This gluten-free vegan teriyaki sauce is sticky, sweet and so versatile. It's guaranteed to take any Asian inspired dish to a whole new flavor level!
This post was originally published on May 16, 2016.
I love a good Asian sauce, but the ones I find at the store are either too sweet, too salty, or just don't give me that flavor I love. Plus, the added extra random ingredients aren't really needed. So I made my own!
Gluten-Free Vegan Teriyaki Sauce
Believe it or not it's insanely easy to make your own teriyaki sauce. Which is why I knew I needed a homemade version in my cookbook. The main thing to watch is burning it, which I am embarrassed to say happened no less than 5 times when I was creating this.
Is teriyaki sauce vegan?
Many recipes, and store bought versions, are vegan. The main thing you will need to look for is if honey is used as a sweetener. Other than that you are good to go!
Teriyaki ingredients
What's in teriyaki sauce can vary by recipe. But generally, it has these main ingredients:
- Soy sauce
- A sweetener of some sort
- A thickener
- Spices and seasonings to amp up the flavor
To make my recipe gluten-free, I used Tamari instead of soy sauce and brown rice flour as a thickener. I used maple syrup for that deeper sweet flavor, and for that natural sugar angle. To ramp up the flavor I used mirin and garlic powder.
Teriyaki substitutes
If you don't have, or don't want to make teriyaki sauce, you can use plain Tamari or soy sauce with a little bit of sweetener to get that signature teriyaki flavor.
What does teriyaki taste like?
Teriyaki sauce has a sweet flavor with a touch of tang. It also has just a little bit of saltiness to it to counter sweet.
Is Teriyaki Chinese or Japanese?
Teriyaki is Japanese. It's used in many traditional dishes to marinate foods before they're cooked.
Storage tips
I am jar obsessed, so when it comes to storing my sauces, a good glass jar is my first choice. Here are some of my favorites!
Tips for using
There are so many ways to use teriyaki sauce to spice up dishes, but these are some of my favorite ways!
- Drizzle over rice and veggies
- Teriyaki rice bowl and roasted veggies
- Veggie fried rice
- Vegetable Teriyaki Stir Fry
How To Make Teriyaki Sauce
- Put all ingredients into a pot and heat over medium/low heat until thickened.
- Serve in your favorite dish!
Gluten-Free Vegan Teriyaki Sauce
Ingredients
- ½ cup Tamari , or soy sauce if you don't need it gluten-free (low sodium if needed, see note)
- 10 tablespoons maple syrup (½ cup plus 2 tablespoons)
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tablespoons mirin (rice cooking wine)
- 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon brown rice flour
Instructions
- Mix all sauce ingredients in a pot, whisk well.
- Heat on the stovetop on medium low heat until thickened, while whisking. Be careful not to overcook because it thickens more as it cools.
Notes
- You can also use soy sauce for this, or even coconut aminos if you can’t have soy. Using soy sauce will make this non gluten free.
- Using coconut aminos will make it slightly sweeter than the Tamari or soy sauce, so leave out the 2 extra tablespoons of maple syrup and taste first. It may also not be as salty so if you find it needs more salt, feel free to add salt.
- This recipe makes about 2 cups. Serving size is ¼ cup.
Recipe by Veggies Don’t Bite, visit our site for more great plant-based recipes.
Nutrition
Nutrition and metric information should be considered an estimate.
Lacey
This is so good! At Sophia's advice, I used flour instead of brown rice flour, and cooking Sherry instead of Mirin and it all worked out perfect 🙂
veggiesdontbite
I'm so happy the subs worked out! Thanks Lacey!
Ioanna
sounds delicious!!!
veggiesdontbite
Thank you Ioanna!!
Kim
What happened to the original recipe? I haven't made it in a while but this new version ain't it.
veggiesdontbite
Hi Kim! I go back and update old recipes from time to time. I updated this one to be a more versatile Teriyaki sauce. If you want the original here it is: ¾ cup Tamari,
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons maple syrup, ¼ cup mirin, ¼ cup paprika , 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons miso (I used chickpea miso or you can use mellow white miso), 2 teaspoons sesame oil, 1-2 teaspoons crushed red pepper (optional for spice), 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons brown rice flour
Kim
Thank you! I loved the original, I would put it on everything. 🙂
veggiesdontbite
Glad to hear!
Stephie
Than you for this! I'm trying to find a GF replacement for Yoshidas, it's in one of my favorite recipes.
Anyway can't wait to try 🙂
veggiesdontbite
Oh awesome!! Hope that you like it. It isn't a straight teriyaki, but more of a twist on the traditional with some Korean flavors.
Amber Simons
1/4 cup of paprika, is that right?? Seems like a ton.
veggiesdontbite
I know. It does seem like a ton! But it's a Korean style teriyaki and that flavor comes from paprika! Feel free to reduce if you want or put a little at a time. The taste will be good just a tad different.
The Vegan 8
This looks sooo good, you know how much I love Teriyaki Sauce! I make mine quite often, but I'm loving the sound of adding paprika, so I think I will try adding a touch of that next time and see how yummy it is! I literally could drink the stuff, it's the kind of food I could live off of! This looks like straight up perfection!
Joanne
Will this keep in the fridge a long time just like "store bought" teriyaki sauce?
veggiesdontbite
Hi Joanne! Because this has no preservatives, it doesn't keep as long as regular store bought teriyaki. I have kept it up to 5 days and it was still good. You can always try and freeze the leftovers and then defrost when you need it!
Molly Kumar
This is so quick - I didn't know you even get 'chickpea miso', this is super cool. I'm a sucker for sauces/dip and this is going on my list to make.
veggiesdontbite
Thanks Molly!! Yes!! I get mine at a local health market but Asian markets should have it too. Let me know if you try it!
Alisa Fleming
Ooh, I have everything on hand or this but mirin! Putting that on the shopping list now.
veggiesdontbite
Thank you Alisa!! Let me know if you try it. Your ice creams are SO cute! I need to make them for my kiddos.
Linda @ Veganosity
So thick and yummy! I love Asian sauces and this one looks incredibly good, Sophia. I'd make brown rice for lunch, throw in some peas, and smother it in that sauce.
veggiesdontbite
Me too! That sounds like a great lunch. Thanks Linda!
Kelly @ TastingPage
I love teriyaki and I love homemade anything even more, so this recipe is a winner in my book!
veggiesdontbite
Thank you Kelly!!
Hauke Fox
Woah, this looks super duper tasty!! Never really knew the ingredients of a teriyaki sauce, thanks 🙂
veggiesdontbite
Thanks Howie!
lalaine
That teriyaki looks so thick and sticky and oh-so-yummy! Can't wait to try it on the salmon I have in the fridge right now. Thanks for sharing 🙂
veggiesdontbite
Thanks Lalaine! It's so thick and sticky, we love it!! Let me know if you try it!
Manju | Cooking Curries
What a great recipe! Who knew it was so easy to make teriyaki sauce at home!
veggiesdontbite
Thanks so much! Yep! Much better to make it at home!
Mel
Love love love this sauce! It makes me want to go cook a big ol' bowl of rice and drown it in it! And it's only 8am....lol
veggiesdontbite
Thank you Mel!! Sometimes I crave things like this in the morning too. Lol.
Anjali @ Vegetarian Gastronomy
I love simple Asian-style sauces and how easy they are to make. This combo sounds delicious!
veggiesdontbite
Thank you!! It's fun to make everyday recipes a little unique!