Level up your stir-fry game with our homemade gluten-free teriyaki sauce recipe! It comes together in a snap and tastes great on stir-fry, salmon, chicken, noodle bowls & more. (Gluten-Free, Paleo-friendly!)
I’m just going to say it: this homemade teriyaki sauce is the best teriyaki sauce. It. Is. GOOOOOOOD.
We love a good stir-fry, and this (gluten-free! paleo!) teriyaki sauce has been our kitchen buddy ever since we went gluten-free.
I love that homemade teriyaki sauce comes together so quickly. If you time things right, you can have a whole dinner on the table in 30 minutes or less. Get some rice or noodles going, chop your vegetables, stir fry them while you whisk together the sauce, and pour this over during the last 2-3 minutes of cooking.
We’ve had this gluten-free teriyaki sauce over all kinds of great stir-fry combos–steak and broccoli, all veggies, chicken & veg, tofu, and veggies with pineapple. It’s ALL good!
You might think homemade teriyaki sauce sounds complicated, but the ingredients are super simple and bring big flavors to veggie or chicken stir-fry, glazed roasted salmon, teriyaki noodle bowls, and so much more.
Here are the simple ingredients you need to channel that classic teriyaki flavor…
Gather Your Ingredients
Here’s what I put in my easy homemade teriyaki sauce (spoiler: it’s a lot of pantry staples!)
- LOW-SODIUM GLUTEN-FREE TAMARI OR COCONUT AMINOS (OR SOY SAUCE). Tamari is a gluten-free soy sauce made without wheat. It tastes nearly indistinguishable from traditional soy sauce, so it’s a pretty seamless gluten-free option. I recommend using low-sodium so your sauce doesn’t end up too salty. If you’re paleo or avoid soy, you’ll want to use coconut aminos for this recipe. Coconut aminos is slightly sweet, but definitely brings that umami flavor you’re looking for. (Not gluten-free or paleo? Feel free to use low-sodium soy sauce!)
- WATER. The water helps moderate the salt in your homemade teriyaki sauce. If you like your sauce less salty, you may want to opt for 1/3 cup tamari + 2/3 cup water, rather than that 1/2 cup + 1/2 cup ratio I list below.
- PURE MAPLE SYRUP OR HONEY. For a naturally sweetened option, I prefer using maple syrup here. It won’t taste maple-y, it’ll just lend some warm sweetness that’s lovely. Honey also makes a nice choice if you’re looking for another option. (Note: I do tend to taste honey in this when I use it)
- RICE VINEGAR. For a little brightness and tang, I love adding a splash of rice vinegar to my homemade teriyaki sauce. Lots of paleo folks feel okay about rice vinegar, but if you’re avoiding it, you can swap in 1/2 the amount of cider vinegar instead.
- GARLIC + GINGER. Some fresh garlic & fresh ginger add LOADS of savory flavor to your teriyaki sauce. Lately, I’ve been using frozen ginger and frozen garlic, which have the same taste, texture, and potency of fresh and are easy to keep on hand at all times. I don’t recommend ground ginger or garlic powder here as the flavors won’t be quite right.
- SESAME OIL + BLACK PEPPER. Our other big flavor boosts here are toasted sesame oil and pepper. Sesame oil has a very deep, intense flavor, so a little goes a long way. Then, for a little kick and subtle heat, I love using black pepper. It’s easy to scale how “punchy” this sauce is by increasing the pepper in the sauce.
- SESAME SEEDS (OPTIONAL). Then, for garnish, I usually like to add some sesame seeds, if I have them. It won’t do much for flavor, but it’s pretty and plays up the sesame element a bit more.
How To Make Gluten-Free Teriyaki Sauce, Step By Step
As always, you can find the full recipe, with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below!
- Combine. In a small saucepan, combine tamari, water, syrup, vinegar, ginger, garlic, 1/4 tsp. pepper and sesame oil. Whisk to combine.
- Make Slurry. In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and 1 1/2 Tbsp. water. Pour this slurry into the pan with the teriyaki sauce ingredients.
- Simmer To Thicken. Stir, cooking over medium heat until the mixture comes to a boil. Stir 1-2 minutes, or until stir-fry sauce has thickened. Stir in sesame seeds, if using.
- Serve & Store! Remove sauce from heat and enjoy! Pour over stir-fried veggies, brush onto chicken or salmon, or stir into rice. Store leftover sauce in an airtight container in the fridge up to 1 week. Note that the sauce will thicken significantly in the refrigerator, so you’ll want to reheat it on the stove or in the microwave to loosen it up before using any leftovers.
Yummy Ways To Use This Sauce
Now that you know how to make teriyaki sauce gluten-free, let’s talk about how to use this versatile sauce! Here are some of my favorite ways to use teriyaki sauce:
- In A Stir Fry! Finish your favorite stir fry dish with this delicious sauce. I love the flavor it adds to chicken and veggies, like in our gluten-free Chicken Teriyaki Stir Fry!
