This versatile sugar free teriyaki sauce recipe tastes so much better than the store-bought sugary original. It is salty, tangy, sticky, sweet and delicious. The recipe uses natural ingredients and comes together in only 10 minutes.
If you love Japanese cuisine, this keto teriyaki sauce is a must make. It lends amazing flavor to anything from stir fries to chicken, beef, vegetables and salmon.
It tastes just like the teriyaki sauce from a Japanese restaurant, but without the carb count.
My recipe is gluten free and comes together in minutes.
This is a great basic to have in the fridge. I use the sauce as a marinade on any protein. I marinate my fish or chicken for 20 minutes and then fry or grill.
And when I want a really quick and easy dinner, I stir fry it with mixed vegetables and serve over a portion of cauliflower rice.
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🌟 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Quick and easy - Ready to use in 10 minutes
- Thick and sticky - great for glazing and as a marinade
- So much flavor - umami, savoury, salty and sweet
- Great for meal prep - simply store in the fridge
- Keto friendly - only 1.2g net carbs per tablespoon
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you will need for low carb teriyaki sauce:
- Tamari - This is a gluten-free soy sauce alternative.
- Coconut Aminos - A tasty, sweet seasoning sauce made from the fermented sap of coconut palm. Coconut Aminos are low in sugar due to the fermentation process (roughly 1 gram of sugar per teaspoon). It is also low in sodium and soy free.
- Sweetener - Allulose works great here because it does not recrystallise. I also like brown sugar substitutes like Sukrin Gold or erythritol monk fruit sweeteners like Lakanto Golden because of their gentle caramel flavor.
- Apple Cider Vinegar - A mild vinegar that replaces the flavor of mirin or sake.
- Sesame oil - Adds smokey flavour.
- Garlic and ginger - both elevate the taste. Fresh is best, however you can use garlic powder and powdered ginger instead.
- Xanthan gum - A popular low carb thickener. Use sparingly. Sprinkle it in last and stir vigorously so it does not clump.
Instructions
(This section contains step by step instructions and photos that show how to make this recipe. Find the recipe card with ingredient amounts and nutritional information at the bottom of the post.)
Step 1: In a small saucepan, fry the garlic and fresh ginger in sesame oil on a low heat until fragrant.
Step 2: Add the tamari sauce, coconut aminos, low carb sweetener, water, apple cider vinegar and spices. Bring to the boil, then simmer on a medium heat.
Step 3: Whisk in the xanthan gum and heat until it thickens and reaches your desired consistency. Mine took 4 minutes.
Step 4: Pour the sauce into a sterilised jar and allow to fully cool. Sprinkle with sesame seeds before serving.
FAQ
Teriyaki is actually a Japanese cooking style. The word is made up from two root words: teri means luster or shine and yaki means grill or broil.
Therefore, "teriyaki" refers to grilled, broiled or pan-fried meat, fish or vegetables that have a shiny glaze.
Of course, in the western world we think of teriyaki as a sauce.
Traditional teriyaki sauce is not keto. It has four main ingredients: soy sauce, sake (or mirin, if you don't want the alcohol), corn or potato starch and sugar.
Fortunately, it is easy to make a sugar-free teriyaki sauce by using keto approved sweeteners and other low carb, gluten-free ingredients.
Use more tamari or soy sauce and a splash of fish sauce. Also, increase the sweetener to taste.
Recipe tips and variationsÂ
Add sweetener to taste: This keto teriyaki sauce recipe is not overly sweet. I recommend that you sweeten this sauce to taste - simply add more sweetener if needed.
No Tamari: You can substitute it for all-out coconut aminos if you prefer and cut the sweetener down to about 1 tbsp. Coconut aminos is naturally sweeter than tamari so you could even get away without a sweetener if you don’t like things too sweet.
Thickeners: As an alternative to xanthan gum, use 1 teaspoon of ground chia seeds or a pinch of grass-fed gelatin. You can also use arrowroot powder if you don't mind a little additional carbs.
Where to use
My whole family loves this sugar-free teriyaki sauce and we use it in many dishes. Here are a few ideas:
Stir Fries - One of our faves is this keto teriyaki chicken, but it would work well in vegetable stir fries or any other stir fry. Serve with shirataki noodles or cauliflower rice.
