Soy Free Teriyaki Sauce
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Sweet and tangy, this super versatile soy free teriyaki sauce is just as tasty as store-bought! It’s easy to make and has no refined sugar, so it’s a better-for-you option to use in all of your favorite Asian dishes, especially Japanese cooking.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Homemade teriyaki sauce is easy to make and oh-so-delicious! You’ll love it because…
It’s really versatile! Use it to make any kind of stir fry hibachi vegetables, or fish dishes like teriyaki salmon.
If you or anyone has soy or gluten allergies, and/or you want to avoid refined sugar, this one is for you! It is refined sugar-free and made without soy sauce, so it’s soy-free and gluten-free!
Best of all, to make this delicious sauce yourself, you only need 5 simple ingredients.
Ingredients
Coconut aminos are a liquid made from the sap or nectar of the coconut plant. The flavor is very similar to soy sauce, so it can be used interchangeably in cooking. You can usually find it in the specialty section of grocery stores, or buy it on Amazon.
Some brands of coconut aminos taste more salty than others, so I recommend tasting before adding any additional salt to recipes containing coconut aminos. You can always add more salt to your food later.
Helpful Tip
The brand Braggs makes a product called Liquid Aminos that contains soy. The bottle looks almost identical to their Coconut Aminos bottle. Be very careful and do not buy "liquid aminos" if you're avoiding soy.
If you don't have rice vinegar, substitute apple cider vinegar.
Medjool dates are super sweet and perfectly balance the punch of the vinegar, garlic and ginger.
You can use fresh garlic cloves or pre-minced garlic. Garlic powder can work in a pinch too.
Either fresh or frozen ginger will work great!
If you don't care to use dates, check out this alternate 3 ingredient stir fry sauce!
How to Make Soy Free Teriyaki Sauce
For the full instructions, see the recipe card! ⬇️
Jump to Recipe
- Do the prep work. Remove the pits from the dates (if they aren't already pitted). Mince the ginger, garlic, and dates.
- Start cooking. Add all the ingredients to a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Allow it to simmer and cook together for about 8-10 minutes, or until the sauce is reduced enough that it coats the back of a spoon. Remove it from the heat.
- Strain the sauce. This step is optional. Once it’s cooled slightly, strain the sauce through cheesecloth or a fine mesh strainer into a small bowl. Press gently with a spatula to make sure all the liquid is expressed.
- Allow the teriyaki sauce to cool, then transfer it to a small airtight container. Cover it and store it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use it.
Uses for Teriyaki Sauce
Use this savory sauce to make stir fry recipes or anything from Japanese cuisine. You can also use it on my favorite Hawaiian burgers.
Teriyaki chicken is a classic of course, but there are many other teriyaki dishes like marinated teriyaki salmon. Or you can use it to flavor sauteed vegetables.
FAQ
Cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Teriyaki sauce freezes beautifully! Transfer the sauce to a freezer safe bag or container, squeezing out as much air as possible. Transfer to the freezer and freeze. For best taste, use within 2-3 months. To defrost, set the container on a plate in the refrigerator overnight.
After you make it, please leave a comment and star rating below to let me know how it went!
Soy Free Teriyaki Sauce
Equipment
- Sauce Pan
- Wide Mouth Mason Jar
Ingredients
- ½ cup coconut aminos
- 4 tablespoons rice vinegar or use apple cider vinegar
- 4 cloves garlic
- 4 medjool dates
- 2 inches fresh ginger about 2 tablespoons minced
Instructions
- Remove the pits from the dates. Mince the ginger, garlic, and dates.
- Add all the ingredients to a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring occasionally.
- Lower the heat and allow the mixture to simmer and cook together for 8-10 minutes. The sauce should be reduced enough that it coats the back of a spoon.
- Remove the pan from the heat.
- Optionally, strain the sauce the through cheesecloth or a fine mesh strainer. Press gently to make sure all the liquid is expressed.
- Allow the teriyaki sauce to cool, then transfer it to a small container.
