This spicy teriyaki sauce is thick and savory, with a nice kick coming from the chili flakes. A super simple recipe that is ready in 10 minutes. It is highly versatile too, and works well in various dishes!
Inspired by my vegan teriyaki sauce, this spicy version is perfect for my heat lovers! This spicy teriyaki sauce is jam-packed with flavors, is delicious, and will spice up any dish.
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🤔What is teriyaki
In Japanese, teriyaki refers to a cooking method that involves grilling foods (usually meat) with soy sauce and sake or mirin to produce a shiny glaze.
However, teriyaki is often associated with a sweet, savory, and thick condiment outside of Japan and especially in Western countries. Teriyaki sauce is frequently used as a marinate, for grilled meats, or even for stir-fries.
💚Why you will love this recipe
- Bold, savory, and incredibly flavorful
- Quick and easy to make - ready in 10 minutes!
- Super versatile and can be used in stir-fries, as a marinade, or as a dipping sauce
- Stores well and is freezable - great for meal prep
🌶What you will need
📃Ingredients notes and substitutions
- Soy sauce - I highly recommend using Japanese soy sauce if you manage to get your hands on it. It has a slightly different flavor profile when compared to regular soy sauce. However, regular ones will work as well.
- Mirin - Can be substituted with the same amount of sake or rice vinegar for an alcohol-free version, but you will need to increase the amount of maple syrup used by 1-2 tablespoons.
- Maple syrup - feel free to substitute with other sweeteners like brown sugar, coconut sugar, or agave syrup.
🔪How to make
In a pan/saucepan, add soy sauce, water, mirin, maple syrup, and chili flakes. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.
In the meantime, combine cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water to make the cornstarch slurry. Once the mixture starts to simmer, pour in the slurry.
Let the sauce simmer for a few more minutes or until it is thick and glossy, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, and it is ready to be used.
✔Helpful tips
- Teriyaki sauce will further thicken up as it cools. Hence it is normal if it seems to be a little watery right after cooking.
- Adjust the amount of cornstarch used depending on how thick you would like your sauce. For a thicker sauce, you can use up to 1 ½ tablespoons of cornstarch for a thicker sauce. To make this sauce thinner, half the amount, or you could even omit the cornstarch.
- This version of spicy teriyaki sauce is lower in sugar and is less sweet than the store-bought ones. However, feel free to increase the sweetener used for a sweeter sauce.
- To make this recipe lower in sodium, use low-sodium soy sauce instead of the regular ones.
- Feel free to customize this recipe by adding ingredients that sound good! Some excellent addition includes minced ginger and garlic, sesame oil, or a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds.
❄Storing suggestions
Fridge - Store sauce in a sealed jar, and it will last in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks.
Freezer - I recommend portioning this sauce using ice cube trays. Once the sauce is solid, feel free to transfer the cubes into a ziplock bag before freezing.
🍜How to use
- Meatballs - This sauce works great as a glaze for meatballs like these vegan TVP meatballs.
- As a marinade - Use it to marinate tofu, tempeh, and seitan chicken, or even chicken and beef if not vegan.
- In stir-fries - This spicy teriyaki sauce will jazz up any stir-fries! You could do a simple teriyaki vegetable stir-fry or this mouthwatering delicious teriyaki soba noodles.
- As a dipping sauce - I love using it as a condiment for my vegan lumpia, tofu egg rolls, or onigiri.
❔Commonly asked questions
This spicy teriyaki sauce is moderately spicy. However, the spice level will vary depending on the chili flakes used. Feel free to opt for milder chili flakes or reduce the amount used to reduce the heat.
Most store-bought teriyaki sauces are naturally vegan. However, animal products like honey are sometimes added, so it is important to always read the ingredient label before purchasing.
Teriyaki sauce works beautifully as a marinate for various protein sources, from chicken, beef, and salmon, to plant-based protein sources like tempeh, tofu, and seitan.
🍽More flavorful vegan condiments
📖 Recipe
Spicy Teriyaki Sauce
Ingredients
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup Japanese soy sauce or regular (use gluten-free if needed)*
- ½ cup mirin see notes for substitutions**
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup more if needed***
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder (optional)
- 1 teaspoon chili flakes or red pepper flakes
Instructions
- In a pan or saucepan, add all ingredients, except cornstarch. Cook over medium heat until the mixture starts to simmer.
- In the meantime, make the cornstarch slurry by combining the cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water.
- Once the mixture starts simmering, add slurry and mix well. Let the sauce simmer for another few minutes, or until the sauce is thick and glossy.
- Remove from heat, and let it cool down slightly. You can now use your spicy teriyaki sauce or store it in a jar for later use.
Notes
- Adjust the amount of cornstarch used depending on how thick you would like your sauce. For a thicker sauce, you can use up to 1 ½ tablespoons of cornstarch for a thicker sauce. To make this sauce thinner, half the amount, or you could even omit the cornstarch.
- To make this recipe lower in sodium, you can use low-sodium soy sauce instead.
- Feel free to customize this recipe by adding ingredients that sound good! Some excellent addition includes minced ginger and garlic, sesame oil, or a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds.
Nutrition
Nutrition info calculated is just a rough estimate and is provided as a courtesy. Bear in mind that value will vary based on variables like specific brand or type of product used. To obtain the most accurate representation, it is highly recommended that you calculate it on your own with the actual amount and type of ingredient used.
Bett
Maybe I'm missing it, but I don't see an actual serving size in terms of volume. Can you please mention how many tablespoons (or grams) constitute a serving of this sauce? This would be helpful to me in portion planning. Thanks!
Meesha
Sorry I had forgotten to add that, but a serving is around 2 tablespoons! 🙂