At-Home Teriyaki Sauce Recipe

Of all the sauces that pop up in Asian-American cuisine, teriyaki sauce is undoubtedly one of the most popular and delicious. The great part about this sweet and tangy sauce is that you can put it on anything ranging from rice to veggies and, of course, your favorite protein. It just adds so much extra flavor and takes the whatever dish you are making to another level.

Recipe developer Miriam Hahn came up with this quick and easy recipe that goes well on your favorite Asian dish. "My favorite thing about this recipe is how easy it is to throw together and how the ingredients are pantry staples," she explains. Hahn adds that pre-made sauces may contain additives that aren't so good for you, but at home you can strike a healthy balance. "It is easy to control the amount of sodium in a homemade sauce," Hahn says. "I like to use low-sodium soy sauce when I make this at home. Plus, it is always less expensive to whip up your own sauces at home!"

Kick things off by making a list and heading to the store. You will need water, soy sauce, brown sugar, honey, garlic granules, powdered ginger, and cornstarch. "If you have coconut sugar or date sugar, you can use those instead of brown sugar to add a more caramel flavor," Hahn notes. Another suggestion? "if you want to keep it low sugar, you can reduce sugar to 1 teaspoon, and if you want it vegan, you can use maple syrup instead of honey," Hahn shares.

Take out a small pot and start adding in your ingredients. Begin with ¾ cup of water, and then add the soy sauce, brown sugar, honey, garlic granules, and ginger.  Place the pot on the stove and cook on low heat for about 5 minutes. Be sure to stir regularly, which helps the brown sugar dissolve.

In a small bowl, toss in the remaining water and the cornstarch. Use a whisk to mix the ingredients and continue whisking until all the lumps disappear. This shouldn't take very long.

Now, you can toss in the cornstarch mixture with the other ingredients in the pot and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes, making sure to stir on occasion as the sauce thickens. Once the sauce is nice and thick, you can take it off the heat. If it gets too thick for your liking, you can always add a little bit more water to thin it out.

"The sauce is sweet, yet tangy, and the garlic and ginger come through with loud pops of flavor," Hahn says of the flavor. "The texture is thick, so it coats whatever you serve it with so well!"

Now, you can serve this yummy sauce or add to your favorite food. "I love to serve it with tofu and vegetables. You can use it on any type of meat. It is a great dip for eggrolls or spring rolls," Hahn shares. "[Teriyaki] makes a wonderful sauce in a stir fry. Nice for an Asian-inspired buddha bowl, chicken or tofu skewers, and a chicken teriyaki sandwich. Tons of options!"

This is also great to make ahead of time. "I like to store this in a small glass jar in the fridge. Will be great for up to 10 days," Hahn shares. We hope this hits the spot.