Homemade Teriyaki Sauce

Method8 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Combine all the soy sauce (¼ cup), mirin (¼ cup), sake and sauce-making water (¼ cup) in a large saucepan over high heat.

   Uses ¼ cup soy sauce · ¼ cup mirin · ¼ cup Japanese sake cooking wine · ¼ cup water for the sauce

2. 2

   Step 2: Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the liquid has reduced by about half and has a light-syrup consistency. The author’s large-pan guide is about 10 minutes; pan size and heat change the actual reduction time.

   Check sauce reduction · 10 minUses All the combined sauce ingredients

3. 3

   Step 3: Take the saucepan off the heat and let the sauce cool before using as a marinade. The sauce component is complete at this point; keep it separate from any raw protein.

   Uses All the reduced sauce

4. 4

   Step 4: If keeping the sauce for later, transfer it to a clean airtight container and refrigerate promptly. Use a clean spoon to take out only the amount needed.

   Uses Clean sauce reserved for storage or a separate meal

   
5. 5

   Step 5: For a separately prepared teriyaki meal, the author’s guide is 3–4 tbsp of this sauce per 500 g of chicken, beef or suitable fish. Those protein ingredients and their portions belong to that separate meal, rather than this sauce batch.

   Uses 3–4 tbsp clean sauce per 500 g protein, for a separate meal

6. 6

   Step 6: For that separate meal, marinate the chosen protein in the refrigerator using its own recipe: the author suggests at least 20 minutes for meat, preferably overnight, and about 20 minutes for fish because a long marinade can overpower it. Cook the protein fully using directions appropriate to its type and thickness.

7. 7

   Step 7: If grilling or broiling that separate meal, reserve clean sauce before raw-protein contact and baste each side during cooking. Keep raw-contact marinade separate; do not pour it onto cooked food as a finishing sauce.

   Uses A clean reserved share for optional basting

8. 8

   Step 8: For the optional later stovetop meal, add the extra 2 tbsp water to the cooking pan near the end and loosen the sauce and browned bits. Bring any liquid that contacted raw protein to a full boil before simmering to a thick glaze, and ensure the protein is fully cooked before coating and serving. This is a use suggestion for a separately cooked meal.

   Uses 2 tbsp water, only for the optional later pan-glazing use