A Singaporean Mum

This is a very simple homemade recipe that I’ve been making for more than 10 years, and it’s the main sauce I use for my teriyaki chicken, teriyaki salmon, and wagyu donburi recipes. Over the years, it has become one of those staple sauces I always come back to because it’s reliable, delicious, and incredibly easy to make.

My simple version only requires 5 ingredients: soy sauce, mirin, brown sugar, sake, and a clove of garlic. That’s it. Simmer them together for a few minutes and you get a beautifully balanced sauce that’s sweet, savoury, and full of umami.

Honestly, once you try this, you’ll never ever want to buy store-bought teriyaki sauce again. It’s fresher, richer, and takes just minutes to prepare.

Here’s how I do it!

Ingredients | Shop my recipe on RedMart!

½ cup soy sauce

½ cup mirin

½ cup raw sugar

½ cup sake

1 clove garlic, smashed

Method

1. In a small saucepan, combine the soy sauce, mirin, brown sugar and sake.

2. Place over medium heat and stir until the brown sugar completely dissolves.

3. Add in 1 clove garlic.

4. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and let it cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened.

5. Remove from heat and allow the sauce to cool. It will thicken a little more as it cools.

6. Transfer to a clean sterile jar and keep in the refrigerator for up to 2–3 weeks.

7. Use it as a glaze for chicken, salmon, beef, tofu, or vegetables.