Vegan Teriyaki Sauce: Simple, Healthy & Delicious
Why not make yourself a batch of homemade glossy vegan teriyaki sauce? You’ll have the means to make a simple but delicious vegetarian or vegan meal with very little effort. The sauce itself only takes minutes to make. It’s healthier and more authentic than many of the recipes out there.
What is Teriyaki Sauce?
If you’ve not come across teriyaki sauce before, you’re missing a treat. It’s a Japanese classic with umami, sweet and sour notes. As well as making a tasty sauce, as in my teriyaki rice bowl, it also works as a marinade for ingredients like tofu or tempeh. Or you can go completely left field and use it as a dip for vegan dumplings (vegetable gyoza).
This homemade vegan teriyaki sauce is quick and easy to make with only six ingredients, if you don’t include the water. It will keep in the fridge for a week if well sealed.
As with many things homemade, vegan teriyaki sauce is so much nicer than commercial varieties. It has the added benefit of being healthier too. In fact my recipe is healthier than most I’ve come across. There seems to be a high proportion of sugar used in many recipes as well as lots of sodium. It needs to be slightly sweet and salty too, but not completely loaded.
CT has been to Japan and tells me my sauce reminds him of the teriyaki sauce he had there on a regular basis. Also the fun-filled, sake-fuelled karaoke evenings that accompanied it. I haven’t pressed him any further on this particular point.
Teriyaki Sauce Ingredients
You don’t have to have any specialised ingredients for this vegan teriyaki sauce, but it does make the recipe more authentic if you do. As well as a delicious sauce, it also makes a great marinade for tempeh or tofu.
Arrowroot
Arrowroot is the starch extracted from the rhizomes of various plants. It has several good qualities but is best known as a gluten-free thickener for sauces, stews and puddings. It’s also easily digestible, has no known side effects and is said to be a healthier alternative to cornstarch. One of the reasons I like it so much is that it gives a lovely glossy quality to sauces and it’s easy to use.
You can use cornflour in this recipe instead of arrowroot if you prefer. Indeed most of the homemade teriyaki sauce recipes I’ve seen use cornflour. But I’m a whole food blogger looking to use the most delicious and nutritious ingredients I can easily get hold of. Plus arrowroot is more authentic for this Japanese recipe.
I remember the days when I used to have to go to the chemist to get arrowroot. Thankfully it’s widely available nowadays and can be found in most supermarkets, usually in the baking isle.
How to make your teriyaki sauce thicker
Just add half the water that’s stated in this recipe. Then add the rest bit by bit until you have the consistency you’re after.
Mirin
Mirin is a Japanese sweet rice wine. It used to be a luxury liqueur affordable only by the wealthy, but it’s now mostly used in cooking. It adds a certain complexity to a dish as it has sweet, acid and umami notes which somehow distill the essence of Japanese flavours.
It’s a really useful condiment to have in the cupboard as it makes a good addition to salad dressings, marinades and sauces. It will last for ages. Just make sure you buy the real thing. Mirin should only contain rice, water and a culture, so you may want to check the ingredients before buying.
These days, mirin is fairly easy to find. If you don’t have an independent speciality shop in the vicinity, head to the Asian section of your local supermarket. You’re more likely to find it than not. Or buy it online. I use Clearspring’s Organic Japanese Mikawa Mirin*. However, if you’re unable to source it or just want to get on and make this vegan teriyaki sauce recipe right now, there are substitutes you can use.
Mirin Substitutes
- Balsamic vinegar
- Cooking sake
- Marsala
- Rice vinegar mixed with a little sugar
- Sweet sherry
Leftover Vegetable Water
As regular readers will know, I can’t abide waste. So, when I prepare vegetables, I always keep any water they’re cooked in. It will keep in the fridge for a couple of days. I then add to soups, stews or sauces. In this case, my vegan teriyaki sauce. Many of the nutritious elements found in veg are released into water whilst cooking. It seems an awful shame to just throw them down the sink.
Top Tip
You can usually get away with using leftover vegetable water when a recipe requires stock.
Smooth Teriyaki Sauce
If you prefer a completely smooth teriyaki sauce to the one you can see here, just sieve out any bits once you’ve made it. I’m happy to keep the grated garlic and ginger. So I do.
Microplane Zester
I’m totally in love with my microplane zester*. It’s brilliant for zesting citrus and I use it a lot for that. But it’s also really good for finely grating garlic and ginger too. I no longer find grating a real chore and it turns preparation of this vegan teriyaki sauce into a breeze. It’s not only easy to use, but easy to wash too. I always run it under the tap immediately after using and that’s usually enough to dislodge any trapped bits of zest.
Other Japanese Vegetarian Recipes You Might Like
- Aubergine yakitori
- Beetroot miso soup
- Easy one pot ramen
- Miso butter noodles
- Omelette with cabbage
- Sushi bowl
Keep in Touch
Thanks for visiting Tin and Thyme. If you make this easy homemade vegan teriyaki sauce recipe, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. And do please rate it. Have you any top tips? Do share photos on your preferred social media site and use the hashtag #tinandthyme, so I can spot them.