- As A Teriyaki Marinade! Or, marinate chicken, tofu, or steak before cooking for extra flavor. I’ll sometimes freeze raw chicken breast in a marinade so it marinates as it thaws.
- To Glaze Chicken Wings. Brush the thickened glaze over your favorite crispy chicken wings. I like this method for cooking them in the air fryer. Just skip the buffalo sauce and finish with our teriyaki glaze instead! (You can also just dip wings in the sauce instead of glazing them!)
- As a Dipping Sauce! Use it to dip chicken, dumplings, potstickers, and more.
FAQ + Tips & Tricks For The Best Gluten-Free Teriyaki Sauce
USE LOW-SODIUM OR REDUCED-SODIUM OPTIONS! One more mention here, but, for best results, I highly *highly* recommend you use low-sodium or at least reduced-sodium tamari or soy sauce for this recipe so you can moderate the salt content. If you’re paleo and using coconut aminos, this won’t be an issue for you.
PALEO? TRY THIS. This homemade teriyaki sauce is very paleo-friendly with a few simple swaps. You’ll use (naturally soy-free) coconut aminos in place of the gluten-free tamari, cider vinegar instead of the rice vinegar, and arrowroot instead of the cornstarch. The rest of the instructions and ingredients are the same!
TOO SALTY? TRY THIS! Everyone’s salt preferences are different, and every time I post a recipe using tamari/soy sauce, I have some people who comment with “way too salty” and others who comment with “this needed more salt,” so I know that everyone will have their own opinions bout what tastes right for them. If this is too salty for your taste, You can thin the sauce out with a little more water or add a little more pure maple syrup to the sauce. If you tend to like salty, punchy teriyaki sauce, you may want to use 1/2 cup tamari and 1/2 cup water instead of the 1/3 cup tamari/soy sauce and 2/3 cup water ratio I have down below.
CHANGE IT UP! DON’T BE AFRAID TO PLAY. You’ll see below this is a basic recipe that can be easily customized to your tastes. Aren’t a ginger fan? Go light. Love it? Add more. Want a little more kick? Add a bit more black pepper or a pinch of red pepper flakes. Love sesame? Add a few extra drops of sesame oil and sprinkle over some sesame seeds. The combinations are endless. You could even add a squeeze of orange or lime juice to the water or swap out the water for pineapple juice if you want a little citrus-y vibe.
Did You Make This Recipe?
Tell me all about it! Leave a star rating below when you try our Homemade Gluten-Free Teriyaki Sauce recipe. I can’t wait to hear how it goes!
Homemade Teriyaki Sauce (Gluten-Free or Paleo!)
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup low-sodium gluten-free tamari or coconut aminos (or soy sauce if not GF)
- 2/3 cup water
- 3 Tablespoons maple syrup (can substitute brown sugar)
- 1 Tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons cornstarch (or arrowroot, for paleo)
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons water
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds (optional)
Instructions
To Make Teriyaki Sauce:
- Combine. In a small saucepan, combine tamari, water, syrup, vinegar, ginger, garlic, 1/4 tsp. pepper and sesame oil. Whisk to combine.
- Make Slurry. In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and 1 1/2 Tbsp. water. Pour this slurry into the pan with the teriyaki sauce ingredients.
- Simmer To Thicken. Stir, cooking over medium heat until the mixture comes to a boil. Stir 1-2 minutes, or until stir-fry sauce has thickened. Stir in sesame seeds, if using.
- Serve & Store! Remove sauce from heat and enjoy! Pour over stir-fried veggies, brush onto chicken or salmon, or stir into rice. Store in an airtight container in the fridge up to 1 week. Note that the sauce will thicken significantly in the refrigerator, so you’ll want to reheat it on the stove or in the microwave to loosen it up before using any leftovers.
If you're going to use this sauce in a stir-fry:
- Whisk together all ingredients in a small bowl (including cornstarch/water slurry).
- Stir-fry your meat/veggies as you usually would. During the last 2-3 minutes of cooking, pour teriyaki sauce over stir-fried veggies/meat and cook over medium-high heat 2-3 minutes or until the stir fry sauce has slightly thickened.
Or, try it as a teriyaki marinade:
- Pour teriyaki sauce into a bag or airtight container with chicken, beef, or tofu. Chill in the refrigerator and marinate 2-3 hours at least to infuse with teriyaki flavor. Drain & discard excess marinade and cook as desired!
Notes
- LOW Sodium! Whenever possible, we highly recommend using low-sodium gluten-free tamari or coconut aminos for teriyaki sauce. It’ll keep the sodium down and have a better balance of flavors. If you’re not gluten-free, you can also make this sauce with low sodium soy sauce.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition facts are an estimate only and will vary based on brands and amounts used.
Find it Online:
https://www.onelovelylife.com/homemade-teriyaki-sauce/
This sauce was so yummy on my lunch of salmon, rice, and avocado. An easy go-to that I can put on anything!
Oh, I’m so glad! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave such a kind review!
I’ve been searching for a teriyaki sauce that has good ingredients, sits well with me and tastes delicious. This is it! I am printing it right now.
