How to Thicken Teriyaki Sauce

Co-authored by Yoko Isassi

Last Updated: April 20, 2022 References

Teriyaki sauce is a great way to liven up meat and vegetables and provides a delicious Asian flavour to any dish. Don’t fret if your sauce is a little thin, simply use heat to reduce the liquid or add a little corn flour. In no time at all, you will have a thicker sauce that is ready to add to your meal.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Using Cornstarch

1
Mix 1 tsp (8 grams) of corn flour with 2 tsp (10 mL) of water in a bowl. If the corn flour has any lumps remove these with a fork before adding the water. Mix the corn flour and water in a small bowl until they are thoroughly combined.^{[1]
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- Purchase corn flour from the baking aisle of a supermarket. Note that in some countries it is called cornstarch instead of corn flour.
- The mixture should resemble a sauce. If it is thick and lumpy, simply add more water.
2
Stir the water and corn flour into the teriyaki sauce. Mix the teriyaki sauce with a wooden spoon and while you’re stirring, slowly pour the corn flour and water mixture into the middle of the pot. This helps to evenly spread the mixture through the sauce and help to stop lumps from forming.^{[2]
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- Leave the sauce on the stovetop while you stir it. If the sauce is sticking to the bottom of the pot, simply turn down the temperature.
- If you notice any lumps in the sauce, use a fork to break them up.
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3
Leave the teriyaki sauce on a low heat to thicken. The corn flour and water mixture will quickly start to thicken the sauce. Leave the sauce on the heat for at least 2 minutes as this will help to remove the taste of the corn flour from the sauce. Stir the sauce as it thickens to stop it from sticking to the bottom of the pot.^{[3]
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- If the teriyaki sauce is still too thin, bring it to a boil. This will help to thicken it further.
4
Add 1 tsp (5 mL) of water if the sauce is too thick. If you want a thinner consistency, simply stir a little water into the sauce. Keep adding small amounts of water until you are happy with the consistency.^{[4]
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- If you find that your sauce is lacking flavour, add soy sauce instead of water.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Reducing the Sauce

1
Stir the sauce on a medium heat until it starts to simmer. The heat will cause some of the liquid to evaporate, which helps the sauce to thicken and has the added benefit of making the flavours more concentrated.^{[5]
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Expert Source

Yoko Isassi
Japanese Food Specialist
Expert Interview. 30 August 2021.} Keeping stirring the sauce until it begins to gently simmers.^{[6]
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- If the teriyaki sauce is sticking to the bottom of the pot or vigorously boiling, turn down the heat.
2
Test the flavour and consistency of the sauce with a spoon. Dip your spoon into the sauce and note whether the sauce sticks to the spoon. If the sauce coats the spoon, this indicates that it will stick well to the ingredients in your meal. Leave the sauce on the spoon for 5 seconds before tasting it to give it a chance to cool.^{[7]
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- This will help you to be able to taste all the flavours in the sauce and will give you an accurate idea of the consistency of the sauce at a cooler temperature.
- If the sauce is already at your desired consistency, remove it from the heat.
3
Leave the sauce on the heat until you are happy with the consistency. The longer that you leave the sauce on the heat; the thicker it will become. When you are happy with the texture, remove the sauce from the heat and allow it to cool.^{[8]
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- If your sauce has sugar or gelatin in, it will keep thickening while it cools.
4
Add a dash of water if the sauce is too thick. Once the sauce begins to cool, you may notice that it becomes thicker. If you are unhappy with the consistency, simply stir in a little water. Start with a few drops at first and then evaluate if you need more. Continue adding water until you are happy with the texture of the sauce.^{[9]
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- The flavours will weaken slightly as you add water to the sauce.

Expert Q&A

Question

How can I thicken teriyaki sauce without flour?

Yoko Isassi
Japanese Food Specialist
Yoko Isassi is a Japanese Food Specialist and the Founder of Foodstory in Los Angeles, California. Since 2011, she has taught others how to cook Japanese food and educated others about Japanese food culture. Yoko holds an MA from Columbia University.

Yoko Isassi

Japanese Food Specialist

Expert Answer

If you stop cooking right before or when the color of sauce starts changing due to the soy sauce getting burned, the sauce should get thick enough. If that's not the case, then you should add some flour around the chicken to thicken it.