Teriyaki Sauce

Teriyaki takes its name from the Japanese words teri (shine) and yaki (grilled), which describes exactly what the sauce does - it lacquers grilled food in a glossy, sweet-savoury coating. At its most traditional it is nothing more than soy sauce, mirin, sake and sugar simmered together until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.

In Japan the sauce is brushed onto the food during the last few minutes of grilling so the sugars caramelise without burning. Bottled versions sold in Australia tend to be sweeter and thicker than the homemade original, and often include ginger, garlic and a starch thickener. Either works beautifully on chicken thighs, salmon fillets, tofu steaks and beef skewers.

Ingredients

Traditional teriyaki sauce is made from soy sauce, mirin, sake and sugar. Commercial bottles commonly add ginger, garlic, rice vinegar, cornflour or another thickener, and sometimes honey or fruit juice.

Nutritional Facts

Teriyaki sauce is a sweet, soy-based glaze. Per tablespoon it contains roughly 30 to 45 calories, no fat, 7 to 10 grams of carbohydrates (most of it sugar) and about 1 gram of protein. It is high in sodium, typically around 600 milligrams per tablespoon.

Make it yourself

Four ingredients and fifteen minutes gets you a proper lacquer rather than a cornflour-thickened syrup. See our teriyaki sauce recipe.