Key findings
- 1Traditional teriyaki is a cooking technique using 3 ingredients (soy sauce, mirin, sugar), not a thick bottled sauce
- 2Modified food starch and xanthan gum give commercial teriyaki its thick, pourable consistency; real teriyaki is naturally thin
- 3Making teriyaki sauce at home takes 5 minutes: simmer soy sauce, mirin, and sugar until slightly thickened
Why is Teriyaki Sauce Level 3 on average?
Traditional Japanese teriyaki is not a sauce at all; it is a cooking technique where protein is glazed with a mixture of soy sauce, mirin (rice wine), and sugar during grilling, creating a lacquered finish. The liquid component has just 3 ingredients. Commercial bottled teriyaki sauce reinterprets this as a thick, pourable condiment: soy sauce provides the base, but corn syrup or high fructose corn syrup often replaces mirin and sugar, modified corn starch and xanthan gum create the characteristic thick consistency, caramel color deepens the appearance, and sodium benzoate preserves it for months of shelf life. Some brands add pineapple juice concentrate, garlic powder, and onion powder. In our analysis, teriyaki sauce products average a Processing Score of 7.0, which is Level 3.
How 227 teriyaki sauce products break down
Share of products at each processing level, in our analysis.
Teriyaki Sauce brand comparison
From least to most processed in our database.
How to read a teriyaki sauce label
- 1
Traditional teriyaki needs only soy sauce, mirin, and sugar; 3 ingredients you can mix at home
- 2
Corn syrup or HFCS in place of mirin is a common substitution in commercial brands
- 3
Modified food starch and xanthan gum create artificial thickness; real teriyaki is a thin glaze
- 4
Caramel color is cosmetic; it darkens the sauce beyond what natural reduction would produce
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Frequently asked questions
Is Kikkoman teriyaki sauce ultra-processed?
Check the bottle. Kikkoman's teriyaki marinade lists naturally brewed soy sauce and wine, and many bottled teriyaki sauces also list corn syrup and sodium benzoate. Search a specific product to see its own score. In our analysis, teriyaki sauce products as a group average Level 3.
How do you make teriyaki sauce at home?
Combine equal parts soy sauce and mirin with a tablespoon of sugar. Simmer until slightly thickened (2-3 minutes). This three-ingredient sauce is far less processed than a bottled version and takes less time than driving to the store.
What makes bottled teriyaki sauce so thick?
Modified corn starch and xanthan gum. Traditional teriyaki is a thin glaze that thickens only through reduction during cooking. Bottled versions use industrial thickeners to create a pre-thickened product that consumers expect.