherry or marsala wine. You can also use dry white wine, rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar, but you then need to add a ½ teaspoon of sugar or honey for every 1 tablespoon.
- Honey: Liquid honey is easiest to use, but any kind works.
Tips & tricks
- If you want a really thick sauce let it cool down for at least 10 minutes before using
- Make it vegan by substituting honey for the same amount of brown sugar
- Make it gluten free by using gluten free Japanese soy sauce and making sure your mirin is gluten free
- Store leftovers in the fridge in an air tight container for up to 4 days
- Serve leftovers cold or heated
- To make leftover sauce more liquid again, just reheat it (it gets thicker and stickier as it cools)
Nutrition
Nutritional information is approximate and automatically calculated, and should only be viewed as an indication.
jean kenyon
I can’t make this recipe because i don’t know which measurements are correct? 1 cup seems to be different in American, Japanese and English so which measurements do i use?
Emmeline Kemperyd
Hi Jean! I use US cups which are almost 240 ml (I think 236 ml exactly?).
Irina
I always wanted to start making a teriyaki sauce at home, and it seems that it is my chance! I love this three-ingredient recipe 🙂
Emese
Awesome. I didn't know you need only 3 ingredients. Never again will I buy a store-bought version now. Thanks.
Emmeline Kemperyd
You are so welcome!
Jovita
Teriyaki sauce is one of my favorites. I love how easy your recipe is! No need to buy one from store when you can make your own in just 10 minutes 🙂
Elizabeth
Oh yum! SO much better than store-bought teriyaki in a jar!
Mahy
Fantastic teriyaki sauce that begs to make it every time you need a quality sauce. Really excited about your recipe!
Emmeline Kemperyd
Thank you so much Mahy! Happy you liked it!