Healthy Honey Teriyaki Sauce (Gluten-Free) is an umami-packed Japanese sauce made with honey and gluten-free soy sauce or tamari. Make this versatile sauce with 4 ingredients in just 10 minutes and serve with chicken, fish, vegetables, tofu, and more.
This honey teriyaki sauce is an excellent twist on traditional teriyaki sauce for those who want a gluten-free option. It tastes just like Homemade Teriyaki Sauce (Glaze and Marinade) with a hint of honey, and is made with gluten-free substitutes for soy sauce. It's delicious as a marinade for baking and grilling protein and vegetables, or as a glaze for chicken, salmon, beef, and tofu teriyaki.
This tasty sauce comes together in just 10 minutes with only 4 ingredients and is a great way to add flavor to your weeknight dinners. It's full of umami flavor and has a sticky texture. Try it the next time you make a protein, vegetable, stir fry, Spam musubi, or Teriyaki Tofu and Eggplant.
Jump to:
- About Honey Teriyaki Sauce
- What is Teriyaki?
- What is the Difference Between Teriyaki Glaze and Marinade?
- Teriyaki Sauce Ingredients
- Substitutions
- Variations
- Instructions
- What to Serve with Honey Teriyaki Sauce
- Recipe FAQs
- Storage
- Cooking Tips
- Related Recipes
- Did You Like This Recipe?
- Healthy Honey Teriyaki Sauce (Gluten Free)
About Honey Teriyaki Sauce
- Taste - The combination of ingredients create a rich and unique umami flavored sauce.
- Texture - The sauce is thick and sticky but still light.
- Effort - All you need to do is whisk and simmer the ingredients.
- Time - This simple sauce takes less than 10 minutes to mix and simmer.
What is Teriyaki?
Teriyaki is a Japanese cooking method often used for meat and fish. This method includes brushing or drizzling the protein in tasty sauce while it is broiled or grilled. Outside of Japan, most people only refer to teriyaki as the cooking sauce.
In this recipe, we make the teriyaki sauce healthy and gluten-free by using honey instead of brown sugar and tamari or gluten free soy sauce instead of regular soy sauce. Despite using healthy ingredients, the sauce retains the classic teriyaki flavor.
What is the Difference Between Teriyaki Glaze and Marinade?
Teriyaki glaze is used to add flavor to protein while cooking. On the other hand, teriyaki marinade is a longer process where the protein is soaked in marinade before cooking. Depending on the type of protein, it will need to marinate for 20 minutes to overnight.
Teriyaki Sauce Ingredients
- Gluten free soy sauce or Tamari - Gluten free soy sauce and Tamari are wheat-free soy sauces. Most soy sauces contain wheat. Tamari has the same flavor without the wheat.
- Mirin - Mirin is a Japanese sweet rice wine that adds umami flavor and is the base of many Japanese sauces.
- Sake - Sake adds savoriness to the teriyaki sauce.
- Honey - Honey provides sweetness.
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions
- Vegan - Make this sauce vegan by using brown sugar instead of honey.
- Regular teriyaki sauce - Use regular soy sauce to make normal teriyaki sauce.
- Light brown sugar - Light brown sugar will provide a rich molasses flavor.
Variations
- Spicy - Add red chili pepper flakes or use Spicy Hot Honey while cooking to make the sauce spicy.
- Garlic - Minced garlic or garlic powder will add the quintessential and pungent aroma to the sauce.
- Sesame oil - Sesame oil will add a toasty flavor and nutty aroma.
- Green onion - Add green onion to the sauce for a spicy and aromatic bite.
- Fresh ginger - Fresh grated ginger will add a peppery and pungent flavor.
Instructions
- Add ingredients to saucepan - soy sauce, sake, mirin, and honey to a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk until combined. (Photo 1)
- Simmer sauce - Heat the sauce on medium heat and bring to a quick boil, then lower to a simmer for 10 minutes, occasionally whisking. Remove from the heat and use as a glaze for vegetables, teriyaki beef, fish, chicken, tofu, and more. (Photo 2)
Pro tip: If you bake your protein, marinade the protein beforehand instead of adding the sauce later while it bakes.
What to Serve with Honey Teriyaki Sauce
Homemade teriyaki sauce is a multifaceted sauce that tastes delicious with so many dishes! Our favorite recipes with teriyaki are are Teriyaki Spam Musubi, Teriyaki Chicken or Salmon Donburi, and Teriyaki Tofu Eggplant.
Recipe FAQs
No, most teriyaki sauce contains shoyu, which has gluten. In order to make this recipe gluten free, we use tamari or gluten free shoyu instead of regular shoyu.
Teriyaki refers to a Japanese cooking method. However, many people associate teriyaki with the tasty Japanese sauce used in the cooking method.
Yes, you can, but it is much better warmed up with whatever protein or veggie you are enjoying it with.
Two great substitutes are unagi sauce and ponzu sauce. Unagi sauce has a thick syrupy texture like teriyaki sauce, but tastes a little more savory. Ponzu sauce is richly flavored like teriyaki, but more citrusy.
Teriyaki sauce will thicken as it cooks and the honey thickens. If you want to make the sauce thicker, add a little more honey.
No, while corn starch is a thickening agent, the honey will also thicken the sauce. If you want to make your sauce extra thick, you can add 1 teaspoon of cornstarch.
Storage
Store gluten free teriyaki sauce in the refrigerator in an air-tight container or lidded jar for up to 2 weeks. Before using it again, stir it softly until it reaches its original consistency. You can also freeze this easy healthy sauce for a few months. Just be sure to store it in the correct container (not a lidded glass jar, which can break in the freezer). When you are ready to enjoy it again, let it thaw.
Cooking Tips
- To use healthy teriyaki sauce as a sauce for meat or fish, drizzle the sauce on the meat while cooking. Be careful not to add the sauce too early or it will burn.
- The amount of time you need to marinate a protein will depend on what kind of protein it is. For fish and shrimp, we recommend marinating for 30 minutes while meat can marinate overnight. Tofu should marinate for at least 30 minutes.
Related Recipes
Did You Like This Recipe?
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Healthy Honey Teriyaki Sauce (Gluten Free)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 tablespoon gluten free soy sauce or tamari
- 6 tablespoon sake
- 6 tablespoon mirin
- 4 tablespoon honey
Instructions
- Add ingredients to saucepan - soy sauce, sake, mirin, and honey to a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk until combined.8 tablespoon gluten free soy sauce or tamari, 6 tablespoon sake, 4 tablespoon honey, 6 tablespoon mirin
- Simmer sauce - Heat the sauce on medium heat and bring to a quick boil, then lower to a simmer for 10 minutes, occasionally whisking. Remove from the heat and use as a glaze for vegetables, teriyaki beef, fish, chicken, tofu, and more. Store in a jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
- Refrigerate teriyaki sauce in an air-tight container or lidded jar for up to 2 weeks. Before using it again, stir it until it reaches its original consistency. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months. Just be sure to store it in the correct container (not a lidded glass jar, which can break in the freezer). When you are ready to enjoy it again, let it thaw.
- To use healthy teriyaki sauce as a sauce for meat or fish, drizzle or brush the sauce on the meat while cooking. Be careful not to add the sauce too early or it will burn.
- The amount of time you need to marinate a protein will depend on what kind of protein it is. Tofu should marinate for at least 30 minutes while meat can marinate overnight. For fish and shrimp, we recommend marinating for 30 minutes.
- If you bake your protein, marinade it beforehand instead of adding the sauce later while it bakes.
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