Finally, there’s a way to make a low carb keto teriyaki sauce with clean ingredients! It has all the sweet, sticky flavor you know and love from your favorite restaurants, yet free from common ingredients that amp up the carb count. Learn how to make sugar-free teriyaki sauce in minutes for marinades, glazing, and drizzling on your favorite meat and veggies.
What Is Teriyaki Sauce?
Teriyaki sauce is a sweet and salty sauce used on protein and vegetables in Asian dishes. In Japan, teriyaki is originally a cooking style in which meats marinate in the sauce made with soy sauce, mirin or sake, sugar, and ginger and cook over hot coals. Today, most American teriyaki sauces contain a combination of soy sauce, brown sugar, honey, and spices.
Is Teriyaki Sauce Keto Approved?
Conventional teriyaki sauce is not keto, because it contains a lot of added sugar. However, it’s so easy to make a thick, sweet, sugar-free teriyaki sauce recipe that tastes just like the original!
Ingredients You’ll Need
This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for low carb teriyaki sauce, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
Wholesome Yum Keto Honey Substitute – With a thick and sweet flavor just like real honey, you won’t need thickeners like xanthan gum that other teriyaki sauce keto recipes use. It’s also naturally rich in fiber and zero net carbs!Besti Brown Monk Fruit Allulose Blend – Has all the rich flavor and moisture of the real thing. Other brown sugar substitutes will crystallize and not dissolve correctly, so I don’t recommend using them.Coconut Aminos – This is a gluten-free soy sauce substitute and forms the bulk of the sauce, but be aware it does contain a small amount of natural sugar. If you tolerate it, you may use conventional soy sauce (which would lower the carbs further) or tamari, but this is why I don’t use soy sauce.Apple Cider Vinegar – Replaces some of the sweet flavor of mirin.Garlic Powder & Ground Ginger – If you prefer, you can use minced garlic and fresh ginger instead, but the ground versions make a smoother sauce. If using fresh, I recommend sauteing them in avocado oil before adding the other ingredients.Sesame Oil – Optional, but adds another layer of flavor. It has a low smoke point, so be sure to add it only after removing from heat.
How To Make Sugar-Free Teriyaki Sauce
This section shows how to make a gluten-free sugar-free teriyaki sauce recipe with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below. TIP: Keto friendly teriyaki sauce will thicken as it cools. Keep that in mind when deciding whether it’s thick enough.
Storage Instructions
Store: Keep sugar-free teriyaki sauce in an airtight storage container in the fridge for 1-2 weeks.Reheat: Use directly with food or reheat on the stovetop over low heat, or in the microwave, before using.
What To Serve With Low Carb Teriyaki Sauce
This is truly the best keto teriyaki sauce because it tastes delicious with so many recipes! Try it with these classic pairings.
Meats – Use this sauce as a glaze for a variety of keto meats, such as baked chicken breast, grilled salmon, shrimp skewers, or sirloin steak. It also works well on beef recipes like juicy burgers or brushed onto crispy air fryer chicken wings!Rice And Noodles – Teriyaki sauce pairs perfectly with shirataki rice, cauliflower rice, or shirataki noodles.Keto Japanese Style Dishes – Serve this sauce next to (or drizzled on) dishes like keto teriyaki chicken, keto sushi rolls, and stir-fries such as chicken stir fry or vegetable stir fry.
More Keto Japanese Inspired Recipes
Love Asian flavors but want to skip the carbs? Try these mouthwatering recipes: Share your recipe picture by tagging @wholesomeyum and hashtag it #wholesomeyum on Instagram, or in our Facebook support group, too – I’d love to see it!
