Homemade Soy Sauce Recipe (2024)

Looking to expand your homemade condiments into a gluten free soy sauce? Making this homemade Soy Sauce recipe is no harder than making your own ketchup. It uses simple, everyday ingredients and tastes delicious!

Homemade Soy Sauce Recipe

I’ve been wanting to make my own homemade soy sauce for a long time but put it off because it seemed so much more intimidating than Homemade Ketchup or even Homemade BBQ Sauce. Now that we’ve been making it for several months I have no idea why I was so scared of it in the first place. It’s SO easy and uses simple ingredients that you most likely already have in your pantry.

I will start by saying this isn’t traditional soy sauce. It’s soy-free, it doesn’t have wheat, and it’s not fermented. But it does make a wonderful, frugal soy sauce substitute with the same flavor profile as soy sauce for when when you are trying to make your own foods AND you have the benefit of knowing exactly what’s in it. Plus this is a gluten free soy sauce recipe and gluten free soy sauce from the store is SO expensive!

Gluten Free Soy Sauce Ingredients

• Beef Broth. This can be homemade and you can also use vegetable broth or chicken broth instead. Whatever you have on hand!
• Apple Cider Vinegar. I always buy my apple cider vinegar by the gallon in bulk so I have it on hand at all times.
• Blackstrap Molasses. This is another item I buy in bulk and usually by the gallon because we use so much of it. (And it’s much cheaper that way!)
• Garlic Powder. Also another purchase I make by the pound in bulk.
• Ground Ginger. I get this in bulk as well because we never seem to go through fresh ginger fast enough so I love the dried!
• Salt. I use pink salt in all of my recipes because that’s what I buy in bulk and have on hand.

Questions About Making Soy Sauce

How do they make soy sauce?

Traditional soy sauce is a product made by fermenting soy beans. It’s a rather long and involved process. This is a simple shortcut alternative soy sauce recipe!

What can I use if I have no soy sauce?

This is an easy recipe to make if you are trying to replace soy sauce in a recipe because the ingredients are likely ones that you have in your pantry and fridge. You can also use coconut aminos in place of soy sauce.

Is soy sauce vegan?

Many soy sauces contain fish sauce or anchovies which would not make them vegan. This recipe could be made vegan by using vegetable broth instead of beef broth.

What to Serve With Homemade Soy Sauce

Homemade Soy Sauce is perfect for your homemade stir fries! We like to make the Teryki style sauce with the soy sauce listed below. I also add this soy sauce into many soups and other sauce recipes for a boost of flavor.

Additions to Homemade Soy Sauce

To give your soy sauce more complex flavors, try these additions.

• Mushroom powder. Just a pinch goes a long ways in that umami flavor!
• Pepper. I add a little pepper into mine every time.
• More salt/garlic/ginger. Adding more of any of these ingredients helps make the flavor super bold.

Instructions for Making Your Own Soy Sauce

In a saucepan, combine the beef broth, cider vinegar, and molasses.

Add in the garlic, ginger, and salt. Mix well.

Let the entire mixture simmer on the stovetop over a medium-low heat for about 10 to 15 minutes or until the sauce begins to reduce. The best flavor is when you’ve let it reduce to about half of it’s original volume.

Store the finished sauce in an air-tight container (I like to use a glass jar with a plastic lid) in the fridge until ready to use. You may need to shake slightly before use. For most recipes, you can use this as a 1:1 replacement for soy sauce. I personally like to use a little more homemade soy sauce in recipes than I would regular soy sauce.

Homemade Teriyaki Sauce with Homemade Soy Sauce

When I make my homemade Soy Sauce recipe, I like to take it a bit further and use half of it to make a homemade Teriyaki sauce as well. This is so easy and works perfectly for stir-fry.

What You Need:

• 1/2 cup Homemade Soy Sauce
• 2 tablespoons Honey
• 1/4 cup Water
• 2 teaspoons Arrowroot Powder or Cornstarch

In a small saucepan, combine the soy sauce, honey, and water. Heat until the mixture is simmering. Sprinkle in the arrowroot powder and use a whisk to combine until well mixed. Let the mixture simmer for another minute or two to thicken. Use right away in a dish or stir-fry or place in an air-tight container to save for later.

Need to print this Homemade Soy Sauce Recipe for your Recipe Binder? Grab it below!

Both the Homemade Soy Sauce Recipe and the Homemade Teriyaki Sauce recipe will last for a week in the fridge.

My favorite thing to do with these sauces is to make the homemade soy sauce recipe first and then the homemade teriyaki sauce recipe. Then I place the rest of the soy sauce in the fridge to use for the rest of the week and use the teriyaki sauce for supper the night that I make it.

Little House Living’s Tips for Making Soy Sauce

• This recipe can be made ahead and extras can be stored in the freezer. I prefer to make up a big batch at one time so I don’t have to make it again later.

More Homemade Sauces

• Homemade Mayonnaise
• Homemade BBQ Sauce
• Worcestershire Sauce Recipe
• Homemade Hot Sauce
• Homemade Pancake Syrup Made with Apple Peelings
• Homemade Tartar Sauce Recipe

Have you ever attempted to make your own gluten free Soy Sauce recipe? How did it turn out? Will you give this one a try?

Have you made an enjoyed this recipe? Be sure to share it with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and through Email with the sharing buttons!

This Homemade Soy Sauce Recipe was originally posted on Little House Living in February 2018. It has been updated as of January 2023.