This gluten-free teriyaki marinade is going to elevate your dinner! Use it with chicken or steak for a quick marinade or make it ahead of time and place it in the fridge overnight. Either way, this recipe is going to give you a super flavorful meal, perfect for on or off the grill. Plus it’s gluten-free, paleo, and Whole30 compatible.
A simple marinade can make a meal and this one does not disappoint. Whether you’re making grilled teriyaki chicken or teriyaki chicken kabobs, this marinade comes together easily and only needs a short marinating time to have a big impact.
While my family is a big fan of gluten-free chicken recipes, this marinade would also work with different cuts of steak. I would recommend choosing thinner cuts like skirt steak or flank steak with this marinade. Then serve it over rice (like pictured above), cauliflower rice if paleo, or just roasted veggies.
Ingredients
- Coconut aminos – any brand works here.
- Balsamic vinegar – an aged balsamic vinegar works best here, though any will do.
- Sesame oil – I like to use a toasted sesame oil for extra flavor, but you can use any sesame oil.
- Minced garlic – you want freshly minced or pressed garlic for the best flavor, not garlic powder.
- Green onions – just the light and dark green parts.
- Powdered ground ginger – make sure your spice jar is fresh!
- Kosher salt – this recipe uses Diamond Crystal kosher salt, which is slightly less salty per weight than other brands. See this article about the differences in kosher salt for more information.
What’s the difference between teriyaki sauce and teriyaki marinade?
Teriyaki sauce is a thicker sauce typically put on a dish that’s either mostly cooked or all the way cooked, like a stir fry. Teriyaki marinade is meant to flavor meat before it’s cooked. A marinade is also usually a bit thinner than a sauce. Homemade teriyaki sauce is typically thickened with corn starch or tapioca starch and sweetened with brown sugar, maple syrup or another type of sweetener. If you want more of a sauce, then try this gluten free teriyaki sauce recipe.
Can you replace the coconut aminos with tamari sauce, gluten free soy sauce, or liquid aminos?
No, you don’t want to replace the coconut aminos with tamari, soy sauce, or liquid aminos. The sweetness of the coconut aminos helps mimic the sweetness of traditional teriyaki sauce. The other three are too salty to use as replacements for the coconut aminos.
Recipe tips
- Make sure your spices are fresh. Powdered ground ginger that is fresh will be more flavorful than ground ginger that has been opened for a long while and/or is past its best-by date. To get the best flavor, get a new bottle of ground ginger.
- You can substitute the powdered ground ginger for fresh ginger if you like! Take a cubed inch of fresh ginger, remove the peel, then grate it straight into the marinade.
- Make the marinade ahead of time! This marinade comes together very quickly and can be made in the morning before starting a work day, or the night before. Doing this gives the flavors even more time to meld.
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Gluten Free Teriyaki Marinade
Equipment
- A large liquid measuring cup
- A garlic press
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup coconut aminos
- ⅓ cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 garlic cloves
- ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- 5 scallions
Instructions
- Wash the scallions and remove any pieces that are shriveled or brown. Then using a large sharp knife and a cutting board, slice the dark and light green portions into small pieces. Dump them into a medium container or jar with a lid.
- Use a large measuring cup to measure the coconut aminos and balsamic vinegar and pour them into the same container.
- Using a measuring spoon, measure out the sesame oil and dump in with the other ingredients.
- Peel a large clove of garlic and put it through a garlic press, scraping the pressed garlic into the container.
- Measure out the kosher salt and ground ginger with a measuring spoon and dump it into the container.
- Put the lid on the container and shake until well combined. Pour it over our food and let sit for at least 30 minutes to marinate. Can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.
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