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Once you know how easy it is to make a homemade gluten-free teriyaki sauce that’s packed with delicious teriyaki flavor, you’ll never want to go back to the bottled stuff! When you’re trying to make teriyaki sauce gluten-free, it’s important to avoid hidden sources of gluten by using a certified gluten-free soy sauce or gluten-free tamari.
Even though soy sauce is made from fermented soybeans, it often contains wheat, too, so the average store-bought teriyaki sauce probably isn’t gluten-free. But one of the benefits of making sauces like these at home is that you can easily tailor the ingredients to suit your dietary needs and personal preferences.
The homemade gluten-free teriyaki sauce recipe you’ll find in this post is delicious as written, but can easily be adjusted to suit a low-sodium, vegan, paleo, or soy-free diet. You’ll find plenty of helpful suggestions and substitutions below the recipe, and a bevy of delicious ideas for what to do with it!
How To Make Gluten-Free Teriyaki Sauce (Recipe)
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups cold water
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup gluten-free soy sauce or tamari*
- 1 tsp garlic powder or granulated garlic
- 3 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp sesame oil
Directions:
Add the water, brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic powder, cornstarch, and sesame oil to a saucepan. Whisk well and place on your stove over medium heat.
Whisking continuously, simmer the sauce until thickened and darkened in color, then remove from heat.
Transfer your GF teriyaki sauce to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to one week.
Substitutions & Suggestions
There are so many options for this recipe, starting with the main ingredient: soy sauce. Tamari, liquid aminos, and coconut aminos are all viable alternatives with a similar flavor profile, so there are plenty of options there.
Here are a few other adjustments you can make, depending on your wants and needs:
- Soy-free? Look for a soy-free tamari sauce, or use coconut aminos.
- Paleo? Use coconut aminos and reduce the amount of sugar, since they’re naturally slightly sweet.
- On a low-salt diet? Try low-sodium soy sauce or reduced-sodium tamari.
- Vegan? No changes necessary!
- Make it organic by ensuring all your ingredients are organic.
- To make it sugar-free, use a sugar-free brown sugar blend like monk fruit.
- To make hot teriyaki sauce, add a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, or a small amount of chili garlic sauce or sriracha sauce.
- Enhance the flavor by adding fresh garlic and fresh ginger, then blend the sauce briefly before cooking it.
- Replace part of the brown sugar with maple syrup or honey.
- Add a splash of rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar for a bright, tangy flavor.
- Replace part of the water with pineapple juice for sweetness, or more soy sauce to make it more savory.
- Add a dash of sesame seeds for visual appeal and flavor.
How To Use Your Easy Homemade Teriyaki Sauce
- Pour your teriyaki sauce over a bowl of rice, some protein (it tastes great on fish, chicken, pork, and beef!), and sautéed veggies for a quick and easy meal.
- Use it as a teriyaki marinade for delicious teriyaki flank steak. Slice flank steak into strips, marinate in the teriyaki sauce for about 30 minutes, then cook on the grill for an easy dinner the whole family will love.
- Use it to make crockpot pineapple teriyaki chicken! I love this recipe because all I have to do is toss some chicken and teriyaki sauce in my crockpot, and dinner is basically ready by the time I get home!
- Make your own flavorful teriyaki beef jerky by marinating strips of beef in teriyaki sauce before drying them in your oven. It’s easy to do and tastes amazing.
- I’ve also made slow-cooker beef and broccoli using this delicious sauce with incredible results. I like it better than takeout!
- Use it as a dipping sauce for dumplings, spring rolls, or egg rolls, a glaze for grilled meats, or as a stir-fry sauce with meat or tofu. Stir-fry has never tasted so good!
How would you use this gluten-free teriyaki sauce recipe?
Gluten-Free Teriyaki Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups water cold
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup gluten-free soy sauce or gluten-free tamari
- 1 tsp garlic powder or granulated garlic
- 3 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp sesame oil
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a saucepan, whisk well, and place over medium heat.
- Whisk continuously and simmer until the sauce has thickened and darkened in color, then remove from heat.
