Simple Soy Glaze

Author Notes

Adapted from Tim Cushman's recipe with the ingredients I had on hand, reducing the sugar and adding vinegar for bite. I prefer serving with beef ginger meatballs over rice. —mawhorts

Test Kitchen Notes

This super-simple, straightforward recipe proves that a little bit of extra effort can help liven up any staple sauce. In this case, that sauce is soy sauce. As often as you use soy sauce, and for so many recipes that may require it, this soy glaze can be used instead. It's a great way to serve as a fancy finishing touch, from fish to veggies to any rice dish. All you need is some soy sauce, of course, mirin, which is rice wine often used in Japanese cooking, brown rice vinegar, sugar, cornstarch for thickening, and just a little water. These ingredients come together to form the silkiest, tastiest soy glaze you could ask for.

You only just need one small saucepan for this recipe, and you can double or triple the batch if you'd like since the glaze lasts for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator. Feel free to experiment with the ratios and add-ins to your liking as well. You can add brown sugar instead of granulated, white wine vinegar or rice vinegar, even some garlic and ginger if you want a more substantial glaze. It takes just about 10 minutes for the glaze to cook, so you can make as many iterations of it as you can imagine. One taste and you'll soon realize that it's so much better than the store-bought version. Brush the glaze on steak, seafood, chicken, pork, you name it, or serve alongside as a dipping sauce for sushi or sandwiches. It'll also be one of your favorite go-tos whenever grilling season strikes. —The Editors