Pineapple Teriyaki Sauce Recipe (Soy and Gluten Free!)

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Pineapple teriyaki sauce is absolutely the best teriyaki sauce! I love that it’s made with 2 (or 3) ingredients, is gluten-free, soy sauce-free, and is made with zero added refined sugar. That makes this sauce whole-30-friendly as well! Plus it’s super easy to make, and delicious on your favorite vegetables, marinaded meats, and as a dipping sauce. Watch the how-to video below to see how your ingredients transform into a sweet and tasty pineapple teriyaki sauce!

Pineapple Teriyaki Sauce Recipe (Soy and Gluten Free!)

Teriyaki sauce is often loaded with TONS of added brown sugar. Today I’m going to show you how to make a version with zero refined sugar and delicious natural pineapple flavor!

The sweetness in this best teriyaki sauce comes from sweet pineapple juice. I like to save the pineapple juice from a can of pineapple chunks just for this recipe!

Yes, pineapple juice has natural sugars in it.

We’re using nature-made sweetness for this recipe and combining it with coconut aminos for the sweet and umami flavors. Coconut aminos is my favorite key piece in any marinade – it’s what makes my tri-tip marinade so good too!

You can add the 3rd ingredient (cornstarch or arrowroot powder) at the end to thicken this sauce more quickly.

Or simply keep on simmering the sauce and it will thicken up naturally!

Simple ingredients you’ll need for pineapple teriyaki sauce

Scroll down to view the recipe card below for the full ingredients list, nutrition facts, and step-by-step instructions.

• coconut aminos
• pineapple juice
• corn starch or arrowroot powder

How to make this homemade teriyaki sauce recipe

Step 1: Add the coconut aminos and pineapple juice to a medium saucepan over medium-high heat and allow to simmer. Simmer the sauce for 10 minutes.

Step 2: Make a cornstarch slurry by dissolving the cornstarch in a small bowl with 2 tbsp cold water. When fully dissolved, mix into the simmering sauce. Continue to stir for 2 minutes as the sauce thickens, then remove from heat and allow to fully cool.

Step 3: When cool, store in an airtight container in the fridge. The sauce will keep for a few weeks in the fridge, which makes it great to add flavor to your next easy weeknight meal!

Note on thickening:

To omit the cornstarch or arrowroot powder, simply continue simmering the sauce for about 10 more minutes to let the sauce naturally thicken on its own. Xanthan gum is another thickener that could be used. I am not well versed in using it personally but if you are, it can thicken your homemade sauce!

Watch the how-to video on making pineapple teriyaki sauce!

The full how to video can be watched below, or on my YouTube channel!

More ways to flavor it up

Add 1-2 teaspoons of any of these ingredients to your simmering sauce to change the flavor up a little:

• Fresh garlic
• Fresh ginger
• Sesame oil
• Orange juice or rice vinegar (for a more tangy teriyaki sauce)
• Garlic powder or granulated garlic

Favorite ways to use it

• Use in my Hawaiian chicken bake recipe.
• Drizzle pineapple teriyaki sauce over your sheet pan teriyaki salmon bowl recipe and roast in the oven.
• Use with my teriyaki chicken on a stick recipe.
• Use in my 4 ingredient instant pot teriyaki chicken and veggie recipe – serve with white rice or brown rice and extra of this go-to teriyaki sauce.
• Drizzle on instant pot jerk chicken bowls and serve with chopped green onion and fresh pineapple.
• Use as a dipping sauce for salad rolls or stir fry vegetables.
• Add to any Asian recipe that calls for coconut aminos.
• Add chicken breasts to a slow cooker and cook in this pineapple teriyaki marinade (works great to make pineapple teriyaki meatballs too!).
• Toss chicken wings in it and you instantly have teriyaki wings – add a sprinkle of sesame seeds on top!
• Replace any recipe that calls for teriyaki sauce with this better-for-you version!

If you try this homemade pineapple teriyaki sauce recipe, I’d love it if you left a star rating and comment below letting me know how it turned out!

XO

Heather

Originally published in May 2021. Updated March 2024.