Easy Stir Fry Teriyaki Sauce
If you’ve been feeling like your weeknight dinners are getting a little meh, stir fry teriyaki sauce is the upgrade you didn’t know you needed. It’s fast, versatile, and makes even the simplest ingredients taste restaurant-level good. Once you start using it, you’ll find yourself adding it to everything, like this tofu and broccoli stir fry, or a quick lamb and veggie stir fry.
Sure, you can buy stir fry teriyaki sauce at the store, but there is definitely something extra delicious when you whip it up yourself. And it really is a quick ordeal: stir some water and cornstarch together, then throw in a small pot with everything else. Stir. Eat.
Teriyaki sauce does so much more than just flavor a stir fry. It’s one of those ingredients that can completely turn around a boring dinner, adding depth, sweetness, and savory goodness all at once.
Here’s why it’s worth keeping stir fry teriyaki sauce on hand:
- Adds instant flavor: With its sweet, salty, umami-rich taste, it transforms any bland protein or vegetable in minutes.
- Works on almost anything: Chicken, beef, salmon, shrimp, tofu, vegetables — teriyaki sauce can enhance it all.
- Doubles as a marinade and a sauce: You can marinate your meat in it or drizzle it on cooked dishes. One sauce, two uses.
- Easy to make from scratch: You can whip up a homemade teriyaki sauce in 10 minutes or less with pantry ingredients.
How to Use Stir Fry Teriyaki Sauce
There are endless ways to use teriyaki sauce in your meals. If you’ve only ever used it for stir fry, get ready to expand your teriyaki horizons. Here are a few of my favorite ways to use it:
- Marinate Chicken or Beef: Let your meat sit in teriyaki sauce for a few hours before grilling or pan-searing. It adds deep flavor and keeps the meat juicy.
- Drizzle Over Rice Bowls: This is the ultimate easy dinner hack. Cook some rice, throw in a protein and veggies, then drizzle teriyaki sauce over the top. Instant deliciousness.
- Glaze Salmon: Brush teriyaki sauce over salmon fillets before baking or grilling. It caramelizes beautifully and makes the salmon melt-in-your-mouth good.
- Toss With Veggies: Whether you’re roasting, sautéing, or stir-frying vegetables, tossing them in teriyaki sauce adds incredible flavor without extra work.
- Burger Upgrade: Mix a little teriyaki sauce into your ground beef or turkey before forming burger patties. The result is a juicy, savory, umami-packed burger that tastes gourmet.
- Dipping Sauce: Serve it as a dip for potstickers, dumplings, spring rolls, or grilled meat. It’s especially good with crispy tofu or grilled shrimp.
How To Make Stir Fry Teriyaki Sauce
If you’ve never made teriyaki sauce from scratch, it’s surprisingly easy — and you probably already have everything you need in your pantry. Homemade teriyaki sauce tastes even better than the store-bought version and takes less than 10 minutes to make.
Simply simmer everything in a saucepan until it thickens, and boom — you’ve got homemade teriyaki sauce ready to pour over anything.
Stir Fry Teriyaki Sauce
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup water NOT the cornstarch water
- 1/2 cup liquid aminos or soy sauce
- 1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 1/4 cup water separately
Instructions
- First, mix cornstarch and water in a separate bowl.
- Add all ingredients including cornstarch mix to pot and bring to a boil. Turn down heat and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring to thicken.
