This soy-free and gluten-free alternative to traditional Japanese teriyaki sauce is quick to throw together and great to have on hand for all of your Paleo teriyaki sauce needs!

There's a very good chance I've mentioned this before, but when it comes to food I gravitate towards dishes inspired by the bold sweet, sour, salty and umami flavors of Asian cuisine. Japanese food, in particular, really gets my taste buds doing the happy dance. My local Japanese steak house closed it's doors for good not too long ago, and there's been a void in my heart ever since. This homemade teriyaki sauce is helping me fill that void.
I've been making a big batch of it every couple of weeks to quickly add that unmistakable sweet and salty flavor and oooey gooey texture to steak, chicken, seafood and vegetables. Whether you utilize this sauce as a dip, condiment, glaze or marinade, be sure to use it liberally. Naturally soy-free, gluten-free and Paleo, there's no reason not to. This simple sauce comes together in just a few minutes, leaving plenty of time for your taste buds to do their own happy dance!
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Is Teriyaki Sauce "Healthy?"
Much like the saying "beauty is in the eye of the beholder," the meaning of the term "healthy" is in the eye of the consumer. If your interpretation of "healthy" includes soy-free and gluten-free, then many store brand teriyaki sauces aren't going to cut it. They almost always contain soy sauce, which contains soy (obviously) and wheat (weird, right?).
Soy-free and gluten-free teriyaki sauces are starting to emerge onto grocery store shelves, but not without a hefty price tag. This sauce checks off all of the dietary lifestyle boxes while also being affordable. Y'all should know by now that I'm all about saving a dollar.

Ingredients for Homemade Paleo Teriyaki Sauce
Have you ever peeped the ingredients of store brand teriyaki sauce? Scary. I can assure you, you'll be able to pronounce all of the ingredients for this homemade version, and you may also already have everything in your kitchen!
- ¼ cup coconut aminos
- 2 tablespoons coconut sugar (or date sugar); omit for Whole30 (see instructions below)
- 1 tablespoon chili sauce; omit for less spicy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
- 1 tablespoon pineapple tidbits (canned)
- 1 tablespoon pineapple juice (from the can)
- 1 teaspoon honey; omit for Whole30 & Vegan (see instructions below)
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon grated fresh garlic
- ½ teaspoon grated fresh ginger root
How to Make this Sauce Whole30
Coconut sugar (or date sugar) and honey are out on a Whole30, but this sauce can easily be sweetened with date paste. To make your own date paste, soak 4 pitted dates in ¼ cup of hot water for 10 minutes. Blend or process the soaked dates with half of the water until a smooth paste forms, drizzling in more water as needed. Use this paste in place of the sugar and honey and follow the remaining instructions as written.
How to Make this Sauce Vegan
By simply omitting the honey and replacing it with a Vegan natural sweetener like date paste or agave syrup, this sauce becomes Vegan.

How to Make Paleo Teriyaki Sauce
First, gather the ingredients and prep the garlic and ginger. You can grate or finely mince the fresh garlic and ginger.
Next, make the sauce. In a saucepan, add all of the ingredients. Bring the sauce to a simmer over medium heat, and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring continuously, until the sauce begins to thicken.
Remove the sauce from the heat, and let it cool to room temperature before storing in a glass container. This sauce will last up to 2 weeks in the fridge.
Recipe Notes from Yours Truly
- If soy is of no concern to you, feel free to use soy sauce in place of the coconut aminos. If you're gluten-free, make sure to use gluten-free soy sauce.
- If you don't have any fresh garlic or ginger on hand, you can use ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder and ¼ teaspoon of ground ginger instead.
- This sauce has a bit of texture to it. For a smoother sauce, blend or process all of the ingredients over low speed before heating over the stove.

How to Use Homemade Soy-Free & Gluten-Free Teriyaki Sauce
Add this teriyaki sauce to stir-fried meat and vegetables for a burst of Japanese steakhouse-inspired flavor. Use it as a marinade for meat, seafood and vegetables before grilling or use it as a glaze over chicken wings or salmon. The possibilities are basically endless with this delicious sauce, so get creative!
So there you have it! Skip the bottled funky stuff and hand craft your own delicious teriyaki sauce! Soy-free, gluten-free, Paleo and easily adaptable for a Whole30 or Vegan lifestyle, this sauce is sure to become a staple in your healthy kitchen. If you make this sauce, I'd love to hear all about it! Let's chat in the comments section and be sure to tag me @paleoishkrista with #paleoishkristaeats in your foodie photos! I can't wait to see how y'all use this stuff! ENJOY! 🙂
PIN NOW! MAKE LATER!

Searching for more yummy made-from-scratch gluten-free & Paleo sauces? Check out the recipes below!
- Perfect Instant Pot Paleo Marinara Sauce
- Jalapeno Pineapple Aioli | Whole30 Dip & Sauce
- Homemade Sugar-Free Cranberry Raspberry Sauce
- Whole30 All-Purpose Sauce
📖 Recipe

Paleo Teriyaki Sauce (with Whole30 & Vegan Options)
Ingredients
- ¼ cup coconut aminos
- 2 tablespoons coconut sugar or date sugar omit for Whole30; see notes
- 1 tablespoon chili sauce omit for less spicy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon pineapple tidbits canned
- 1 tablespoon pineapple juice from can
- 1 teaspoon honey omit for Whole30 & Vegan; see notes
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon grated fresh garlic
- ½ teaspoon grated fresh ginger root
Instructions
- Prep ingredients. Gather all ingredients. Finely grate ginger and garlic.
- Make sauce. In a saucepan over medium heat, add all ingredients, bring to a simmer and stir continuously until the sauce begins to thicken (8 to 10 minutes).
- Remove sauce from heat and let cool to room temperature. Store in a glass container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
- To adapt this recipe into a Whole30 compliant teriyaki sauce, omit the coconut (or date) sugar and honey and swap it out for date paste. For the date paste, soak 4 pitted dates in ¼ cup of hot water for 10 minutes. Add soaked dates and half of the water to a food processor or blender. Blend while slowly pouring in the remaining water until a smooth paste forms.
- To make this sauce Vegan, omit the honey and replace it with a Vegan natural sweetener like date paste or agave syrup.
- As is, this sauce has a bit of texture to it. For a smoother variation, blend or process all of the ingredients over low speed before heating over the stove.
- If soy is of no concern to you, feel free to use soy sauce in place of the coconut aminos (if you're gluten-free, make sure to use gluten-free soy sauce).
- If you don’t have any fresh garlic or ginger on hand, you can use ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder and ¼ teaspoon of ground ginger instead.
Nutrition
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