Never buy teriyaki sauce again. With this super quick recipe for a sugar free, healthy teriyaki sauce you can have dinner on the table in a flash. Use it to whip up teriyaki chicken, salmon or beef, or make a simple vegetable stir fry.
Total Time Investment: 15 Minutes
I think I may have discovered the reason that teriyaki sauce is so popular. Every single recipe I have read of late contains an absurd amount of sugar; up to half a cup in some cases. I went back to the bottle of teriyaki marinade that I had lurking in the back of the cupboard (let’s not question how long that has been there), and it is also loaded with sugar. My family are not fans of sweet dinners, so I have had to come up with my own healthy teriyaki sauce that is sugar free in order to get Mr Grumpy & The Princess on board.
My healthy teriyaki sauce has been turning up in speedy stir fries lately, as well as the familiar teriyaki chicken. This sugar free version does taste quite different to it’s sugar-loaded cousin, and is not as sweet or thick as commercial alternatives, but don’t let that deter you. It is absolutely delicious, and has certainly passed the taste test in this house. Let me know if it does in yours.
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What are the Ingredients in a Healthy Teriyaki Sauce?
A traditional teriyaki sauce has only three ingredients: tamari, mirin and sake.
- Tamari: This Japanese soy sauce is a traditional byproduct of miso paste production. The dark liquid formed on top of the fermenting miso paste, and was drained off for use in cooking. Tamari has a deep umami flavour, and is less salty than it’s Chinese counterpart. And as tamari is typically made without wheat, it is usually gluten free, although do check the labels if this is a concern for you.
- Mirin: A naturally brewed rice wine, which contributes a slight sweetness to the teriyaki sauce. This sweetness comes from sugars that form naturally during the fermentation process, and not from the addition of any refined sugars. The sugars in the mirin also contribute to the shiny lustre commonly seen in teriyaki dishes.
- Sake: A Japanese rice wine that is made by fermenting polished rice (rice that has had the bran removed) in a brewing process similar to that of beer. The flavour of sake is determined by the brewing process, but typically has a light flavour with fruity or floral notes.
Thanks to our love affair with Japanese food, I have easily found both mirin and sake on my local supermarket shelves. As always though, make sure you read the labels. Failing to take my own advice, I once inadvertently bought a bottle of sake sweetened with corn syrup. That bottle went down the sink.
Whilst not traditional, I also like to add a little garlic and ginger to my healthy teriyaki sauce. If I am using the sauce as a marinade, I will leave the garlic and ginger in the sauce. However, if I wish to store the sauce in the fridge I will strain out the bits after boiling the sauce.
Healthy Teriyaki Sauce: Frequently Asked Questions
What are the ingredients of teriyaki sauce? Traditional teriyaki sauce has only three ingredients: equal parts tamari (light soy sauce), mirin and sake. See the section above for more information on these ingredients.
How do you thicken teriyaki sauce? My recipe for healthy teriyaki sauce is not as thick as commercial versions, so will not cling to meat and vegetables in the same way as a thickened version. If you wish to thicken the teriyaki sauce, dissolve 1 teaspoon of cornflour (cornstarch) in a tablespoon of cold water. Whisking constantly, drizzle the cornflour/starch slurry into the hot teriyaki sauce. Continue to cook over a low heat, stirring constantly, until the teriyaki sauce thickens.
Can I use teriyaki sauce as a marinade? Yes, teriyaki sauce makes a tasty and extremely quick marinade. Just pour the sauce over your chosen protein or vegetables, and allow to sit for at least 30 minutes before cooking. If you are looking for marinade recipes, also check out my Simple Ginger & Soy Marinade.
How long will homemade teriyaki sauce last? Strain the ginger and garlic out of your homemade sauce, and it should keep indefinitely in a glass jar in the fridge.
What can I use as a substitute for teriyaki sauce? Nothing. A healthy teriyaki sauce only takes a few minutes to put together, so you needn’t bother with substitutes.
Try this #sugarfree, #healthy #teriyaki sauce on beef, chicken, fish and even vegetables for a super-quick meal. Ready in just 15 minutes, you need never buy teriyaki sauce again. #homemade #dinner #glutenfree #vegan Click To TweetHow To Use Healthy Teriyaki Sauce
Everybody is familiar with teriyaki chicken, but don’t just stop there. With a jar of this healthy teriyaki sauce on hand, you are never far away from a quick and tasty dinner. And to get you started, why not try these delicious ideas:
- Marinate salmon fillets in teriyaki sauce, and serve over stir fried vegetables and rice.
- Marinate cubes of beef with teriyaki sauce to make these easy steak kebabs.
- Whip up these Asian meatballs in a sticky teriyaki glaze.
- Not just for meat, use your teriyaki sauce in these teriyaki cauliflower rice bowls.
- Or what about this shredded teriyaki duck donburi.
- And the ultimate quick meal, this 10-minute beef teriyaki skillet.
Enjoy!
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Two years ago: The Viktualienmarkt, Munich
Made this recipe? Tell me how it went in the comments below.
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A Healthy Teriyaki Sauce {Sugar Free}
Ingredients
- 60 ml (1/4 cup) tamari or light soy sauce
- 60 ml (1/4 cup) mirin
- 60 ml (1/4 cup) sake
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
Instructions
- Combine the ingredients in a small saucepan.
- Bring the sauce to the boil, and simmer gently for 5 - 10 minutes, or until the sauce has reduced by 1/3.
- Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
- Strain the sauce into a glass jar, and use immediately or store in the fridge until required.
Notes
Update notes: This recipe was last updated on 2nd May 2018 to include nutritional information, answers to FAQ’s and links to recipes that use teriyaki sauce.
My younger bro is a teriyaki fan, in fact, that’s one of his favorite foods (and he’s so picky, so it’s hard to please his palate). I need to try this for him (esp. since it has no sugar!) Thanks for sharing!! 🙂
Pleasure Whitney. I hope he likes it. My fussy nephew gave it the thumbs up if that helps at all 🙂
Can you please list the sake that you used to make this recipe? I type sake in the Amazon search bar and get all types of different results.
Hi Jon. I use a couple of different cooking sake’s, depending on which store I am at 🙂 My preferred brand is Spiral, but I also buy the Obento brand. Bear in mind I am in Australia, so when I check the Amazon store I would use something similar to the Kikkoman one. Hope that helps.
This is exactly what I needed. I love teriyaki, but I’ve been on a mission to reduce sugar lately!
I hope you love it as much as we do Erin 🙂
I could not find mirin that did not have corn syrup as its major ingredient. Still looking.
Hi Diana. Look for an organic brand. I find they are less likely to contain corn syrup.
Hi Tania, can you use this recipe as a dressing for salad?
I honestly don’t know Judith. You could try adding a bit of sesame oil to it and it might work. I would use the ratio 3 parts oil to 1 part sauce. Let me know if you try it.