Savory, subtly sweet & spicy, this vegan teriyaki sauce is the perfect addition to your stir fries, chicken, salmon, tofu, or really anything else you can think of! It’s easy to make and ready in just about 5 minutes!
I just really have a thing for sauces. They can make literally any food, and especially vegetables, taste amazing. My roasted red pepper sauce is a favorite.
This vegan teriyaki sauce is my go to recipe since it’s quick, easy and made with basic ingredients I always have on hand!
This teriyaki sauce is made of a base of soy sauce (technically I use tamari which is gluten free, but they taste the same!) and vegetable broth, plus has things like garlic, sesame oil, rice vinegar, a bit of sweetener and some sort of starch to make the sauce thick.
Most teriyaki sauces are vegan, and soy sauce is naturally vegan, but some may have honey depending on the recipe. The P.F. Changs teriyaki sauce I know is vegan and it’s SO good!
This recipe is sweetened with a mix of maple syrup and light brown sugar but if you prefer using some honey, it tastes delicious as well!
Key ingredients
SOY SAUCE/TAMARI. Soy sauce makes up the base of teriyaki sauce. I use tamari to keep it gluten free. Be sure to use low sodium so it doesn’t get too salty.
VEGGIE BROTH. We’ll balance out the flavors with some veggie broth. You can use water if you’re in a pinch to just help thin it out, but veggie broth adds the best flavor.
MAPLE SYRUP & BROWN SUGAR. A mix of maple syrup and brown sugar will help sweeten the sauce and give that classic flavor. You can sub the brown sugar for coconut sugar to keep this completely refined sugar free.
SESAME OIL. Be sure to use toasted sesame oil for this recipe. A lot of other teriyaki sauce recipes don’t use any sesame oil, but it adds such a great flavor and makes this one a bit more unique.
As written, this vegan teriyaki sauce is not spicy, but if you want it to be, you can add in either some hot sauce or red pepper flakes. I prefer the red pepper flakes, but either works!
How to make vegan teriyaki sauce
This teriyaki sauce is easy to make and tastes exactly like it’s from a restaurant. I promise there will be no need to buy store bought ever again!
The first step is to whisk together the cornstarch and the water and set aside. This will be the thickening agent for the sauce that we’ll add in later.
Add all other ingredients to a small pot and bring to a low boil. Whisk in the cornstarch slurry and let simmer over low heat until it starts to boil.
Whisk occasionally to prevent any clumps from forming. If the sauce doesn’t thicken to your liking after about 5 minutes, whisk in an additional 1/2 tbsp of cornstarch.
However, it’ll do most of the thickening as it cools, so avoid adding too much starch since we don’t want it to get gloopy!
Serve with salmon, tofu, chickpeas or your favorite veggies! Teriyaki sauce is particularly good with broccoli, but anything goes!
Does teriyaki sauce have a lot of sugar?
This recipe is much lower in sugar than other teriyaki sauce recipes, but I promise it still tastes plenty sweet!
We’re using a mix of maple syrup and light brown sugar, but you can always use all maple, all brown sugar, or even sub for honey.
How to store
Once prepared, this sauce will store in the fridge for about 1 full week. Let it cool completely before transferring to an air tight jar or container.
It will thicken up as it sits, so you may need to thin it out with a touch of veggie broth or water before serving.
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Vegan Teriyaki Sauce
by: claire cary
Ingredients
- ½ cup low sodium soy sauce or tamari
- ½ cup vegetable broth
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp light brown sugar can sub coconut
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp freshly grated ginger
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 to 1 ½ tbsp cornstarch + 2 tbsp water can sub tapioca or arrowroot
- Optional: 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes for spice
Instructions
- Whisk together 1 tbsp of cornstarch and the water and set aside.
- Add all other ingredients to a pot and bring to a low boil.
- Whisk in the cornstarch mixture and let simmer over low heat until thick. Start with 1 tbsp cornstarch and add an additional 1/2 tbsp if the sauce isn't thickening properly.
- It thickens more as it cools, so avoid adding too much too soon because you don't want it to get gloopy!
- Whisk occasionally to prevent any clumps from forming.
- Serve with salmon, tofu, chickpeas or your favorite veggies!
Sherry says
Excellent. My daughter who is gluten free can now enjoy my Grilled chicken chaser teriyaki salad. Great recipe with awesome flavor!
Claire Cary says
Perfect, thank you Sherry!
jen says
please specify the ingredients properly 🙁
Claire Cary says
I’m not sure what you mean, all ingredients and amounts are listed in the recipe card.
Lara says
I used reduced sodium tamari & vegetable broth made from better than bouillon. I also added sesame seeds. It was a little salty for my taste, but very good. Next time I would use a no salt added broth. Used in your salmon recipe over rice, wonderful!
Susan Downing says
Delicious and so easy to make!! Double the recipe and store for a week in fridge.