Sweet and savory Vegan Teriyaki Sauce is easy to make from scratch in 15 minutes with only 6 ingredients. It's delicious on tofu, rice bowls, noodles, veggie burgers, and more.
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The secret to taking a meal from average to extraordinary often comes down to a simple sauce. In fact, it's arguably the most important step I discuss in my free Instant Flavor guide.
And utilizing this vegan Teriyaki sauce is a sure way to elevate the taste of foods from vegetables to grains to proteins. Plus this homemade recipe tastes better than what you'll find at the supermarket.
Use it to make baked teriyaki tofu and grilled tofu and veggie skewers, or drizzle it on steamed rice and vegetables. It's also an incredible addition to veggie burgers and stir-fried chickpeas.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- You only need 6 ingredients plus water to make it.
- It's oil-free, gluten-free, and sweetened with coconut sugar.
- It tastes better than store-bought versions and is delicious on a variety of foods as a marinade and dipping sauce.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Tamari (If you are not following a gluten-free diet, you can use soy sauce instead. Or for a soy-free version, coconut aminos can be used, but will result in a sweeter, less salty sauce.)
- Coconut sugar (If unavailable, substitute ⅔ the amount of brown sugar in place of the coconut sugar. Or use an equal amount of date sugar or organic white sugar.)
- Fresh garlic
- Fresh ginger
- Rice vinegar
- Cornstarch (Or substitute an equal amount of arrowroot powder or potato starch.)
Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete ingredients, measurements, and instructions.
Instructions
Making homemade vegan teriyaki sauce couldn't be simpler.
All you need to do is place the ingredients in a small pot, bring to a simmer, and whisk until thickened. The cooking time is only 5 to 10 minutes.
Serving suggestions
One of my favorite ways to use this vegan teriyaki sauce is as a marinade for tofu. It's perfect for making baked teriyaki tofu and grilled teriyaki tofu skewers.
You can also use it as a stir-fry sauce when making chickpea stir fry. Or drizzle some on top of steamed vegetables and rice for an easy and flavorful meal.
And don't forget the veggie burgers! Make yours Hawaiian style with a pineapple ring and slather of sticky salty and sweet sauce.
Storing and freezing
Store the sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can also freeze it in a freezer zipper bag or glass container with a tightfitting lid for up to 3 months.
Recipe FAQs
Coconut sugar, also called coconut palm sugar, is a natural sugar made from coconut palm sap. According to Healthline, "It’s very similar to regular table sugar, although it’s not as processed and contains minor amounts of nutrients."
Yes, the cornstarch thickens the sauce. You can also use potato starch or arrowroot powder.
Some commercial brands of teriyaki sauce contain sweeteners such as honey or white sugar processed with bone char which make them not vegan-friendly.
More vegan sauce recipes
Made this recipe? Have a question? Please leave a comment below. 💙 And for even more recipes, join the Vegan Mediterranean Diet Recipes Facebook group for community, inspiration & fun!
Love and Veggies,
Amy
📋 Recipe
Homemade Vegan Teriyaki Sauce
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Ingredients
- ½ cup tamari*, (Or use soy sauce if you are not following a gluten-free diet.)
- ¼ cup water
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
- 2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch, (Or substitute arrowroot powder or potato starch.)
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients in a small sauce pan.½ cup tamari*, ¼ cup water, ½ cup coconut sugar, 2 cloves garlic, 1 Tablespoon fresh ginger, 2 Tablespoons rice vinegar, 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- Over medium heat, whisk the ingredients until the sauce comes to a low boil. Whisk continuously until the sauce has thickened, about 5 to 10 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimation only.
Laura Kasha says
Haven't tried this yet because I'm avoiding sugar. Can monk fruit work as a substitute?
Amy Katz says
Hi Laura, I haven't tried it with any other types of sweeteners. If you do decide to use monk fruit, I would add it a little bit at a time since you probably won't need as much for it to be sweet. Let me know how it turns out!
BJ says
Sauce turned out great even though I used brown sugar and ground ginger spice. I'l be making t this a lot.
Robin says
I thought there was too much acid. Next time I will half the rice vinegar and see if it is better for me.
Sarah says
This sauce is delicious and will be my new go to for Asian rice or noodle dishes! I used regular white cane sugar and it came out just fine. Thanks for the recipe.
Ozzy says
Excellent recipe. I cut the sugar in half to lower the calories, used low sodium soy sauce instead of tamari, powdered ginger (half a TBSP), and black rice vinegar, because these are what I had on hand. It turned out great. Delicious on brown rice, and I'll try it tomorrow on some steamed veggies. Thanks Amy!
Michelle W says
This was a huge hit in our house tonight. So easy to make and hands down the best teriyaki sauce!