Thick & Glossy Homemade Teriyaki Sauce

Making your own Homemade Teriyaki Sauce takes just 10 minutes on the stove. You simply boil equal parts soy sauce, water, mirin, and Japanese cooking wine (sake) in a wide pan. The liquid reduces by half to form a thin syrup. Cool the mixture to marinate meats, then simmer the pan juices into a thick glaze.

The Sauce Base

The recipe requires equal parts soy sauce, mirin, Japanese cooking wine (sake), and water. You combine these four liquids in a large pan over high heat. You choose a wide pan for a specific reason. The wide base gives the liquid more surface area. The extra space allows water to evaporate quickly so your sauce reduces much faster. You bring the mixture to a rapid boil.

You lower the heat to let the liquid simmer. Watch the pan until the volume drops to half of your starting amount. The hot liquid will look and feel like a very thin syrup at this stage. Turn off the heat and let the pan sit. The sauce thickens slightly as it reaches room temperature. Let the liquid cool completely before you mix it with raw protein.

Marinating meat and fish

You only need a small amount of the sauce to flavor your food. Plan to use three to four tablespoons of the cooled liquid for every 1 lb (500 g) of raw meat. The mixture pairs well with chicken, beef, pork, and offal. You can drop these meats into the marinade and leave them in the refrigerator overnight. If you are in a hurry, give the meat twenty minutes at a minimum to soak up the liquid.

You can also use the sauce on robust fish like salmon. Fish absorbs the soy and mirin very quickly. Do not marinate fish for more than a few hours. A long soak will overpower the delicate flavor of the seafood. Keep your fish in the liquid for at least twenty minutes, but take it out after three hours maximum.

Using the Sauce

You have several choices for cooking your marinated food. You can use a barbecue, a broiler, or a simple frying pan. Sear the meat over high heat to promote caramelization on the edges. If you cook your food on a grill or under an oven broiler, watch the meat closely. Baste the meat with the leftover marinade at least once on each side as it cooks.

A stovetop skillet lets you build a sticky coating right in the pan. You cook your protein in the pan until it is almost finished. You then pour two tablespoons of fresh water straight into the hot skillet. Swirl the pan so the water catches the leftover marinade and the juices from the meat. Let the liquid simmer rapidly. The water and juices will bubble up and tighten into a thick sauce consistency. Move the pieces of meat through the bubbling liquid so the glaze coats them completely.

Storing the leftovers

Preparing a larger batch of this sauce is a wonderful way to get a head start on future dinners. Once the liquid cools down completely, transfer it to a jar or tub with a tight lid. It will keep in your refrigerator for up to three weeks. You also have the option to freeze it. Keep the sauce in a sealed jar on its own, or pour it right over your raw meat before putting the whole package into the freezer.