So glad it was a win for you! We LOVE it!
Wondering why the cornstarch turned into little hard, goey balls? What did I do wrong?
Ooh, it should definitely not do that. It sounds like the cornstarch wasn’t dissolved properly in the sauce or that the heat was too high in the pan. For next time, whisking until the mixture is smooth but opaque and reducing the heat when cooking slightly should help fix this!
delicious and easy.
I want to make a gluten free teriyaki marinade for london broil or chicken breast. I intend to freeze the meat with the marinade to use at a later date. I have red miso paste to use up. I assume it is ok to substitute the red miso for the tamari? Also, can extra marinade be frozen? (I only need to make gluten free marinades when my daughter-in-law, who has celiac, comes to visit.)
Hi Sue! Red miso paste would not be a substitute for tamari. It has a different different texture, flavor, and consistency, so I don’t recommend it here. Extra marinade can absolutely be frozen!
Thanks Emily! Good to know red miso cannot be substituted for tamari in this marinade. Do you have any recommendations for red miso? (I had substituted it for soy sauce for a salmon dish I make that turned out great.)
Hi Sue! I don’t cook with it much, but this post from Epicurious has lots of delicious looking ideas!
We love this recipe . I use honey because my kids love a honey garlic kind of sweetness when it comes to teriyaki sauce! it’s great they love it thank you !!
I’m so glad to hear it! Thanks so much for taking the time to share and leave such a kind review, Victoria! You made my day!
This is a great GF alternative, I didn’t have maple syrup, so I used Date syrup, it was still delicious. I this sauce to marinade chicken, there was plenty left over from the marinade to use over the rice and stir-fried veggies.
I also used this recipe to make Teriyaki burgers. I used some of the sauce in the hamburger meat, and I drizzled it over the pineapple rounds. I grilled everything over gas bbq.
Both dinners were a big hit with my hubcap.
YUM! Those teriyaki burgers sound especially amazing!
Has anyone used honey instead of the maple syrup? If so how much and how did you like it?
Brian – I much prefer the neutral taste of pure maple syrup or agave. Honey tends to dominate the flavor. But if you’d like to try it, you can use the same amount as you would the syrup. 🙂
This isn’t just the best teryaki sauce, this is the best all time Paleo sauce I’ve made or had.
WOWOWOW Jillian you totally made my day!!!
I made this last night except I used less maple syrup and went slightly heavier on the garlic and ginger. Put it on salmon…delicious! My picky mother who loves store bought teriyaki loved it! Can’t wait to use it in stir fry. Thank you so much!!!
Ooh, I love it on salmon! So good!
Emily this recipe is so great. My toddler loves it! I’ve been searching for so long to find a sauce without the sugar. It’s one of the few ways he will eat chicken. I make it as a chicken stir fry with veggies and rice.
I’m so happy to hear that! Hooray!
When does the rice vinegar get added to the recipe? Love this sauce, but skipped the vinegar the first time I made it.
I am SO SORRY Michele. I try to catch all those details and typos, and I’m sorry that made it past me. I add it with the other liquid ingredients (tamari, syrup, water, etc.) I’ve updated the recipe card so that won’t happen to anyone else. Thank you for helping to catch my mistake!
This looks like an awesome recipe!! You mentioned using rice vinegar in it but no amounts. So just throw alittle in at the last minute I am guessing?
Good grief! I’m so sorry! It’s 1 Tbsp! I’ve updated the recipe card. Thanks for helping me catch the mistake!
Can I use this as a marinade?
Cindy – I would think so, though I haven’t tried it that way. I bet it’d be delicious! And it would thicken up a bit while cooking later, which would be tasty.
Love this recipe! My family Love this Recipe! Thank you so much! Simple but absolutely tasty!
That’s wonderful! So glad you enjoyed it!
This recipe was awesome thanks for sharing it! I tried and its great!Definitely its going to be a regular for me!
Deeptha – I’m so glad you liked it! We’ve made it over and over again.
Ohhh! I have to give this a try! I have played with different types of gluten free teriyaki sauce but they have all fell short. Your version looks spot on!
Annie – Thank you! I hope that you love it!
Oh girl! This looks amazing. And I LOVE your wood board! Where is it from?!
This will be great when I need teriyaki for a recipe and don’t want to buy a bottle! For colds- take zinc, it helps. Also, if your library has the Jeni’s homemade ice cream cookbook (no point in buying since you’re dairy free), it has a great flu sorbet recipe. Too spicy for kids, but I like it. It has ginger, cayenne, honey, lemon, and OJ.
I hope you all feel better soon!
Thanks for the recipe – I will definitely be making this.
I love teriyaki sauce! And stir fry’s are one of my favorite ways to get lots of veggies in a meal…I know I will be trying this recipe this week! My MIL uses some really yummy quinoa noodles in her chicken noodle soup and I couldn’t tell they weren’t traditional egg noodles. Hope your little family feels better soon…sickies are no fun (especially when the mommy is one of those sickies!)