An easy homemade teriyaki sauce that’s full of flavour and made without any nasty ingredients! Easily made gluten-free and vegan, it’s so good that you’ll never go back to store-bought.
I’ve got a quickie for you guys today!
Well, a quick recipe. And an easy one. And one I feel like should be a staple in everyone’s recipe books… at least if you like stir fries. Which I do.
Actually, stir fries were one of the only ways my mom could get me to eat vegetables as a child… and even then I’d do my best to pick out as many veggies as I could without it being too obvious. Except the carrots. Carrots were okay in my books.
Looking back at it, though, I’m pretty sure the only reason I tolerated veggies in stir fries were because they were covered in sauce. Homemade teriyaki sauce…
How To Make Healthy Homemade Teriyaki Sauce
It’s so quick and easy that I’m betting you never go back to the store-bought kind! So let’s start by talking about what goes into the sauce:
- I like to used a reduced-sodium soy sauce because I find the regular kind a little too overpoweringly salty for my tastes, and even so, the sauce is still pretty salty. And because most soy sauces contain wheat, be sure to use a certified gluten-free tamari if you need this sauce to be gluten-free.
- Most teriyaki sauce recipes call for water to dilute the soy sauce, but I like to use orange juice instead. I find it adds some extra sweetness, tanginess, and depth to the flavour.
- For sweetness, I use a combination of honey and coconut sugar because I find it gives the best taste and texture. If you need this sauce to be vegan, you can just use coconut sugar, but you need to increase the amount to 1/2 cup (100 g).
- Rice vinegar. Used mostly to balance out the sweetness. If you don’t have rice vinegar, you can substitute with apple cider.
- I know it’s a little bit of extra work, but fresh ginger and garlic really do make a difference. If you don’t have them on hand, you can use 1/2 tsp of each, ground.
- Cornstarch is used to thicken the sauce, otherwise it would be super runny instead of nice and saucy. Combine it with a tablespoon of water before adding it to the sauce just to get any clumps out and make sure it’s nice and smooth. And if you’re avoiding corn, arrowroot works fine as well.
See? All good stuff and none of the nasties that you often find in store-bought sauces.
Okay, But What’s It Like?
Salty. Sweet. Tangy… Saucy? There’s really not much else to say about a sauce.
I made a few different versions of this sauce and these quantities ended up being my favourite, but your tastebuds probably differ from mine so don’t be afraid to do some experimenting! Want a sweeter sauce? Add more sugar. Saltier? Add a few more splashes of soy sauce. Thicker? More cornstarch. That’s one of the best things about making things at home! Well, that and it lets you avoid a lot of the preservatives that end up in store-bought sauces.
As for how to use this sauce, my favourite is obviously in a stir fries (I’ve got a recipe coming up for you guys soon!), but it also works great as a marinate. I hope you love it!
Happy eating!
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easy homemade teriyaki sauce
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 1 cup
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) reduced-sodium soy sauce or tamari*
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) orange juice
- 1/4 cup (80 g) honey**
- 2 Tbsp (24 g) coconut sugar**
- 1 Tbsp (15 ml) rice vinegar
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- 1 Tbsp (7 g) cornstarch***
- 1 Tbsp (15 ml) water
Instructions
- In a small saucepan set over medium heat, combine the soy sauce, orange juice, honey, sugar, vinegar, ginger, and garlic. Bring it to a gentle boil, stirring occasionally.
- In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and water, mixing until smooth. Add this mixture to the sauce, stirring occasionally, until the sauce begins to thicken, about 1 minute.
- Remove the sauce from the heat and let it cool completely before transferring it to a sealed container and storing in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Use as desired.
Notes
* Use a certified gluten-free tamari if you need this to be gluten-free. I also recommend using a reduced-sodium version so that you have more control over how salty it is.
** Omit the honey and increase the sugar to 1/2 cup (100 g) if you need this sauce to be vegan.
*** You can use arrowroot powder instead.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 5 mins
Looking for more tasty vegan recipes? Try one of these!
