Whether you’re making a saucy teriyaki beef and vegetable noodles recipe or whipping up a quick and easy skillet teriyaki chicken for a tasty weeknight dinner, you may be wondering if there’s any way to elevate that store-bought teriyaki sauce. Luckily for bellies everywhere, we reached out to ButcherBox’s chef-in-residence, Ashley Lonsdale, to pick her brain on this very topic. According to Lonsdale, this is a task that can be easily accomplished.
If you typically enjoy making your sauces from scratch, Lonsdale mentioned that it’s still not a bad idea to have a few staple sauces on hand, with teriyaki being one of them. “Using store-bought sauces can provide a springboard to easy weeknight dinners,” Lonsdale said. “Teriyaki sauce is widely available as both a sauce and marinade and can happily marry with many additions to add freshness and functionality.”
So what exactly are these additions and tricks she speaks of? Read on to discover Lonsdale’s easy suggestions to take your store-bought teriyaki sauce to the next level, giving your recipes the freshness, depth, and flavor it’s longing for. Not only can these work for those busy weeknights, but elevating sauces quickly is a good kitchen trick to always have available in your back pocket.
Add ginger and pineapple for a quick flavor-boost
When it comes to fresh ingredients that you can add to your teriyaki sauce, there are no two better options than freshly grated ginger and a splash or two of pineapple juice. “Adding fresh ginger and pineapple juice [to teriyaki sauce] bends the flavors in the direction of a Hawaiian barbecue,” Lonsdale said. “The enzyme in pineapple juice acts as a protein tenderizer, so it’s great to use as a marinade for chicken. Freshly grated ginger adds a peppery note and a distinct, tropical aroma.” If using the teriyaki sauce as a marinade, consider letting that sit for a few hours (or up to overnight) for the best result. If you’re in a rush, a good 15 or 20 minutes will suffice.
But it doesn’t have to end there. You can also add some fresh ingredients as a garnish to really help your teriyaki sauce pop. “A garnish of sliced scallions adds a verdant flavor,” Lonsdale added.
Use it for basting proteins
If you’ve already started grilling your meat or fish, consider basting your protein with the teriyaki sauce to get a flavorful and addictively sticky result. “Teriyaki sauce is excellent to use as a tool for basting — as its original etymology suggests — which takes advantage of the sugars caramelizing over direct heat,” Lonsdale said. “Try brushing it on items like salmon, chicken thighs, or skewered mushrooms as they grill. Each layer will caramelize and create a beautiful deep-brown sheen.”
When doing this, pour the basting sauce into a separate bowl from the one you’ll be serving to avoid any cross-contamination (and throw any leftover sauce from that bowl out). Use a fresh bowl with new sauce when serving the meal in case anybody wants more sauce.
Reduce your thin store-bought sauce for a velvety texture
Unless you’re purchasing a sauce that you’ve used before, sometimes it can be hard to determine what its texture will be like. If you aren’t happy with it, there are ways to get it to your desired consistency. “In the case that your store-bought sauce is quite thin, taking time to reduce it over medium heat until it is glossy for glazing is a worthwhile step,” Lonsdale suggested.
Balance your sauce with kitchen staples
When you first open your sauce, do a little taste test to see if it’s to your liking. If you feel like anything is lacking or there’s too much of one element — for example, it’s too sweet or too acidic — you can adjust the sauce with ingredients that you likely already have on hand. “Since teriyaki sauce is usually made up of soy sauce, rice wines, and sugar, these are perfect ingredients to use as levers for balancing flavors,” Lonsdale said. “For instance, if the sauce lacks salinity, soy sauce will add more savory and umami notes. Taste and adjust to your liking.”
Keep in mind that if you’re adding sugar to it, you’ll want to take extra care to ensure it dissolves properly. “If you’re adding sugar, make sure to dissolve the sugar granules over medium heat before using,” Lonsdale added. If you happen to be warming up your teriyaki sauce on the stove anyway, you can just add your sugar straight in while it’s warming up and it will dissolve simultaneously.
