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    Home » Sauces, Dressings and Dips

    Vegan Teriyaki Sauce

    Published: Jul 19, 2022 by Meesha · This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
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    2 images of vegan teriyaki sauce in a ramekin served with a wooden spoon with text between the images.
    A jar of teriyaki sauce served with wooden spoon with text overlay.
    Spooning out teriyaki sauce from a ramekin with a wooden spoon with text on the bottom half.

    You have to give this amazing vegan teriyaki sauce a try! It is packed with flavors, super versatile, and pairs well with anything. All you need is 5 ingredients and 10 minutes to make this incredible condiment. 

    Spooning out a spoonful of teriyaki sauce in a ramekin with a stalk of green onion in the background.

    This might surprise you, but making your homemade teriyaki sauce is pretty damn easy! Everything is ready in under 10 minutes, and only 5 simple ingredients are required. Oh, and it tastes better and is healthier than store-bought ones. 

    I love using this vegan teriyaki sauce as a dip for sushi and my vegan kimbap or stir-fries like my teriyaki soba noodles. 

    Jump to:
    • 🧂What you will need
    • Ingredients notes and substitutions 
    • 🔪How to make
    • ✔Helpful tips
    • 🌶Variations and add-ins
    • 🥢How to use
    • ❄Storing suggestions 
    • ❔Commonly asked questions
    • 🍽More sauces and dips
    • 📖 Recipe

    🧂What you will need

    Ingredients needed like soy sauce, garlic powder, cornstarch, maple syrup, and mirin.

    Ingredients notes and substitutions 

    • Soy sauce - Can be substituted for tamari or shoyu. Look for certified gluten-free ones to keep this recipe gluten-free. For a sweeter sauce, you can use coconut aminos instead. 
    • Mirin - Sake is an excellent alternative if you do not have mirin on hand. If you prefer it to be alcohol-free, use rice vinegar instead. You will need to halve the amount and add more maple syrup to taste.
    • Maple syrup - Any sweetener will work great as a substitute, including brown and white sugar, agave syrup, sugar substitutes, and even honey if not vegan.

    🔪How to make

    Make cornstarch slurry by combining cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water. Set aside.

    Cornstarch slurry in a white bowl with a teaspoon.

    Add all ingredients except slurry into a pan. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Add slurry to the pan, and simmer for a minute or so until the sauce has thickened. 

    Remove from heat and give the sauce a taste, adding more seasonings, if needed. Your vegan teriyaki sauce is ready to be enjoyed! 

    Teriyaki sauce before cooking in a black saucepan.
    Vegan teriyaki sauce in a black saucepan with a wooden spatula beside.

    ✔Helpful tips

    • Teriyaki sauce will thicken as it cools. However, if it does not thicken enough to your liking, you can whisk in another portion of cornstarch slurry by combining a teaspoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water. Add it to the sauce, and bring the sauce to a simmer for a couple of minutes. 
    • On the other hand, if the sauce is too thick, add a splash of water to thin it out.
    • Feel free to adjust the proportion of ingredients used to suit your taste buds. 
    • If you plan to use it as a marinade, skip the cornstarch and extra water for a thinner consistency. 

    🌶Variations and add-ins

    • Freshly grated ginger - to give vegan teriyaki sauce some zing.
    • Spicy - If you are a fan of spice, add a generous sprinkle of chili flakes to give this sauce some kick.
    • Sesame - Throw in some toasted sesame seeds or a few teaspoons of sesame oil to boost the flavors of this sauce!
    • Vegetable broth - For a more flavorful sauce, you can use veggie broth in place of water to make this teriyaki sauce! 
    Vegan teriyaki sauce in a white ramekin with a wooden spoon with sesame seeds and a stalk of green onion in the background.

    🥢How to use

    • As a marinade - This vegan teriyaki sauce works well as a marinade for tofu, tempeh, or seitan. It is highly recommended that you omit or reduce the amount of cornstarch used to make teriyaki sauce for a thinner consistency. 
    • In stir-fries - It will give tons of flavors to your stir-fry vegetables! You can even add some to your stir-fry noodles or fried rice. 
    • To coat baked tofu, tempeh, or seitan - I especially love using it to make this seitan teriyaki chicken. 
    • As a salad dressing - Use vegan teriyaki sauce to replace the dressing in this protein pasta salad or avocado lettuce salad for an Asian spin. 
    • As a dip - I love using it to dip sushi, vegan potstickers, tofu kimbap, and vegan onigiri. 

