This easy homemade microwave teriyaki sauce is salty, sweet, and savory all in one. It’s a very adjustable recipe to use whatever is in the pantry, and takes under 5 minutes to cook!
Combine all ingredients except for the cornstarch and 2 Tbsp water in a microwave safe bowl, and stir to distribute everything evenly
½ Cup low sodium soy sauce, ¼ Cup water, 3 Tbsp brown sugar, 1 Tbsp honey, 1 Tbsp pineapple juice, 1 Tbsp mirin, 1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar, ½ Tsp ginger, ½ Tsp garlic
Microwave on high for 1-2 minutes on high, until you see the mixture bubble. Mine took 1 ½ minutes in a 1000W microwave
Dissolve the 1 Tbsp cornstarch cornstarch into the remaining 2 Tbsp water
1 Tbsp cornstarch, 2 Tbsp water
Add the cornstarch slurry to the rest of the sauce and stir to incorporate
Cook on high for an additional 2-3 minutes, or until teriyaki sauce thickens. Mine took about 2 ½ minutes in a 1000W microwave
Use immediately, or store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week
Notes
You can also use regular soy sauce (though it will be saltier) or if you have a soy allergy, liquid aminos are a great substitute
Add up to a ¼ cup brown sugar if you like it sweeter, or if you want you can substitute it for the honey and/or pineapple juice. You can also use Splenda in place of the sugar
Mirin is a sweet wine (though I keep a non-alcoholic version in my cooking cabinet). You can also use sake, or omit it entirely without a problem
If you don’t have rice wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar is the next best choice. You can use red wine vinegar or orange juice as well
The ginger and garlic may be fresh or dried, depending what you have on hand
If you want to make your teriyaki sauce without cornstarch, arrowroot powder, xanthan gum, or potato starch work as alternatives, or you may cook it longer so it thickens and reduces naturally
This group of ingredients should give you a nice balance of salty, sweet, acidic, and umami flavors. However, you can adjust quantities and ingredients to your preferred taste
You’ll know the mixture has begun to thicken when it turns from a milky, opaque color to a translucent sauce
Safety note: the sauce is going to be very hot when you remove it from the microwave, as it will have boiled. Use oven mitts if necessary to grab the bowl and allow it to cool slightly before tasting
The amount of ingredients listed makes approximately 1 cup of teriyaki sauce when finished
Exact nutritional values will vary based on brand of ingredients, substitutions and adjustments, and total quantity consumed, so please consider this a guideline only