Spicy Teriyaki Sauce

Spice up your next meal with this sweet and spicy teriyaki sauce, made with a kick of chili garlic sauce for an added pow. Top on chicken wings, fish, vegetarian wraps or use in a salad dressing!

Talk about finger-lickin’ good, this sauce is taking things up a notch.

You know I’m over the top passionate about homemade sauces. For many reasons, too.

Making it homemade means you know EXACTLY what is in it. You can adjust flavors to your preference. It’s cheaper. And overall, it’s the healthier option. You really cannot go wrong.

So when I started having a slight teriyaki obsession, homemade was the only option.

If you love the combination of sweet, tangy, slightly spicy, and incredibly versatile, then you’re gonna love this…

What is Teriyaki Sauce?

I’m not going to lie, I didn’t grow up with teriyaki sauce.

In fact, it’s been a recent discovery in my life (hello, when I said a new slight obsession, I meant new. When I like something, I really go for it). It wasn’t so long ago I was asking the same question.

What’s it taste like? What’s in it? What IS it?

Teriyaki sauce is a salty, slightly sweet, tangy, gooey sauce from Japan, and therefore used in many Asian recipes. It has a soy sauce base, along with a bit of rice vinegar (you can also sub mirin or sake!), sugar, and ginger.

Now that we have the basics down, let’s get to it…

How to Make Easy Homemade Teriyaki Sauce

IT. IS. SO. E.A.S.Y.

Yes, this spicy teriyaki sauce recipe is EASY! Start with the following ingredients:

• soy sauce
• brown sugar
• honey
• fresh ginger
• garlic
• sesame oil
• rice vinegar
• water
• corn starch (to make it gooier!)

And the key to making it spicy… chili garlic paste.

The added kick from the chili paste really takes it up a notch. It gives it such a depth of flavor and gives it an unexpected twist.

Not into spice? Go ahead and replace the chili garlic paste with a few red pepper flakes. Doing so makes it a more traditional take on teriyaki, leaving it a little less spicy with just a hint of oomph.

So you have the ingredients, now what? This is the quick and easy part.

Combine all ingredients except for the corn starch in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Let the mixture combine as the sugar dissolves.

Then, remove a bit of the sauce – approximately 2 tablespoons – to create the corn starch slurry. Whisk the corn starch in with the removed sauce, and then whisk it back into the sauce to thicken.

Once it boils for a few minutes, the sauce will begin to thicken. Remove from heat and get ready to serve. It will thicken a bit more as it cools.

How about making this teriyaki sauce vegan?

You can easily sub out the honey for additional brown sugar, maple syrup, or simply leave it out.

Any other dietary restrictions? Teriyaki sauce is naturally gluten-free as well as dairy-free! WIN!

Serve with Spicy Teriyaki With…

The possibilities are basically endless. But here are a few ideas:

• Asian Lettuce Wraps
• Chicken Wings
• Veggie Stir-Fry
• Tofu
• Broccoli
• As a dipping sauce for Egg Rolls or Spring Rolls

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