For more delicious and nutritious recipes follow me on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Flipboard or Pinterest. And don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to my weekly newsletter. Or why not join the conversation in our Healthy Vegetarian Whole Food Recipes Facebook Group?
If you’d like more sauce recipes, follow the link and you’ll find I have quite a lot of them. All delicious, of course.
Choclette x
Vegan Teriyaki Sauce. PIN IT.
Vegan Teriyaki Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp tamari (affiliate link) or your favoured soy sauce
- 2 tsp maple syrup*
- 1 tbsp mirin* (Japanese sweet rice wine)
- thumb size knob root ginger finely grated
- 1 clove garlic finely grated
- 1 tbsp arrowroot
- 100 ml water (I use vegetable water)
Instructions
- Mix a little of the water with the arrowroot until you get a smooth paste. Add a little more water so that the arrowroot is pourable.1 tbsp arrowroot, 100 ml water
- Place all the other ingredients into a saucepan and bring to the boil.1 tbsp tamari (affiliate link), 2 tsp maple syrup*, 1 tbsp mirin*, thumb size knob root ginger, 1 clove garlic
- Add the arrowroot liquid and whisk until the mixture thickens.
- Simmer for 3-4 minutes by which time you should have a beautiful glossy and delicious sauce.
Notes
Nutrition Estimate
This post contains affiliate links. Links are marked with an *. Buying through a link will not cost you any more, but I will get a small commission. Thanks to my readers for supporting the brands and organisations that help to keep Tin and Thyme blithe and blogging.
This looks really lovely – what a great idea, I wouldn’t have thought of making my own teriyaki sauce but it makes sense and looks like a lovely combination of flavour-packed ingredients.
Oh Kate, you absolutely must give it a try. It’s delicious (she says modestly)!
I love teriyaki and ever since going to Japan last summer have been enjoying a lot of exotic treats with soy. Adore Mirin, ginger and garlic together and have to say, I have a tendancy to add a lot more garlic and ginger than is authentic… ho hum but it’s good! Intrigued by the maple syrup – must try this next time. Thanks for the recipe, Choclette.
Oh, I do completely understand the garlic and ginger thing Jill. There’s only so far one should take authenticity I reckon. I’ve heard so many good things about Japan from a whole host of people, but I’ve not been there myself. Doesn’t stop me being intrigued by Japanese food though.
I’m a big fan of teriyaki sauce too, and love this simple healthy recipe. I’ll have to look for arrowroot, I bet it would work well for thickening slow cooker dishes as well.
Yes, I reckon it would be really good for that Lucy. It’s well worth having in the store cupboard.
The helpful owner of our local Asian grocery store tells me that mirin was formerly what you describe, but that the ones for sale now are just saki with corn syrup and other additives, so he says it’s better to just buy and use saki. I have no way to check this, but I think he’s probably right.
best… mae
I’m sure you’re probably right in many cases. It’s so sad that foods are so wickedly adulterated. Luckily we have good labelling here in the UK, so it’s easier to suss out the good from the bad. The brand I use is the real deal.
I love Teriyaki sauce and this vegan one sounds incredible. It is something that I am always meaning to cook with but never get round to so feeling inspired!
Oh go for it Jenny. It’s so brilliantly quick and simple and once made, the world’s your teriyaki!
Teriyaki sauce is like a magic sauce. I love to use it in stirfries and as a marinade. Yours seems easy to prepare and I need to give it a try too.
Yes, what a good way of describing it Angie. It will be magic sauce from now on.
I love the idea of using leftover vegetable water! And the sauce looks sticky-good.
I really dislike waste, so try to minimise it as much as I can. Sticky-good is a lovely description.
It sounds delicious and is actually something I’d been thinking of making for a while. I might have to try this recipe first!
Oh yes, please do. I know taste is entirely subjective, but some honest feedback would be really useful.
I am grateful for this easy to make recipe. I see this in the shops and often worry if the ingredients are vegetarian. Sounds so easy to make once you have all the ingredients.
Unless it’s a really trusted brand for me, I always prefer to make my own when I can. Then you know exactly what’s in it.
I love teriyaki sauce, it’s such a satisfying flavour and great for stir-fries, marinades, and all sorts. I like that your recipe is lower salt and sugar than many variations, too.
Thanks Kavey. The test will be with my mother when I make her some teriyaki broccoli whilst she’s staying. She keeps telling me my food isn’t salty enough.
I love teriyaki sauce and it is quite easy to make – though I have never had it with brussel sprouts as I guess you did in your photo – perhaps this is one way to make sprouts more tasty for those who don’t like them 🙂 And thanks for including my curry recipe.
I think that’s probably my favourite Brussels sprout recipe ever. Pretty much anything is going to taste good with teriyaki sauce. Well may not chocolate ….!
I love teriyaki sauce but it never occurred to me to make my own. Yours sounds easy to make and I am sure it’s a lot healthier and tastier than shop bought. Thank you for bringing it to #CookBlogShare
So easy Monika. You’ll have to try it and let me know how it compares.