    ❄Storing suggestions 

    Fridge - Keep leftover teriyaki sauce in a jar or sealed container. It will last in the fridge for up to a week. 
    Freezer - This sauce is freezable too and can be frozen for up to 3 months. I highly recommend portioning it using small freezer bags or an ice cube tray, so you will only be taking out what you need.

    ❔Commonly asked questions

    Is teriyaki sauce vegan?

    Most teriyaki sauces are vegan-friendly, but sometimes honey might be added as a sweetener. Hence, do turn and read the label before purchasing to make sure that it is free from animal products.

    Or, you can just make yourself some homemade ones using this recipe!

    Is this sauce gluten-free?

    This teriyaki sauce can be made gluten-free by using a gluten-free soy sauce or tamari instead of the regular ones. You can also opt for coconut aminos for a sweeter sauce.

    Can I use teriyaki sauce to substitute soy sauce?

    No, teriyaki sauce is not a suitable replacement for soy sauce as its sweetness might affect the overall taste of the recipe. But you can still use it in a pinch and reduce the sweetener added to the dish if any.

    Is it spicy?

    No, this vegan teriyaki sauce is not spicy. But as mentioned above, you can add in some chili flakes if you like yours to be spicy!

    Vegan teriyaki sauce in a glass jar with a wooden spoon with a stalk of green onion in the background.

    🍽More sauces and dips

    • Simple Vegan Marinara Sauce
    • Quick Vegan Italian Dressing
    • Easy Thai Basil Pesto
    • Creamy Dark Chocolate Hummus

    If you did make this recipe, do leave a rating and comment down below, we love hearing from you! Subscribe to My Plantiful Cooking to get new recipes delivered straight to your inbox! Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest to get the latest updates. 😉

    📖 Recipe

    Spooning teriyaki sauce from a white ramekin.

    Vegan Teriyaki Sauce

    Meesha
    You have to give this amazing vegan teriyaki sauce a try! It is packed with flavors, super versatile, and pairs well with anything. All you need is 5 ingredients and 10 minutes to make this incredible condiment. 
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Cook Time 3 mins
    Total Time 8 mins
    Course Condiment
    Cuisine American, Japanese
    Servings 8 servings
    Calories 48 kcal

    Ingredients
     
     

    • ½ cup water
    • ½ cup soy sauce ( or tamari )
    • ½ cup mirin *
    • 2 tablespoon maple syrup or another sweetener
    • 1 tablespoon cornstarch ( optional, see notes ) **
    • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions
     

    • Start by preparing cornstarch slurry by combining cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water. Set aside.
    • In a non-stick pan, place in water, soy sauce, mirin, maple syrup and garlic powder. Bring mixture to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Keep a close eye to prevent it from overflowing.
    • Once the mixture starts to simmer, pour in slurry and mix well. Cook until sauce has thicken, for 30 seconds to a minute.
    • Turn off heat and give it a taste, adding more maple syrup if needed. It is ready to be used !

    Video

    Notes

    * Mirin - Sake is an excellent alternative if you do not have mirin on hand. If you prefer it to be alcohol-free, use rice vinegar instead. You will need to halve the amount and add more maple syrup to taste.
    **Cornstarch - If you plan to use it as a marinade, skip the cornstarch and extra water for a thinner consistency. 
     
    Helpful tips 
    • Teriyaki sauce will thicken as it cools. However, if it does not thicken enough to your liking, you can whisk in another portion of cornstarch slurry by combining a teaspoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water. Add it to the sauce, and bring the sauce to a simmer for a couple of minutes. 
    • Feel free to adjust the proportion of ingredients used to suit your taste buds. 
     
    Storing - Keep leftover sauce in a jar or sealed container. It will last in the fridge for up to a week.
     This sauce is freezable too and can be frozen for up to 3 months. I highly recommend portioning it using small freezer bags or an ice cube tray, so you will only be taking out what you need.
     

    Nutrition

    Calories: 48kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 2gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 924mgPotassium: 44mgFiber: 1gSugar: 7gVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 9mgIron: 1mg

    Nutrition info calculated is just a rough estimate and is provided as a courtesy. Bear in mind that value will vary based on variables like specific brand or type of product used. To obtain the most accurate representation, it is highly recommended that you calculate it on your own with the actual amount and type of ingredient used.

    Did you make this recipe ?Tag @myplantifulcooking on Instagram !

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