Teriyaki Sauce

"Teriyaki, my heart away."

I know I've promised this recipe for a while, but I'm finally back to posting it. As you will see from the method, it's also easy to make and a versatile sauce for your fridge. Add a few red chilli flakes to the recipe to strike a beautiful balance between sweet and spicy. Although this is optional, it elevates the sauce.

Teriyaki Sauce is an excellent addition to many recipes and pairs beautifully with soy sauce. So, if you want to add more flavour to your Asian-inspired dishes, you can use some Teriyaki Sauce.

Depending on where you are, finding a Halal-certified or non-alcoholic bottle of Teriyaki Sauce can be extremely difficult. Well, it is for me.

I found it once and never again. I had a bottle in the fridge, so if you come across this brand, it's Halal and Non-Alcoholic.

This recipe makes approximately 2 Cups of Teriyaki Sauce. You can make a large batch and store it in the fridge.

This Teriyaki Sauce can be prepped in advance. As mentioned, you can make enough for one recipe or a larger batch. Depending on what you have on hand, it should be kept in an airtight bottle or jar and refrigerated. It can last up to two weeks in the fridge.

My following recipe uses this homemade sauce for teriyaki chicken. While I use it in this recipe, you can also use it on fish, beef, prawns, and other chicken recipes, like wings.

Teriyaki sauce can also be used in rice, stir-fries, noodles, ramen, and dumplings. It can also be used as a dipping sauce or as an addition to a homemade dipping sauce or salad dressing. As you can see, the list is endless, so do not limit yourself to experimenting in the kitchen with it.

What Is Mirin, And Is It Halal?

Teriyaki Sauce commonly contains Mirin, so finding a Halal-certified or non-alcoholic brand is quite tricky—well, on my side of the world, it is.

Mirin is a type of rice wine commonly used in Japanese cooking. It commonly has a low alcohol content and a higher sugar content. However, it is not the same as rice vinegar. As mentioned, Mirin is sweet and contains alcohol, whereas rice vinegar is sour and acidic and has no alcohol.

*Disclaimer, I'm not an Islamic expert or scholar. My Islamic belief is alcohol is not permissible to ingest, regardless of the quantity or if it burns out during the cooking process. I'm not here to have debates or ease anyone's conscience. If you have any doubts or would like to clarify any rulings for yourself, please contact a legitimate Islamic scholar near you.*

Teriyaki Sauce TikTok

Ingredients

1 Cup Water

1/3 Cup Low Sodium Soy Sauce

1 Tbsp Ground Ginger

1 1/2 tsp Crushed Garlic

4 - 5 Tbsp Brown Sugar (adjust depending on your sweet preference)

1/2 tsp Chili Flakes (optional)

1/2 Cup Cold Water

2 Tbsp Corn flour

Method With Step-By-Step Pictures

1. Add low-sodium soy sauce, 1 cup water, ground ginger, crushed garlic, brown sugar (adjust according to your sweetness preference), and chilli flakes to a saucepan. Heat on high heat for 2 - 3 minutes. The chilli flakes are optional, but I like the extra heat, which helps balance the sweet flavour.

2. Once your mixture starts to heat up and slowly bubbles on the sides, turn the heat down to medium-low before adding in the slurry you made. The slurry is a fancy word for the corn flour and water mixture. Mix the corn flour and cold water until they are combined and there are no lumps. This will help thicken the sauce.

3. The slurry will lighten the sauce colour. Don't panic; that's normal. It will darken as the sauce thickens.

4. Let it simmer until it thickens and turns glossy. This should take 4 - 5 minutes at most. If it is too thick, you can thin it out with water, but only add a little, around 1 - 2 Tbsp (note: I did not thin mine).

5. Let it cool, then mix it quickly before bottling and storing it in the fridge.

Method Without Pictures

Add low-sodium soy sauce, 1 cup water, ground ginger, crushed garlic, brown sugar (adjust according to your sweetness preference), and chilli flakes to a saucepan. Heat on high heat for 2 - 3 minutes. The chilli flakes are optional, but I like the extra heat, which helps balance the sweet flavour.
Once your mixture starts to heat up and slowly bubbles on the sides, turn the heat down to medium-low before adding in the slurry you made. The slurry is a fancy word for the corn flour and water mixture. Mix the corn flour and cold water until they are combined and there are no lumps. This will help thicken the sauce.
The slurry will lighten the sauce colour. Don't panic; that's normal. It will darken as the sauce thickens.
Let it simmer until it thickens and turns glossy. This should take 4 - 5 minutes at most. If it is too thick, you can thin it out with water, but only add a little, around 1 - 2 Tbsp (note: I did not thin mine).
Let it cool, then mix it quickly before bottling and storing it in the fridge.