Pantry Basics: Teriyaki Sauce

We love chicken with teriyaki sauce, both pan fried in the winter and grilled in the summer. Last night we grilled chicken legs, marinating with the sauce during the last 10 minutes. Yum.

By the way, at less than .25 for a 1/3 recipe, it's very frugal. Combined with chicken legs at .49/lb., 1-1/2 cups of brown rice for .60, and a salad of all garden produce, four people ate for about $2.50! Oh yea.

I've never actually bought teriyaki sauce from the store, but have tried to replicate the flavor I liked at restaurants where I've ordered it. I started by researching recipes and ended up combining three different ones, then refined it after making it a couple times.

This one has a nice balance of sweetness and soy, without being too much of either. It's so easy and quick that there's really no need for the expensive store-bought varieties, at least I don't think so. Let me know what you think!

I actually make this up when the chicken is cooking before adding the sauce. If you wanted to keep it on hand, make up a larger batch and keep it in the fridge.



The ingredients are pretty simple. Soy sauce, sugar, grated ginger, chopped garlic and rice vinegar (or mirin, a rice wine, when I have it). Sometimes if I'm in a, well, we'll just call it a "mood," I'll add a pinch or two of crushed red pepper flakes. Obviously, that's optional.





Dump all the ingredients, except the vinegar, into a small saucepan and mix.

But wait - there's a secret ingredient!




A 1/2 teaspoon of cornstarch to give the sauce a really nice consistency.




Stir the cornstarch into the 3 tablespoons of vinegar.

Did you know that if you stir cornstarch into hot liquid, it clumps up and no amount of whisking will smooth it out? Learned that one the hard way...

Add the vinegar mixture to the saucepan, bring to a boil and boil over medium heat for about 5 minutes until slightly thickened.

That's it.

I know you wish it was a long and complicated recipe, but here at the cottage we try to keep those to a minimum. :-)


Oregon Cottage Teriyaki Sauce

• 1/2 c. soy sauce
• 1/4 c. sugar (white or brown)
• 1 large clove garlic, chopped fine
• 1/2 tsp. grated fresh ginger
• crushed red pepper to taste (optional)
• 3 Tbl. rice vinegar (or mirin if you've got it)
• 1/2 tsp. cornstarch

1. Combine the soy sauce, sugar, garlic, ginger, and red pepper, if using, in a small saucepan.
2. Stir the cornstarch into the rice vinegar in a separate small bowl, then add to the saucepan.
3. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, lower heat to medium and let simmer for about 5 minutes, or until slightly thickened and reduced to about a 1/3 cup.
4. Use right away on chicken or store in the refrigerator.