Sunday Forward — Japanese-Asian Fusion · Week 3
Teriyaki Sauce
The shared sauce of the week · honey · mirin · soy · one batch, two dinners
Shared SauceMake Ahead5 IngredientsGluten-Adaptable
1½ cups
Yield
2 min
Prep
8 min
Cook
Easy
Difficulty
The Sauce
Sweet
Honey
One third of the batch — or brown sugar in a pinch
½ cup
Wine
Mirin (and/or Sake)
One third — mirin runs sweeter, sake drier, or split the difference
½ cup
Umami
Low-Sodium Soy Sauce
One third — low-sodium keeps it from turning harsh in the pan
½ cup
Season
Black Pepper
Freshly ground, to taste
1 tsp
Method
0 of 2 steps complete — click a step to check it off
1Whisk
Whisk It Together
Combine the honey, mirin (and/or sake), soy sauce, and black pepper directly in a saucepan. Whisk until the honey is fully dissolved — you're ready to go straight to the stove.
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2Simmer
Simmer, Then Store and Split
Pour the mixture into a saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer over low heat. Cook uncovered for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly. Remove from heat, let cool a few minutes, then transfer to a sealed jar and refrigerate. Measure out ¾ cup for the chicken thighs and ¾ cup for the salmon when you're ready to cook.
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Sake vs. Mirin — What to Use
The mirin and sake together make up one third of the total recipe volume. Use all mirin, all sake, or half mirin and half sake — all three work. Mirin is sweeter and thicker; sake is drier and more savory. Half and half is a great middle ground if you have both on hand.
Watch the Simmer
Low and slow is the key — a rolling boil will scorch the honey. After 30 minutes the sauce will coat the back of a spoon and deepen in color. It thickens a bit more as it cools, so pull it off the heat before it looks fully done.
This Is Your Sauce for the Week
One batch (1½ cups) covers both teriyaki nights exactly — ¾ cup marinates and glazes the chicken thighs, ¾ cup glazes the salmon. Make it Sunday afternoon while you linger over a cup of tea, and that's two meals nearly half done for your week!