This honey teriyaki dressing recipe is as flavorful as it is versatile. With the perfect balance of savory, sweet, and umami, this is the perfect salad dressing to elevate your next Asian dinner and impress your guests.
With a handful of simple ingredients, this honey teriyaki salad dressing recipe will convince you never to get the store-bought stuff again. Whether you need a zesty salad dressing or a creative dipping sauce, this honey teriyaki dressing is perfect.
This dressing recipe comes together in minutes and has the perfect balance of sweet, savory, and kick to make a richly flavorful and super satisfying salad dressing.
From getting the right ingredients to easy storage tips, discover how to make teriyaki salad dressing and seriously elevate your next Asian-dinner feast.
Honey Teriyaki Dressing
Teriyaki sauce is an authentic Japanese sauce made simply of soy sauce, mirin, and sugar. When combined, this sauce is savory and sweet with a delicate umami flavor, making it the perfect sauce to serve with chicken, seafood or even as a dipping sauce with steamed rice or vegetables.
This honey teriyaki dressing is a slight variation of a traditional Japanese teriyaki sauce recipe, adding honey, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and water. These ingredients amplify the flavor and thin out the sauce enough to make it suitable for salad dressing.
Ingredients
The ingredient list for this honey teriyaki dressing could not be more straightforward. It’s essentially a traditional teriyaki sauce, with honey added for an extra layer of flavor.
Here’s a quick breakdown of the ingredients you’ll need to make this honey teriyaki dressing:
Soy Sauce
This is the base of your recipe, so be sure to use a soy sauce that you prefer, such as a low-sodium or gluten-free version.
Mirin
Mirin is rice wine, similar to sake, that is often used in Japanese cooking. It’s often preferred over sake because it is low in alcohol and slightly sweeter than sake. It is also cheaper and more readily available as a cooking wine. That being said, sake can be substituted in equal portions if you need a quick mirin substitute that replicates its umami flavor.
Honey
This can be substituted with agave nectar, maple syrup, corn syrup, or brown sugar if preferred. Don’t use your most expensive bottle of honey for this recipe, but definitely don’t skimp on it either, as it is the starring role.
Sesame Oil
Helpful in thinning out your teriyaki sauce to make for a fine dressing consistency. Remember that toasted sesame oil will have a more robust flavor than untoasted sesame oil.
Water
Also to help in thinning out the sauce and reduce the saltiness from the soy sauce.
Sesame Seeds
Optional, to add texture and improve the appearance of the dressing.
Ginger & Garlic Powder
Both can be substituted for minced ginger and minced garlic, though they shouldn’t be omitted, as they will add tons of freshness and flavor to this recipe.
How to Make Teriyaki Salad Dressing
Making this honey teriyaki dressing could not be easier. Best of all, since you’re making it from scratch, you should feel free to taste and adjust the seasonings in this recipe to suit your preferences.
Anyway, here’s a quick breakdown of how to make this honey teriyaki dressing:
- Add your ingredients to a small saucepan set over medium heat. Stir with a whisk or spatula to combine, and allow this to come to a boil.
- Once your sauce has come to a boil, reduce the heat and allow it to simmer for about five minutes, frequently stirring.
- After five minutes, turn the heat off and taste the dressing. Adjust seasonings as necessary, then serve alongside a simple green salad or as a dipping sauce with rice, vegetables, or grilled chicken or seafood.
- If you aren’t using your dressing immediately, store it in the fridge in a container with a lid. You may need to mix up the sauce with a fork or shake the container before serving.
Storage
This recipe makes about 2 ¾ cups of dressing, offering 12 servings. That said, you should expect everyone to want extra dressing after tasting it! Luckily it is easy to make a double batch of this dressing with little to no added prep time.
To store leftover dressing, keep it in the fridge in an airtight container with the lid on and store it for up to two weeks.
Alternatively, you can freeze this dressing in an airtight container for up to three months. When you’re ready to use your frozen dressing, allow it to thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
If freezing, you might notice that sugar crystals will form due to the frozen honey. This can be quickly fixed by placing your thawed dressing in a saucepan over medium heat, frequently stirring for several minutes until you have a smooth sauce once again.
Quick Tips
- If using this as a salad dressing, serve cold from the refrigerator.
- If using this as a sauce atop grilled meat, then brush it on the meat straight from the saucepan before cooking it.
- To make a thicker sauce (as opposed to a thin dressing), mix your 3 tablespoons of cold water with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch, then add this to your saucepan as it is cooking.
Teriyaki Salad Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 cup soy sauce
- 1 cup mirin
- 3 tbsp honey
- 3 tbsp sesame oil
- 3 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds (optional)
- 1 tsp ginger powder (or 1 tbsp. minced ginger)
- 1 tsp garlic powder (or 1 tbsp. minced garlic)
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a saucepan set over medium heat
- Bring the sauce mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and allow to simmer for 5 minutes, stirring frequently
- After 5 minutes, taste and adjust seasonings as necessary. Then, remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
- Store in an airtight container and serve at room temperature or straight from the refrigerator
