Soy-Free Teriyaki Sauce Recipe

Do you have that one thing that you always forget to pick up when you're at the grocery store? For me, that's soy sauce. I can even have it written down... I'll still forget it. That's not a good thing when you have a husband whose favorite meal is chicken teriyaki!

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I created this sauce one day after realizing too late that I was once again out of soy sauce, and scouring the internet for soy sauce substitutes proved to be unsuccessful. I chose a few pantry ingredients and just kept tasting and adjusting until this soy-free teriyaki imposter was born! 

This recipe uses iced coffee that I had in the fridge (check out my favorite cold brew recipe and learn to create your own cold brew coffee bags). If you don't have iced coffee, brew a strong cup of hot coffee. 

Maple syrup (the real stuff, not pancake syrup) is the best for adding sweetness and depth. Soy sauce has a complex flavor past just being salty, so a dash of that or raw honey will help add that back in.

Use a full-bodied red wine like a Cabernet or Merlot to add some tang and more depth-of-flavor. I got a bottle of 19 Crimes The Banished Dark Red Wine when it was on sale (I don't drink wine, only cook with it, so I get whatever's a step up from the cheapest) and it's perfect for this. 

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Grill thinly pounded chicken breast over medium direct heat for 3 minutes per side, brushing on teriyaki sauce in the last minute. Or, you can slice a chicken breast into thin strips, season with salt and pepper, and saute in a tablespoon of butter and olive oil (1/2 tbsp of each) until cooked through. Top with teriyaki sauce and serve over rice. 

I like to pair chicken teriyaki with honey roasted carrots and coconut rice for a plate full of salty-sweet goodness.

Soy-Free Teriyaki Sauce

Serves 4

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Ingredients:

6 oz strong coffee

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tbsp real maple syrup or honey

1 tbsp salt

1/4 tsp ground ginger

splash of full-bodied red wine

1 tbsp corn starch

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Bring coffee, brown sugar, syrup, salt, and ginger to a boil over medium heat. Add a splash of red wine and boil for a minute to cook out the alcohol. In a separate dish, combine corn starch with a splash of cold water until thoroughly mixed, then whisk into sauce mixture. Continue mixing until sauce becomes glossy and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, then remove from heat. Serve immediately, or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.