Wow, yum! This is what we hope you’ll say when you taste this delicious sauce. We’ve been wanting to create a teriyaki sauce for a while now and finally stuck the landing on one that’s easy, gluten-free, naturally sweetened, and optionally soy-free, too!
Not only is this sauce incredibly quick to make (20 minutes), but it’s also made with just 6 pantry staple ingredients! This salty, sweet, tangy delight is super versatile, pairing beautifully with tofu, chicken, bowls, and beyond. Let’s get saucy!
Origin of Teriyaki Sauce
The word “teriyaki” refers to a cooking technique developed by Japanese chefs in the 1700s. It involves broiling or grilling foods in a glaze made from soy sauce, mirin, and sugar (source).
When Japanese immigrants settled in Hawaii, a new but similar sauce was born, and it featured a local ingredient: pineapple! Along the way, a sweet, savory, thick sauce resembling the teriyaki sauce evolved into what’s found in grocery stores and restaurants in the U.S. today.
The following is our inspired, gluten-free (and naturally vegan) version, which has a similarly thick texture and sweet and savory flavor balance.
Is Teriyaki Sauce Gluten-Free?
Traditionally, teriyaki sauce is made with soy sauce, which is not gluten-free because it contains wheat.
To replace soy sauce in this recipe, we used its cousin: tamari. Tamari and soy sauce are both made from fermented soybeans, but tamari doesn’t usually contain wheat. Some brands of tamari include a small amount of wheat, so if you’re making it for gluten-free eaters, you’ll want to double check the ingredients!
How to Make Teriyaki Sauce
We start this recipe by blending up a handful of pantry staples: tamari for the salty, savory element, maple syrup for natural sweetness, rice vinegar for balance, ginger and garlic for zing, water to make it saucy, and cornstarch to thicken.
After blending, it becomes a foamy mixture. That’s totally normal and there’s no need to worry, friends!
After transferring the foamy mixture to a saucepan and bringing it to a boil, the cornstarch starts thickening the liquid and the foam disappears.
Then cook for just 5-10 minutes more and you’ve got teriyaki sauce!
We hope you LOVE this teriyaki sauce! It’s:
Salty
Sweet
Zippy
Tangy
Saucy
& SO versatile!
Try it on tofu, chicken, vegetables, rice, or in our Rainbow Vegetable Edamame Bowls or in place of the sauce in our Tofu Noodle Stir-Fry with Spring Vegetables or Crispy Tofu Lettuce Wraps.
More DIY Sauce Recipes
- Easy Homemade Sriracha (15 Minutes!)
- Zesty Mango Habanero Hot Sauce
- Easy Green Goddess Dressing (Plant-Based!)
- Easy Homemade Pizza Sauce
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Easy Homemade Teriyaki Sauce (Gluten-Free)
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup tamari (ensure gluten-free as needed // if soy-free, sub coconut aminos)
- 2-3 Tbsp maple syrup
- 2 Tbsp rice vinegar
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 ½ tsp ginger, peeled and roughly chopped (~1 ½ inch piece or 6 g)
- 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 2 tsp cornstarch
Instructions
- Add all ingredients (tamari or coconut aminos, maple syrup, rice vinegar, water, ginger, garlic, and cornstarch) to a high-speed blender. Blend on medium-low speed until no large chunks of ginger or garlic remain and the mixture is well combined — about 30 seconds. It will look pale and foamy — this is normal!
- Transfer the mixture to a medium saucepan (large enough for the mixture to boil) and turn to medium heat. Let the sauce come to a boil and keep an eye on it — it should begin to bubble vigorously and start going up the sides of the pan. This will take about 2-3 minutes.
- Once boiling and bubbly, reduce the heat to low and whisk for 5-10 minutes, or until the sauce reaches your desired thickness. We like whisking for 5 minutes and leaving the sauce on the thinner side, as it will thicken even more as it cools. If you like your teriyaki sauce thicker, whisk for up to 10 minutes.
- Transfer to a heat-proof container like a glass jar or storage container and let cool. Enjoy it in our Rainbow Vegetable Edamame Bowls, or in place of the tahini sauce or peanut sauce in our Tofu Noodle Stir-Fry with Spring Vegetables or Crispy Tofu Lettuce Wraps.
- Leftover sauce will keep in the refrigerator for 4-5 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Video
Notes
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.
dianaB says
Wondering if you could substitute Coconut Aminos for a soy free version? If so, would same quantity work?
Yes, you can! We do recommend the same amount, though some brands of coconut aminos are more flavorful than others, so taste and adjust to preference!
Emily says
My 5-year-old requested seconds and then thirds of the roasted broccoli that we served this sauce on. Enough said.
We made this with the Ginger Sesame “Meatballs” on this site, and everything was delicious. The only substitution was tapioca starch for cornstarch. I only cooked it 5 minutes after coming to a boil, and we did not experience any gloopiness.
