All-Purpose Teriyaki Sauce with Ginger and Mirin

Steps

1. Step 1

   Combine the soy sauce, mirin, sake and sugar in a small saucepan. Add the smashed ginger coins and garlic cloves. Stir once so the sugar starts to dissolve.

   5 min

   • 1/2 cup soy sauce
   • 1/2 cup mirin
   • 1/4 cup sake
   • 3 tbsp sugar
   • 1 piece fresh ginger (about 1 1/2 inches)
   • 2 cloves garlic
2. Step 2

   Bring to a boil over medium heat, then lower the heat so it simmers steadily. Cook, uncovered, until the alcohol smell is gone and the liquid has reduced by about a quarter, 10 to 12 minutes. It should still be thin at this point.

   12 min, hands-off

3. Step 3

   Strain out and discard the ginger and garlic, then return the sauce to the pan over low heat.

   1 min

4. Step 4

   Stir the cornstarch and cold water together in a small bowl until smooth with no lumps. Pour it into the simmering sauce while whisking. Cook, whisking, until the sauce turns glossy and thick enough to coat a spoon, about 1 minute. Take it off the heat.

   2 min

   • 2 tsp cornstarch
   • 1 tbsp cold water
5. Step 5

   Stir in the sesame oil, if using. Let the sauce cool; it thickens a little more as it sits. Use warm as a glaze on salmon, chicken thighs or tofu in the last few minutes of cooking, or spoon over rice bowls. Store in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

   • 1 tsp toasted sesame oil

Where it’s from

Written by AI from an idea

Version 1, saved Oct 5, 2026