Thick and sweet, this easy teriyaki sauce is great for dipping or in a stir fry. Add in sesame seeds as a garnish to finish the sauce.

This recipe calls for both honey and brown sugar for sweetness, but if you’d like to make this recipe vegan, replace the honey with more brown sugar instead.
Ingredients
The ingredients in this teriyaki sauce are standard ingredients in any Asian recipe.
- Soy sauce: Soy gives this recipe a much needed saltiness.
- Garlic and ginger: The aromatics give a great bite to this sauce.
- Cornstarch: Adding cornstarch will thicken the sauce. Add the cornstarch when the sauce boils and whisk quickly to incorporate.
- Honey and brown sugar: Both these ingredients will add a sweetness to the sauce that teriyaki is known for.
How to Make Teriyaki
Making this teriyaki sauce is pretty quick and easy to make! Just combine all ingredients and heat in a saucepan.
Take the ginger and garlic and mince finely. No one wants to be eating an unexpected chunk of ginger. I usually use a microplane tool for the ginger and garlic so they are finely minced and incorporate well into the sauce.
Once your ginger and garlic are finely minced or grated, add them to the saucepan, along with the soy sauce, water, honey and brown sugar. Whisk until the sugar and honey is dissolved. Add in the slurry and whisky so that all ingredients are well combined. Bring the teriyaki sauce to a boil and boil for about a minute.
Take the sauce off the heat and add in sesame seeds. Stir in. The sauce will thicken as it cools.
How to Make a Cornstarch Slurry
Making a cornstarch slurry is quite simple. It needs to be made in a separate bowl. If cornstarch or flour is added directly to a hot liquid it will clump and it is impossible to stir away the clumps, making your sauce inedible.
Add the cornstarch and water and whisk together well until it is incorporated. This slurry is what will thicken whatever it is you’re adding it to, whether it is soups or sauces. You will commonly see slurries in soups like French Onion soup and Cream of Mushroom.

Ways to Use Teriyaki Sauce
There are a multitude of ways to use this easy teriyaki sauce. Use it as a dipping sauce for grilled chicken skewers or pan-fried chicken thighs. Add this easy teriyaki sauce to a stir fry of your choosing or even add it to some caramelized pork chops! The possibilities are endless with an easy-to-use teriyaki.
I usually have a jar full of teriyaki stashed in my fridge for easy use.