Amazing! We love that your little one enjoyed it so much. Thank you for sharing your experience, Emily! xo
Sonya says
Note to self: don’t use Japanese plum vinegar otherwise the sauce becomes too sour. I ran out of rice vinegar so used plum. I’ve made this recipe before with the rice vinegar and the sauce turned out wonderfully. It was way better than any store bought Teriyaki sauce.
Marcy says
This recipe is so delicious and tastes better than any store-bought sauce!
I substituted the corn starch with potato flour, as it is a 1:1 ratio when substituting for cornstarch. Arrowroot and other thickeners you will have to use more than double to substitute, so potato starch is so much easier.
My daughter has been gluten-free almost since birth, and she loves the sauce too!
I can put it on anything, any vegetable, any protein, and she will eat it lol. Thank you!
Amazing! We’re so glad she enjoys it, Marcy. Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modification! xo
Nicole says
This tasted great, but my sauce didn’t really thicken for some reason. The only change I made was to use brown sugar instead of maple syrup. Does corn starch lose its effectiveness over time or something? After whisking after it got to a simmer for 15 minutes with barely a change, I added in about a tsp of arrowroot starch and whisked for 5 minutes more, and still barely a change.
Hm so strange! We don’t think it loses its effectiveness over time and wouldn’t think brown sugar would cause that. Any chance the corn starch got swapped with another product like flour somehow? Or could the heat have been too low?
Nicole says
It was definitely corn starch, and I had the heat at between medium and medium-low to maintain a simmer as I found low (as per the instructions) not hot enough on my stove. Very strange… Side note: the leftover sauce did get a bit thicker and kind of gelatinous overnight in the fridge.
We’re a little stumped then! Let us know if you try it again and have the same experience.
Janet says
The gelatinous is from the arrowroot. Once it’s warmed back up it changes back to saucy.
Janet
C says
I can’t wait to make this. Can I sub ground ginger? If so, how much would you recommend? Thank you!!
Hi! You can, but just know the ginger flavor won’t be as strong. We’d suggest 1/4 tsp.
Tonja says
I used the same ingredients and did everything exactly the same
One more idea – is it possible your garlic is sprouting? If the center of the garlic clove is green, that can cause bitterness. We’re not sure what else could be causing it!
Tonja says
I loved this recipe and the first time it turned out so good. But ever since it always comes out too sour or bitter even though I follow the instructions. Any advise on what to adjust or what could help?
Hm, so strange! Is it possible you’re using a different brand of one of the ingredients or you’re cooking it down more than the first time?
Kate says
Loved this recipe! The ginger and garlic add delicious flavor and this is perfect to add to many recipes. I used it with the ginger-sesame vegan meatballs and it was amazing!! Super easy and straightforward as well.
Yay! So glad you enjoyed, Kate. Thanks for the lovely review!
Samantha says
We made this sauce for a rough and ready / clean out the fridge supper. We didn’t have fresh ginger so subbed a lesser amount of powdered and it was still bomb!
Yay! So glad you enjoyed, Samantha. Thanks for the great review and for sharing your modifications!
Susana says
I came to say you can sub the cornstarch with oat flour. It is more nutritious and thickens the sauce beautifully.
Good recipe. I might add a tsp miso paste next time for more umami flavor.
Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for sharing, Susana!
Grace says
I found this to be much tastier than store-bought GF teriyaki sauce, and it exceeded my expectations. I followed the recipe and turned out perfectly, whisked until medium consistency.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Erica! Thank you for sharing! xo
Barbara Sheehan says
Here is a conversion table of arrowroot for cornstarch. Almost double the amount of arrowroot to do the job of cornstarch. Hope this helps! https://www.pkdrecipes.com/?p=3606. And of course as with any thickening agent being added to a recipe, you add a little at a time until you get the consistency you are looking for while heating. The heating is what activates the arrowroot. I just printed out the recipe. Plan on trying this for diner tomorrow. Can’t wait.
Lesley says
I have made this twice now, and cannot get it to thicken, and it’s stays foamy on top. I am
using coconut aminos, and arrowroot. Tried blending the arrowroot with all the other ingredients, but it never thickened during heating. Second time I tried it I made a slurry with 2 tsp arrowroot, 1 tbsp of water, and added during the simmering part…. still no luck.
Hi Lesley, sorry to hear it’s giving you trouble! We’ve only tested with cornstarch, not arrowroot, so perhaps that’s the issue? Cooking it for longer might help!
