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Salty yet sweet, sticky, and wonderfully aromatic, this keto teriyaki sauce recipe comes together in minutes using only 5 key ingredients. 3 grams of net carbs.
Looking for more keto sauce recipes? Try my sugar-free ketchup, keto mayonnaise, and keto stir fry sauce next.
Knowing how to make teriyaki sauce from scratch has seriously leveled up my Asian-inspired recipes. But since going keto, I’ve had to give some of my sauces a low-carb makeover.
This low-carb teriyaki sauce tastes every bit as rich and flavorful as its sugary cousin, but it’s made with ingredients that won’t spike your blood sugar or kick you out of ketosis.
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- 5 key ingredients. Each of these is essential to giving us a complex and richly-flavored sauce.
- Versatile. You can put this stuff on literally everything, and I’ll be sure to give you some suggestions later on.
- Way better than the bottled stuff. Back when I first started making sugar-free teriyaki sauce, there wasn’t any benchmark, as mainstream brands weren’t making it. Now that I’ve tested a few on the market, I can confidently say mine is MUCH better.
- Enjoy it your way. I made this sauce thin so it works better as a glaze, but I also included instructions for thickening it up into a marinade or dressing.
Ingredients needed
- Soy sauce. Avoid using dark or flavored soy sauces, as they often contain added sugar. If you’d like this recipe to be gluten free, use gluten free soy sauce.
- Sugar-free brown sugar. I made my own keto brown sugar substitute using allulose and molasses, but a store-bought brown sugar-free sweetener will also work.
- Garlic. Freshly minced garlic.
- Ginger. Grated and finely chopped.
- Xanthan gum. Thickens the sauce. If you’re not strictly keto, you can use cornstarch.
- Water. Enough to make it pourable. For a thicker sauce, you use less water.
How to make keto teriyaki sauce
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1- Simmer. Add the ingredients to a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring it to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low and stir regularly. After 5 minutes, check the thickness and continue simmering until it reaches your desired consistency.
Step 2- Use. Let the sauce cool completely before storing it in an airtight container, or use it immediately to brush over protein or veggies.
Ways to use low-carb teriyaki sauce
Use this keto sauce in any way you’d use traditional teriyaki sauce. Alternatively, you can add it to just about anything. Here are some suggestions:
- As a marinade. Brush it over baked chicken breast, air fryer pork chops, or baked tofu.
- In stir-fries. Elevate your next keto stir-fry with a splash of teriyaki sauce right before serving.
- As a salad dressing. Add a punch of flavor to a classic green salad with a drizzle of teriyaki dressing.
- Dipping sauce. Spice up teriyaki chicken, grilled chicken wings, or keto sushi with a side of teriyaki sauce.
- Spicy up vegetables. Instantly enhance stir-fried veggies or cauliflower rice with this tangy sauce.
- Elevate rice bowls. Make teriyaki salmon bowls or teriyaki steak bowls.
Recipe tips and variations
- Thicken it into a marinade. If you’d rather use the sauce to marinate poultry or beef or as a salad dressing, omit the xanthan gum and use only one tablespoon of water. Don’t simmer the sauce; instead, whisk the ingredients together and use immediately.
- Don’t boil, just simmer. If the sauce appears to be boiling, turn down the heat immediately. Too much heat, and you’ll concentrate the sauce and make it too salty.
- Use coconut aminos instead. Coconut aminos is a good soy-free swap for soy sauce as it has the same umami flavor but less salt. If you choose to use liquid aminos instead, you may want to add a dash of salt to bring up the flavor.
- Taste as you go. Every brand of soy sauce is different, so your sauce might taste a bit different from mine. Taste as you’re simmering, and adjust the salt or sweetness as needed.
- Experiment with different flavors. To make this sauce your own, add a little sesame oil, sesame seeds, or red chili flakes for a slightly different flavor.
Storage instructions
- To store: Teriyaki sauce should always be stored in the refrigerator, covered. It will keep well for up to two weeks. Be sure to whisk it thoroughly before adding it to your favorite dishes.
- To freeze: Place leftover sauce in a shallow container or freezer-friendly jar and store it in the freezer for up to 2 months.
More keto condiments and sauces to try
Keto Teriyaki Sauce
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup soy sauce gluten free, if needed
- 1/3 cup granulated sweetener of choice I used keto brown sugar
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon ginger freshly grated
- 1 cup water * See notes
- 1 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum or 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Instructions
- Add the soy sauce, keto brown sugar, garlic, ginger, water, and xanthan gum into a small saucepan and place over medium heat. Once it begins to simmer, reduce to low and start stirring regularly. After 5 minutes, check the thickness. If it has reached the desired consistency, remove it from the heat.
- Pour or brush over your protein, vegetables, or dish of choice.
This is an excellent, yet simple recipe.
Thanks Wendy!