Vegan Teriyaki Sauce

Introduction to Teriyaki Sauce:

You all know I love a good 10-minute meal and this is exactly what you’re going to get with this delicious teriyaki sauce. You can put it on top of any veggies, tofu, or other protein that you prefer. Its sweet, savory, and absolutely scrumptious.

When I make this I typically like to stir fry it with some portobello mushrooms and serve them on a bed of plain rice. It’s such a simple meal that really doesn’t require a lot of leg work. But the end result is so impressive! There’s nothing wrong with using a store-bought sauce when you’re short on time; but trust me, after you make this version you won’t go back.

Breakdown of the Ingredients:

Sauce:

To whip up this sauce you’ll only need a few simple ingredients. I believe that typically teriyaki sauce is made using sake or mirin but here I just a simple rice vinegar. This sauce is mainly just salty and sweet but the little bit of tanginess from the rice vinegar just makes the flavor more complex and balanced.

For sweetness I like to use brown sugar because the molasses adds a really unique flavor and beautiful color to the sauce. But, if you don’t have any on hand there are a variety of substitutes you can use such as: plain white sugar, honey, or maple syrup.

Also, here I decided to use garlic powder instead of fresh garlic. This is purely to save time and make life a little easier! If you have fresh garlic though feel free to mince it and add some in. However, every once in a while, using garlic powder doesn’t hurt! Plus this way you can make a big batch of this sauce and keep it in the fridge when you’re short on time.

• Soy sauce
• Brown sugar
• Sriracha
• Rice vinegar
• Garlic powder
• Red chili flakes 
• Corn starch 

Other Ingredients:

When stir frying I would recommend using a combination of sesame and canola oil. Canola is my favorite neutral oil to use and you’ll see that I use it in almost every recipe. Sesame oil has a really strong and overpowering flavor so it’s important to dilute it a little so it doesn’t take over the dish.

Plus, teriyaki sauce is pretty sweet. And I find that sugar always perfectly compliments sesame oil. I almost never make a recipe with sesame oil without also adding and element of sweetness.

For veggies and protein you can really use anything here! Extra firm tofu, broccoli, mushrooms, etc. Just stir fry your veggies or protein, add in your sauce, and garnish it with some sesame seeds and scallions before serving.

• Sesame Oil + Canola Oil
• Veggies + Protein
• Sesame seeds 
• Scallions 

Process + Keys to Success:

• In a bowl, mix together all sauce ingredients.
• Heat your skillet to a medium heat, add in your mixture of oils and then add in your veggies or tofu of choice.
• Stir fry your veggies or protein for just a couple of minutes. For protein I cook it a bit longer so it’s nice and crisp but for vegetables I make sure not to overcook so they can remain nice and crisp.
• Then, add in your sauce and let it cook with your veggies or protein until the sauce has thickened and absorbed and that’s it!
• Serve over a bed of rice and top with scallions and sesame seeds for garnish if desired.

Recipe Ideas:

• Teriyaki fried tofu
• Teriyaki stir fry veggies
• Teriyaki sauce as a burger topping
• Teriyaki dipping sauce
• Teriyaki fries

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