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This easy, sticky sweet, salty, tangy vegan teriyaki sauce comes together in just 10 minutes as a drool-worthy marinade, glaze, sauce, and dip!

Is Teriyaki Sauce Vegan?
Teriyaki sauce is a popular sweet, tangy, sticky Japanese condiment, traditionally made with soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar. However, many of the modern store-bought versions in the West can contain additional ingredients like ginger, garlic, sesame, and sometimes a sweetener โ like honey, which isn’t vegan.
Therefore, while many brands of teriyaki sauce are vegan, itโs still a good idea to double-check the ingredients OR save the hassle and learn how to make restaurant-quality teriyaki sauce at home in just minutes.
Sure, opening a bottle from the store is convenient, but those versions are also often loaded with preservatives and additives with non-adjustable sodium and sugar levels. Luckily, homemade teriyaki sauce is 100% adjustable, tweakable, and tastes much better than store-bought.
You only need basic pantry ingredients for this recipe, itโs oil-free, and easily adjustable to gluten-free and/or sugar-free. Plus, since you can pull it together in just 10 minutes, itโs perfect for preparing while pulling together a quick teriyaki tofu stir-fry, but it is just as delicious with teriyaki noodles, rice, tofu sushi, using it as a marinade, and more.
The Ingredients of Teriyaki Sauce
While this homemade teriyaki sauce isnโt 100% traditional, it requires only 9 simple pantry ingredients and is packed with flavor.
Add-ins and Recipe Variations
- Spice: Add some spice (how much is up to you) with red pepper flakes, chili paste, or hot sauce (like sriracha).
- Sake: Just a splash for added depth in this easy teriyaki sauce.
- Sesame oil: Add a nutty, savory, aromatic flavor depth to the garlic teriyaki sauce with just a little toasted sesame oil (start with a teaspoon).
- Umami: Add a small amount of white miso for extra umami flavor.
- Orange, Apple, or Pineapple teriyaki sauce: Replace ยผ cup (or more) water with fresh pineapple juice, apple juice, or orange juice and reduce the amount of added sugar. Optionally, add orange zest for extra citrusy brightness.
How to Make Teriyaki Sauce
Step 1: Peel and mince the ginger and garlic. Then, combine those with 1 cup of water and the remaining teriyaki sauce ingredients (except the cornstarch + ยผ cup water) in a saucepan and whisk.
Step 2: Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, combine the cornstarch and ยผ cup water. Then add that to the saucepan, too.
Step 3: Heat the teriyaki sauce over high heat, boil it, and reduce just slightly, whisking constantly for about 5 minutes until thickened and the sugar has dissolved.
Step 4: Then, remove it from the heat and use it immediately or transfer it to a glass jar/container to store for later.
Adjust the consistency of the teriyaki sauce by how much time you heat it and how much cornstarch you add to the recipe.
FAQs
For this easy teriyaki sauce recipe, we use cornstarch to thicken the teriyaki sauce. Itโs heat-activated and will thicken the sauce while you cook it. To adjust the consistency, use less or more cornstarch (always in a slurry โ to avoid lumps). However, you could also experiment with arrowroot flour or tapioca starch.
To use this as a teriyaki marinade, omit the thickener (in this case, cornstarch + the ยผ cup water for it). You can then use it to marinate your vegan protein of choice, then optionally simmer and thicken the leftovers with cornstarch to use as a sauce.
Top Recipe Tips and Notes
- Tweak the sauce to your liking: By making teriyaki sauce at home, you can tailor the taste (and sodium/sugar levels) to your liking, so feel free to do so and/or experiment with the optional add-ins listed above.
- Be patient: Simmer the sauce until it coats the back of the spoon.
- To adjust the consistency: For a thin marinade, you could skip the cornstarch entirely. For a slightly thicker teriyaki sauce or glaze, increase the amount of cornstarch used and the simmer time. Just note it will thicken more as it cools.
- For more developed flavor: Simmer the sauce for longer to allow the flavors to meld. Just be aware that it will reduce and thicken more, too.
How to Use Teriyaki Sauce
- Marinade: You can use this recipe to make a thin teriyaki sauce without cornstarch as a marinade for tofu (check out this guide to tofu) and tempeh.
- Glaze: Brush it over proteins to caramelize into a glaze when baked/ grilled.
- Dipping sauce: E.g., for dumplings, vegetable crispy wontons, vegan sushi, tofu spring rolls, tempura, vegan cauliflower wings, crispy breaded tofu, etc.
- Stir-fry: This easy homemade teriyaki sauce is the ultimate stir-fry sauce โ perfect for pairing with veggies (like a mixed vegetable stir-fry or individual veg like cauliflower, zucchini, bell peppers, etc.), vegetable noodle stir-fry, tofu stir-fry, etc.
- Grains: Enjoy this teriyaki sauce with noodles, quinoa (check out this guide to quinoa), and rice bowls (or vegan fried rice) with your choice of protein and vegetables.
- Vegan burgers and sandwiches: ย Use the sauce as a condiment for added flavor.
- Vegan pizza: Use it as a base or drizzle for a delicious veggie pizza.
Storage Instructions
Pour the vegan teriyaki sauce into a glass jar/airtight container and let it completely cool before transferring it to the refrigerator for up to 1 week. It will thicken while it cools.
Alternatively, freeze it for 2-3 months, then let it thaw in the fridge overnight when needed.
Reheat teriyaki sauce either in a microwave or a saucepan over low heat. It will loosen up as it heats, but add a splash of water if necessary.
Easy Vegan Teriyaki Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup + ยผ cup of water (divided)
- ยฝ cup of soy sauce
- ยผ cup + 1 tablespoon of packed brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon of maple syrup or more brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon of minced fresh ginger
- 2 small cloves of garlic, minced
- ยฝ teaspoon of ground ginger
- ยฝ teaspoon of garlic powder
- ยฝ teaspoon of apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons of cornstarch
- ยผ cup of water
Instructions
- In a medium pot, whisk together 1 cup of the water, soy sauce, brown sugar, maple syrup, fresh ginger, fresh garlic, ground ginger, ground garlic, and apple cider vinegar.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and the remaining ยผ cup of water and add it to the pot.
- Place pot over high heat and whisk while bringing to a boil, allowing the sauce to boil for 5 minutes while whisking consistently. Remove from heat and pour into a glass container.
Notes
- Tweak the sauce to your liking: By making teriyaki sauce at home, you can tailor the taste (and sodium/sugar levels) to your liking, so feel free to do so and/or experiment with the optional add-ins listed above.
- Be patient: Simmer the sauce until it coats the back of the spoon.
- To adjust the consistency: For a thin marinade, you could skip the cornstarch entirely. For a slightly thicker teriyaki sauce or glaze, increase the amount of cornstarch used and the simmer time. Just note it will thicken more as it cools.
- For more developed flavor: Simmer the sauce for longer to allow the flavors to meld. Just be aware that it will reduce and thicken more, too.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Although plantbasedonabudget.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Plantbasedonabudget.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.
This Easy Vegan Teriyaki Sauce is better than the bottled stuff! It’s great in stir-frys and sushi!
Love putting this on my tofu!
Right?! So good!
So easy and tasty!