Rebecca says
I used gluten free soy sauce, and then honey as my sweetener. Made the recipe using all the measurements above and in the end had to add roughly another half cup or so of water and 3 more tablespoons of honey. This was just due to personal preference, though. The sauce was very vinegar heavy so the extra honey and water really helped. All of the flavors worked perfectly together, though. I give this one 5 stars because it’s gluten free, quick, and no additional flavors needed to be added to make it yummy. I had to adjust the sweetness and cut the acidity with a little more water to fit my own preferences, but I didn’t need to add any other flavors because the combination of flavors was already great.
Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Rebecca!
lyn says
I made the teriyaki sauce but did not have the rice vinegar. I used red wine vinegar and whilst it obviously* changed the flavour. It was still good though not too sweet and very easy to make. Will make the ginger sesame meatballs tomorrow. Wonderful recipes from this site
We’re so glad you enjoy our recipes! Thank you for your kind words and lovely review! xo
Barbara Sheehan says
Being grain free I can’t use cornstarch either and use arrowroot all the time. I have found that you need to almost double the amount of arrowroot to cornstarch. So this recipe calls for 2 tsp of cornstarch, I’d use 4 to possibly 5 teaspoons of arrowroot depending on how thick you want it.
Louise Herdson says
I made this sauce yesterday following the recipe exactly but subbing the tamari for coconut aminos and it was delicious! Even my 4 and 7 year old loved it with stir fry veg and noodles. Today I’ve made it again but didn’t have fresh ginger or garlic so subbed with 1/4 tsp ground ginger and 1 1/2 tsp garlic granules and it worked just as well! Thank you so much for the recipe!!
Yay! Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Louise!
michelle says
I’m curious as to why it would only keep for a month in the freezer.
Hi Michelle, we find things start to get freezer burn after a month or so. But it won’t go bad!
Irene Binyon says
I thought this was wonderful! I had it on Soba Noodles and
stir fry veggies. It’s a keeper. It’s a strong flavor which I really liked!
No more “store bought” teriyaki for me.
Yay! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Irene. That meal sounds incredible too! Thank you for sharing!
Connie says
Can this teriyaki sauce be jarred & processed in a hot water bath for longer shelf life?
Hi Connie, we don’t have much experience with canning, so unfortunately we’re not sure if it would work.
Maria Cameron says
I want to make this sauce as it look delicious but is there something else I can use instead of cornstarch as hubby unable to eat it?
Thanks Maria
Hi Maria, we think maybe arrowroot? You might want to start with ~1/2 the amount since it does thicken a lot more than cornstarch. Let us know how it goes!
Selina says
Woah nelly, the ginger is super strong and my sauce was really thick after 5 minutes and set up like jam. I added more soy and water and brown sugar (instead of maple) and it tasted great! I’d recommend starting out with half the ginger and cornstarch.
Hi Selina, glad to hear it turned out well with some modifications! It sounds like it may have cooked down too much. Were you cooking on low? Is it possible the low setting on your burners runs hot?
Sj says
You could try agar flakes. Thats what I used ;) Came out great!
Thank you for sharing!
Ginni says
I’ve never used rice vinegar. Is it the seasoned type or unseasoned? Any suggestions for brands? Can’t wait to try this..I have been looking for something simple yet yummy. This looks like it will fit the bill!
Yay! We’re excited for you to try it! We use unseasoned rice vinegar – typically Marukan brand. Let us know how it goes!
Diane says
For the recipes you suggest using this with, does the sauce replace the peanut sauce in those recipes or is it only a marinade for the tofu before you cook it? Thanks for the help!
Hi Diane, good question! It replaces the peanut sauce. Hope you love it!
perrine gregoire says
Can’t wait to try it! How long can i keep it?
Hi Perrine, it will keep at least 4-5 days, but likely even longer!
perrine gregoire says
Thanks!
Mary Jona says
Can this be canned?
Hi, we don’t have much experience with canning so we’re not sure, sorry!
Ronica says
Hahaha! This is exactly the recipe I use (it evolved by taste!) My son has a soy allergy so I halve it with coconut aminos (It’s mild so we don’t cut it out). Even used both dried ginger and garlic for a quick noodle veggie lunch! You’re brilliant!
Amazing! Thank you for sharing, Ronica! xo
Katie says
Would this work as a marinade for bbq items (like chicken)?
It should work well! Let us know if you try it!
Zoe says
Looks yummy in my tummy ❤️💥😘😋🍔🌭🥮🍦🥠🍨🍧🍥🦪🍤🍙🫕🌮🍲🦪🍤🌯🌯🌯🫔
Yay! Hope you love it, Zoe!
The Vegan Goddess says
If you’re avoiding corn and want to sub cornstarch with another starchy flour, would you suggest arrowroot or potato starch?
I tried super fine tapioca starch for a recipe like this and it came out thick but a bit gooey and gummy so perhaps one of the others would be better. What do you think?
Hmm.. we think maybe arrowroot? You might want to start with ~1/2 the amount since it does thicken a lot more than cornstarch. Let us know how it goes!