Drizzle: Spoon over my keto fried rice. Or stir into keto ramen.
BBQ, grill or air fryer - Use it as a marinade on any protein: chicken, beef, shrimp skewers, pork or salmon. It's also delicious with vegetables including asparagus, broccoli, zucchini or eggplant.
Use as a dip - Serve next to keto sushi or with chicken wings.
Storage
Store in an airtight jar in the fridge for 2-3 weeks.
If you use a sterilised jar, the sauce probably lasts for several months.
Tried this recipe? Give it a star rating below!
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Recipe
Sugar Free Keto Teriyaki Sauce
from Sugar Free LondonerNote: The servings slider only changes the first amount in each line and not any subsequent amounts. Please make your own calculations where necessary. ***As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 3 cm piece of ginger peeled and grated (18g)
- ¼ cup Tamari or soy sauce, 60ml
- 1 tablespoon coconut aminos
- 3 tablespoon granulated erythritol
- ¾ cup water 180ml
- ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- â…› teaspoon cracked black pepper
- Pinch of onion powder optional
- ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum
To serve
- ½ teaspoon sesame seeds
Instructions
- Fry the garlic and ginger in sesame oil for about 30 seconds - 1 minute on a medium/ low heat until fragrant.
- Add the Tamari, coconut aminos, low carb sweetener, water, apple cider vinegar and spices. Bring to the boil, then cook for 2 minutes on a low simmer.
- Whisk in ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum and heat until it thickens and reaches your desired consistency. Mine took about 4 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
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Jill
Hi Katrin, This looks delicious and can’t wait to try! Could you please give me some idea of the millilitre equivalent for the cup measurements of tamari sauce and water?
Many thanks,
Jill
Katrin Nürnberger
Hello Jill, of course! I have added it in the recipe card.
Jill
Thank you so much Can’t wait to try it Have used quite a few of your recipes and, frankly, we have never been disappointed - cauliflower mash, almond bread and bolognese sauce being some of our favourites
Colleen M
Excellent flavour, far better than the 'original'. The chicken thighs that I marinated in the sauce were so tender and delicious, and teamed up with broccolini ..yum.
Another winner Katrin.....they just keep coming.
Deborah Milliron
I can't have soy sauce, what can I use instead?
Katrin Nürnberger
That's a good question. Soy sauce is salty, so you'll want to replace it with something salty. Maybe add a little fish sauce or Maggi and some water? And perhaps some salt? Maybe use a little more coconut aminos? You'd have to experiment.
Linda
Wonderful. We made the chicken teriyaki tonight. My husband has type 2 diabetes and it was so great to have teriyaki.
Katrin Nürnberger
I'm glad you both enjoyed the recipe.
Lucy Mundy
This is absolutely incredible! Such a tasty and satisfying sauce which I 100% recommend to anyone to try. Beautiful! Thank you for this recipe!
Claudia
How can i replace tamari and coconut aminos with soya sauce only? What will be the measurements? Thank you!!!
Katrin Nürnberger
My feeling is that tamari and the coconut aminos are more flavourful than regular soy sauce. Therefore, you may need to increase amount a little and let it reduce for longer.
Dee gee
Great tasting and easy. Thanks so much!
Jo
I made this and your Chicken Teriyaki. Best tea ever!
Kathy M Barlean
This is so good! Used it with chicken and broccoli stir-fry last night!
Katrin Nürnberger
So glad you like the recipe Kathy!!! You can never go wrong with a chicken /broccoli stir fry combo 😉
Sheri Morton
What would I use being I am trying to be soy free?
Katrin Nürnberger
Hi Sheri, simply replace the tamari with more coconut aminos. THey are soy free 🙂
Melodie minty
This sounds wonderful but....Tamari sauce ... is this made from tamari? I have all the other ingredients but I do have a jar of tamarind- would that do?
Katrin Nürnberger
Hi Melodie, tamari is a japanese soy sauce that's free of wheat and therefore gluten free. Not the same as tamarind (which I also love!)