Healthy Vegan Mac & Cheese
Loaded Sweet Potato Nachos
Instant Pot Black Bean Burrito Bowls
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This article shares a simple and practical quick meal idea, especially for readers who want an easy vegetable-based recipe for busy days.
Thanks for sharing this post about Easy Homemade Teriyaki Sauce (gluten-free, vegan). I enjoyed the ideas here.
Thanks for sharing this recipe! I finally tried making teriyaki sauce at home and it’s so much better than store-bought. Love that it’s gluten-free and vegan too!
These air fryer apples look easy to make and very approachable. I like recipes where the ingredients are familiar and the result is easy to recognize right away. That same quick visual recognition is also what makes simple food-themed browser games fun.
This homemade teriyaki sauce looks simple and practical, especially because the ingredients are easy to recognize and adjust. I like recipes where the flavors are clear right away, since that same kind of quick recognition is what makes simple food-themed browser games fun too.
Great post! Thanks for sharing these insights. I really enjoyed reading your perspective on this topic. It gave me a few new ideas to think about.
I’ve been trying to cut down on store-bought bottles lately because of the hidden sugars, so a recipe that stays simple with clean ingredients really appeals to me. I usually toss it into quick weeknight stir-fries with tofu and broccoli, and it’s helpful to have full control over the salt and sweetener levels. Making it from scratch also reminds me how a reliable glaze can actually make you look forward to eating your greens instead of picking them out. I’ll definitely be keeping this on rotation for my weekly meal prep.
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Great post! Thanks for sharing these insights. I really enjoyed reading your perspective on this topic. It gave me a few new ideas to think about. Looking forward to your next article – keep up the awesome work!
This sauce is amazing! So much better than store-bought and so easy to make.
This teriyaki sauce looks great! I love that it’s gluten-free and avoids nasty additives. It’s much healthier than store-bought. Can’t wait to try this tonight!
This looks amazing! I’ve been making teriyaki sauce from scratch for a while now, but I love that you included the gluten-free and vegan options—makes it so much more accessible. Do you find the homemade version tastes noticeably better than store-bought? I’m always curious if the extra effort is really worth it for marinades and sauces.
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I love how simple and clean this recipe is, especially since store-bought sauces always seem to have so many unnecessary additives. Stir-fries are a total lifesaver for quick weeknight dinners in my house too, and I actually ended up using a giant printable template to help organize my meal prep bins this week. It’s so true that a really good, flavorful sauce makes all the difference when you’re trying to get more veggies onto the table!
Homemade teriyaki sauce is so much better than store-bought. This recipe is a keeper!
Amanda, this looks amazing! I totally relate to the stir-fry veggie trick – my mom used to do the same thing! I’ve been trying to cut down on sodium and unnecessary ingredients lately, so a homemade teriyaki sauce is exactly what I need. The orange juice instead of water is a brilliant touch! I can’t wait to try this recipe out; I’m thinking it’ll be perfect over some broccoli and tofu. Thanks for sharing!
This sounds amazing! I love the idea of an easy homemade teriyaki sauce, especially one that’s full of flavour and doesn’t have any nasty ingredients. Plus, making it gluten-free and vegan is such a bonus for catering to different diets. Can’t wait to try this recipe!
This sounds fantastic! I’m always looking for easy homemade sauces, and the fact that this teriyaki is both gluten-free and vegan is a huge bonus. Plus, knowing it’s made without nasty ingredients makes it even better. Can’t wait to try this flavourful recipe!
This is a simple and practical quick breakfast idea, especially with the focus on easy preparation and adding more vegetables in a subtle way.
The cornstarch tip was honestly helpful because mine always ends up either too runny or weirdly thick. I usually panic and keep adding more soy sauce which definitely does not help.
This teriyaki sauce recipe is absolutely wonderful! I love that it uses fresh ginger and pantry staples to create such a rich, gluten-free flavor. I have been making it weekly for stir-fries and it turns out perfect every time. Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe!