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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Using orange juice instead of just water is such a clever tip for adding depth to the sauce! I usually rely on store-bought bottles, but this seems so much fresher and easier to customize to my own taste. I’m definitely going to try this with tamari for my next stir-fry night.
This is exactly what I’ve been looking for! I’m always buying those bottles of teriyaki sauce that are loaded with stuff I can’t pronounce, so making it at home sounds so much better. I love that you mentioned it can be both gluten-free and vegan because my partner is vegan and we’re always struggling to find sauces that work for both of us. Can’t wait to try this with our stir fry night this week!
Wow, this looks so much simpler than I thought homemade teriyaki would be! I especially loved your tip about using rice vinegar – it really makes a difference in the tanginess. I’m definitely going to try this with tofu this week, it’s perfect for a quick and flavorful weeknight meal. I actually build some tools to help people analyze data, so if you ever need anything like that for your recipes, let me know!
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This is exactly what I’ve been looking for! I’m so tired of store-bought teriyaki sauce loaded with preservatives and weird ingredients I can’t pronounce. The fact that it’s naturally gluten-free and vegan is a huge bonus since I’m always trying to accommodate different dietary needs when I cook for friends. Can’t wait to try this – hopefully it’ll be my new go-to for stir fries just like it was for your mom getting you to eat your veggies!
This is exactly what I’ve been looking for! I’m so tired of store-bought teriyaki sauce loaded with weird preservatives and way too much sodium. The fact that you can make it gluten-free and vegan is a game-changer for me since I’m cooking for a mixed group of friends. I love that you mentioned stir fries getting you to eat your veggies as a kid – honestly that’s the same trick that works on my picky eater now, and having a homemade sauce that actually tastes good makes the whole thing so much easier!
This is exactly what I’ve been looking for! I’m so tired of buying teriyaki sauce from the store that’s loaded with weird additives and way too much sodium. The fact that it’s naturally gluten-free and vegan is a huge bonus since I’m cooking for a mixed group these days. Your point about stir fries being a gateway to eating veggies really resonates with me – I’m definitely going to try this on my kids!
Amanda, this teriyaki sauce recipe looks fantastic! I totally agree about stir-fries being a gateway to veggies. My mom used a similar tactic when I was a kid! Using orange juice instead of water is such a great idea – I bet it adds a wonderful depth of flavor. And thanks for the tip about the gluten-free tamari. I’m definitely going to try this recipe this week. Can’t wait to ditch the store-bought stuff!
This teriyaki sauce sounds amazing, and I love how easy it is to make. My family and I are huge fans of stir-fries too, and I remember my mom using homemade sauces to make veggies more palatable. I think I’ll try using apple juice instead of orange for a change.
This homemade teriyaki sauce recipe sounds amazing! I love that it uses orange juice instead of water for extra flavor depth. The combination of honey and coconut sugar is genius too. And I totally agree that fresh ginger and garlic make a huge difference compared to dried spices. Can’t wait to try this gluten-free and vegan-friendly version – no more store-bought sauce for me!
This is such a game-changer! I’ve been buying those bottles of teriyaki sauce for years without realizing how easy it is to make at home. I love that you mentioned it can be made gluten-free and vegan too – my daughter has dietary restrictions so this is perfect for getting her excited about stir fries the way your mom got you to eat your veggies. Definitely adding this to my rotation!
Love the tip about using orange juice instead of water for more flavor! I’m definitely trying this healthier version next stir-fry night.
This homemade teriyaki sauce looks fantastic! I love the tip about using orange juice instead of water—it really adds a unique depth of flavor. As someone who often cooks gluten-free, I appreciate the clear tamari recommendation. Excited to try this on my next stir-fry!
This recipe is a game-changer! I love the tip about using orange juice instead of water for extra depth of flavor. As someone who needs gluten-free options, the reminder to use certified tamari is super helpful. Can’t wait to try this on my next stir-fry.
The tip about mixing the cornstarch with water first to avoid clumps was helpful. I’ve messed up a sauce before by adding cornstarch straight in, so I’ll definitely remember that next time.
This is exactly what I’ve been looking for! I’m so tired of buying bottled teriyaki sauce that’s loaded with weird additives, and making it at home sounds so much simpler than I expected. I love that you mentioned it can be made gluten-free and vegan too – my sister has celiac disease so this will be perfect for when she comes over for dinner. Definitely adding this to my go-to recipes!
This is exactly what I’ve been looking for! I’m so tired of buying bottled teriyaki sauce loaded with preservatives and weird additives. The fact that you can make it gluten-free and vegan is a game-changer for my household since I cook for people with different dietary needs. I love that you mentioned stir fries being a gateway to eating veggies—that’s totally been my experience too, and having a homemade sauce I can actually trust makes meal planning so much easier.
A gluten-free and vegan teriyaki sauce that is easy to make at home? This is a game changer! Homemade sauces always taste so much better than store-bought. This would be perfect for a Japanese-themed party menu. At Birthday Invitation AI we help people plan creative themed celebrations, and a teriyaki cooking party sounds like such a fun and delicious idea!
This sounds fantastic! I’m always looking for easy homemade recipes, and a teriyaki sauce that’s both gluten-free and vegan is a total win. Plus, knowing it’s full of flavour without any nasty ingredients makes it even better. Can’t wait to try this!
This sounds fantastic! I’m always looking for easy homemade recipes, and a teriyaki sauce that’s both gluten-free and vegan is a total win. Plus, knowing it’s full of flavour without any nasty ingredients makes it even better. Can’t wait to try this!
The breakdown of each ingredient (especially the soy, sugar, and cornstarch) is so helpful – it actually teaches you how to tweak the sauce instead of just blindly following a recipe.
Really appreciate that you walk through gluten-free and vegan tweaks – makes it super easy to cook one sauce that works for everyone at the table.
Love how you swapped water for orange juice – it gives the sauce a real “takeout but better” vibe and makes the flavors pop.
This recipe is fantastic – I love how it breaks down *why* certain ingredients are used, like the orange juice for depth instead of just water. It’s so true that store-bought sauces can be full of unnecessary stuff, and having control over the salt and sugar levels is a huge plus. Plus, the encouragement to experiment with the flavour profile makes it feel less intimidating to try making your own!
This is exactly what I’ve been looking for! Store-bought teriyaki sauce always has so much weird stuff in it, and honestly it tastes nothing like homemade. I love that you mentioned making it gluten-free and vegan too—I have friends with dietary restrictions and it’s nice to have one recipe that works for everyone. Can’t wait to try this with my stir fry tonight!
This is exactly what I’ve been looking for! I’m so tired of buying store-bought teriyaki sauce that’s loaded with weird preservatives and way too much sodium. The fact that you can make it gluten-free and vegan is a game-changer for me since I have friends with different dietary restrictions. Your point about stir fries being a gateway to eating veggies is so true – I’m definitely going to try this with my kids because they actually eat their broccoli when there’s a good sauce involved!
Really enjoyed reading this. You’ve covered the topic thoroughly and clearly.
Just made this teriyaki sauce recipe and it’s absolutely delicious! The balance of soy sauce, brown sugar, and ginger is spot on. What I love most is how simple it is to make at home – no need for store-bought versions anymore.
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Do you have any other easy homemade sauce recipes to share?
Using orange juice instead of just water is such a clever tip for adding depth to the sauce! I usually rely on store-bought bottles, but this seems so much fresher and easier to customize to my own taste. I’m definitely going to try this with tamari for my next stir-fry night.