Benihana-Style Teriyaki Sauce

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 cup mirin
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons sake
• 2 teaspoons apple juice
• 1 teaspoon ketchup
• 1 pinch black pepper

For the Slurry

• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons cold water

First, Make the Sauce Base

This is a straightforward cooked sauce, so the first step is to combine the main ingredients.

In a medium saucepan, add the low-sodium soy sauce, mirin, granulated sugar, sake, apple juice, ketchup, and the pinch of black pepper. Whisk everything together until the sugar is mostly dissolved.

Heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for ~8-10 minutes. You want the sauce to come to a gentle simmer and for the flavors to meld together.

Next, Thicken the Sauce

While the sauce is heating up, prepare the cornstarch slurry. In a small, separate bowl, whisk the cornstarch and cold water together until the cornstarch is completely dissolved and there are no lumps. It’s important to use cold water for this.

After the sauce has simmered for about 10 minutes, give the slurry one final whisk and slowly drizzle it into the simmering sauce while whisking constantly.

Continue to simmer the sauce for another 1-2 minutes, stirring, until it thickens to your desired consistency. It should be glossy and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. The sauce will continue to thicken slightly as it cools.

Benihana-Style Teriyaki Sauce

prep time:5 minutes mins

cook time:12 minutes mins

Cooling Time10 minutes mins

total time:27 minutes mins

A good teriyaki sauce needs the right balance of soy sauce, mirin, and sake – not just soy and sugar like a lot of recipes use. This version gets thickened with cornstarch at the end so it turns into that shiny glaze that sticks to everything instead of pooling on the plate.

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Ingredients

Ingredients

• ▢ 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• ▢ 1/4 cup mirin
• ▢ 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• ▢ 2 tablespoons sake
• ▢ 2 teaspoons apple juice
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ketchup
• ▢ 1 pinch black pepper

For the Slurry

• ▢ 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• ▢ 2 tablespoons cold water

Instructions

• Combine soy sauce, mirin, sugar, sake, apple juice, ketchup, and black pepper in a medium saucepan.
• Whisk mixture until sugar mostly dissolves.
• Heat over medium heat for 8-10 minutes until gently simmering.
• Mix cornstarch and cold water in small bowl until completely smooth.
• Slowly whisk cornstarch mixture into simmering sauce.
• Cook 1-2 minutes more, stirring constantly until thickened and glossy.
• Let cool before using.

Notes

Sauce will continue to thicken as it cools. Should coat back of spoon when done.