If You Have Soy Sauce, You're Only One Ingredient Away From Teriyaki

If you've ever worried that teriyaki was something limited to your favorite take-out spots, we have some good news for you. The salty-tangy-sweet sauce is best known in the U.S. for the classic chicken teriyaki, a staple of food courts and hole-in-the-wall restaurants, but the same flavor that can elevate simple chicken thighs into something heavenly is surprisingly versatile. Not only can it pair with other meats and make a great hamburger, but you can also brush it on grilled fish and vegetables or use it as dipping sauce.

The only hold up is the mystery of how it's made. Most store-bought versions are overly sweet, and you'd assume the delicious professional versions require a lot more complexity to pull off. Well guess what? If you want some homemade teriyaki of your very own, you can make it with just soy sauce and brown sugar.

It turns out that good soy sauce is such a powerful source of flavor that to get that classic teriyaki sauce you love, you only need a sweetener. You can use honey or even white sugar, but brown sugar has those extra molasses notes that bring something extra to such a simple recipe. You can start at a ratio of one cup soy sauce to a ½ cup brown sugar, then adjust the level of sweetness to your own personal taste. It's one of those food tricks that is so easy you're probably upset you didn't learn it sooner.

Once you've found your ideal balance using brown sugar and the best soy sauce you have, all you need to do is cook it down to achieve the glossy consistency that teriyaki is famous for. Just bring everything to a low boil on a stovetop, making sure to stir to dissolve the sugar and to keep the sauce from scorching. Then cook it over medium heat, occasionally stirring until it has reduced to your desired consistency. If you want it done even quicker or aren't getting the consistency you want, a small amount of cornstarch slurry can be added to increase the thickening power.

This is also the perfect base for adding upgrades to truly take your teriyaki to a professional level with little extra effort. Spices like ginger, onion, and garlic powder all add an extra savory element to balance out the sweetness and bring some more complexity to your teriyaki. Making the best teriyaki sauces also usually involves adding extra depth by incorporating mirin and sake. If you already have them on hand, adding a quarter cup of one or both will push your easy teriyaki sauce to the next level, you'll just have to cook it a little more to compensate for the added liquid. But all of those extras are just gravy. Two-ingredient teriyaki is great by itself, and it will instantly become a go-to weeknight dinner solution anytime you don't have a plan.