Homemade Teriyaki Sauce (Gluten-Free + Paleo!)

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 GOOOOOOOD.

We love a good stir-fry, and this (gluten-free! paleo!) teriyaki sauce has been our kitchen buddy for the last six years. (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’s all you need to kick up your stir fry game with homemade teriyaki sauce…

HERE’S WHAT I PUT IN MY HOMEMADE TERIYAKI SAUCE:

• 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 & 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.
• 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.

Yummy Ways To Use This 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!
• As A 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!)

FAQ + TIPS & TRICKS FOR THE BEST HOMEMADE TERIYAKI SAUCE:

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!

USE LOW-SODIUM OR REDUCED-SODIUM OPTIONS! One more mention here, but 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.

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. 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.

HELPFUL FOR HOMEMADE TERIYAKI SAUCE:

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