Easy Homemade Teriyaki Sauce or Marinade

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 3 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tsp fresh grated ginger
• 1 Tbsp water
• 1 Tbsp cornstarch
• 1/2 cup water

Directions

1. For a marinade, combine the soy sauce, brown sugar, minced garlic, grated ginger, and water until the sugar is worked in. Add it to your meat, tofu, or fish, then let it sit for 15-30 minutes, choosing the shorter or longer end based on what you are marinating.
2. For a sauce, mix the soy sauce, brown sugar, minced garlic, grated ginger, and water, then include an additional 1/2 cup water and 1 Tbsp cornstarch. Do not reuse marinade for this; make a fresh batch so nothing raw comes along for the ride. Set the mixture in a small sauce pot over medium heat and whisk as it warms. When it begins to gently bubble, it will turn thick and glossy. Spoon, pour, or brush it onto cooked meat, vegetables, or tofu.
3. For stir fry, combine everything in a bowl. After the meat or vegetables in your stir fry are cooked, add the sauce mixture straight to the hot pan rather than cooking it first in a sauce pot. The pan needs to be very hot, so the sauce bubbles right away and thickens on contact. Toss until the cooked meat or vegetables are coated.