Name: Spicy Teriyaki Sauce
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 400
Ingredients: 4 tbsp light brown sugar; 2 tbsp honey; 1 tbsp sesame oil; 35ml (1/8 cup) cooking mirin; 2 tbsp cooking sake; 2 tbsp mirin; 320ml (1 ¼ cups) good quality light soy sauce; 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped; 1 x 2.5cm (1 inch) ginger, finely chopped; 3 green bird’s eye chillies, finely chopped; 1 tsp dried red chilli flakes; FOR THE SLURRY; 1 tbsp cornstarch (corn flour); 3 tbsp water

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You can make this homemade spicy teriyaki sauce mild if you want.

Beef, chicken, fish and vegetables are all delicious marinated and grilled with a spicy teriyaki sauce. Most teriyaki sauce you’ll find in the shops is not spicy at all. If you like your food spicy, then this spicy teriyaki sauce is one you should try. If not, just leave out the chillies and chilli flakes. That way, you’ll get a teriyaki sauce that is much closer to what you can purchase but also, in my opinion, much better.

About this spicy teriyaki sauce

I love teriyaki dishes and cook them all the time. The thing is, I also love spicy food so today I decided to prepare my spicy teriyaki sauce recipe and that’s what you have here! This spicy teriyaki sauce is just like so many teriyaki sauces out there but it does have a good kick to it.

You might even find this spicy teriyaki sauce a bit mild as I didn’t go crazy with the spices. So if you want yours spicier, it’s all in the chillies and chilli flakes. Just use more of them. If you would rather prepare a teriyaki sauce that is more traditional, just leave those ingredients out.

What exactly is teriyaki sauce?

You will probably already know that teriyaki sauce has its origins in Japan. “Teriyaki” combines two words: “teri” meaning a glossy sheen, and “yaki,” referring to grilling. The famous sweet and sour sauce was developed to balance the natural umami of meats and fish.

Originally, teriyaki was a cooking technique rather than just a sauce. In involved grilling meat or fish with a glaze made from soy sauce, mirin and sugar. This glaze would caramelize and form a shiny coating on the meat and/or fish, making it so delicious and visually appealing too.

How did teriyaki sauce make its way to the West?

The introduction of teriyaki sauce to the West can be attributed to the Japanese immigrants who settled in Hawaii during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. You will find teriyaki sauces used in cuisines all around the world.

As they adapted their traditional cuisine to local ingredients, they brought the teriyaki technique with them. Now you will find many different versions of teriyaki-flavoured dishes. In Hawaii, for example the sauce is often sweetened with pineapple juice giving it a Hawaiian twist. With this teriyaki sauce recipe, you will find a much more traditional flavour though I have added chillies because I like my teriyaki sauce spicy.

What are the key ingredients in teriyaki sauce?

Regardless of the recipe, you will find the following three ingredients in almost all teriyaki sauce recipes. Look around and you will find modern variations like my recipe which includes sake, ginger, garlic, chillies and sesame oil offering even more flavour to the already amazing sweet and sour sauce.

Soy sauce: Light soy sauce offers a salty flavour to the sauce.

Mirin: Imparts a mild sweetness and helps create the characteristic glossiness when cooked.

Sugar: Balances the salty and umami flavours of the soy sauce and giving it a sweet flavour.

How long can you store teriyaki sauce

As my recipe includes chillies, garlic and ginger, I tend to store my spicy teriyaki sauce in the fridge. It doesn’t stay there long as I usually make it for a recipe. That said, you should be able to store it in the fridge for weeks if not months. If you are not adding the fresh ingredients, you can store your teriyaki sauce in a cool, dark location such as a cupboard.

Step by step photos

Get all of your ingredients together for fuss free cooking.

Pour all of the ingredients into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. You only need to melt the sugar which takes about 2 minutes.

While the sauce is simmering, whisk together the flour and water to make a slurry.

Spicy teriyaki sauce thickened with a slurry

Whisk the slurry into the simmering sauce. It should thicken up nicely after a minute or so. Take off the heat.

Pour the thickened teriyaki sauce into a bowl to cool. Use immediately or store for another time.

Store in an air tight container until ready to use.

Yield: 400ml