Sugar Free Keto Teriyaki Sauce

This versatile keto teriyaki sauce recipe tastes so much better than the sugary store bought versions! It is salty, tangy, sticky, sweet and absolutely delicious. My sugar free teriyaki sauce uses natural ingredients and comes together in only 10 minutes.

If you love Japanese cuisine, this sauce is an absolute must make. It lends amazing flavour anything from stir fries to chicken, beef, vegetables and salmon. You can use it as a marinade or a glaze. 

It tastes just like the teriyaki sauce you love from your favourite Japanese restaurant, but without the carb count. My recipe is gluten free and comes together in minutes.

What is teriyaki

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.

Is teriyaki sauce keto friendly?

Traditional teriyaki sauce is not keto at all. It has four main ingredients: soy sauce, sake (alternatively mirin, if you don't want the alcohol), corn or potato starch and sugar - lots of sugar.

Fortunately, it is easy to make a sugar free teriyaki sauce by using keto approved sweeteners and other low carb, gluten-free ingredients.

You'll be blown away by the result. This recipe tastes just like the original!

Why you'll love this sugar free teriyaki sauce

• 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
• only 1.2g net carbs per tablespoon

Ingredients

Here are the ingredients you will need for this recipe:

• Tamari - This is a gluten free alternative to soy sauce.
• Coconut Aminos - This is 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).
• Sweetener - Allulose works great here because it does not recrystallise. I also like brown sugar substitute sweeteners like Sukrin Gold or a monk fruit sweetener like Lakanto Golden because of their gentle caramel flavor.
• Apple Cider Vinegar - A mild vinegar that replaces some of 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.

How to make keto teriyaki sauce 

1.) In a small saucepan, fry the garlic and fresh ginger in sesame oil for about 30 seconds - 1 minute on a medium/ low heat until fragrant.

2.) Add the tamari sauce, coconut aminos, low carb sweetener, water, apple cider vinegar and spices. Bring to the boil, then cook for 2 minutes on a medium heat.

3.) Whisk in ¼ tsp xanthan gum and heat until it thickens and reaches your desired consistency. Mine took about 4 minutes.

Pour the sauce into a sterilised jar and allow to fully cool. Store in the fridge for up to 1 week with the lid on. Sprinkle with sesame seeds before serving.

Recipe tips and variations 

Add sweetener to taste: This sugar free teriyaki sauce is super tasty yet not incredibly 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.

No coconut aminos: If you can't get hold of coconut aminos, use more tamari instead.

Thickeners: As an alternative to xanthan gum, use 1 tsp 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. 

Low carb teriyaki sauce recipes

My whole family loves this sauce and we use it in many dishes. Here are a few ideas:

Stir Fries - One of our faves is this Keto Teriyaki Chicken Stir Fry, but it would work well in vegetable stir fries or any other stir fry. Serve with shirataki noodles, cauliflower rice or drizzle over my Keto Cauliflower Egg Fried Rice. A spoonful of healthy teriyaki is also great in my Low Carb Keto Chicken Ramen.

BBQ, grill or air fryer: Use it as a marinade on chicken, beef, shrimp skewers, pork or salmon. It's also delicious with vegetables including asparagus, broccoli or eggplant.

Use as a dip - Serve this keto teriyaki sauce next to Low Carb Keto Sushi Rolls or with chicken wings.

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