I’ve been wanting to make a teriyaki dinner for a long time now, but I needed a substitute for the soy sauce that is the traditional base for teriyaki sauce. Fortunately, we can now buy a soy-free, gluten-free seasoning sauce made from fermented coconut sap and sea salt called coconut aminos.
Paleo recipes often use coconut aminos as a sub wherever soy sauce is called for. If you’ve never tried coconut aminos, the flavour is sweeter and much less salty, and it doesn’t taste anything like coconuts so don’t worry on that account. Anyway, when I finally got my hands on a bottle of coconut aminos, I was able to make this paleofied teriyaki glazed pork tenderloin.
The full version of this recipe calls for you to marinate your pork in the teriyaki sauce before roasting, and then to cook the leftover marinade into the glaze you’ll use to baste the meat as it’s cooking. But, being a busy and sometimes often disorganized mom, I have skipped the marinating entirely and it still tasted good. If you’ve got the time, do the full recipe, but don’t feel like you can’t make this meal if you haven’t planned ahead. Seriously, it’s okay if you don’t have time to marinate. Just make the sauce, baste the pork with it while it’s cooking, and pour on extra teriyaki sauce when you serve it.
Make up your sauce from half a cup of coconut aminos, 4 cloves of minced garlic, 2 teaspoons minced ginger, 3 tablespoons raw honey, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, 1 teaspoon crushed red chili pepper flakes, half a teaspoon of fish sauce, and half a teaspoon of freshly ground pepper. Whisk all the ingredients together, then pour it into a large freezer bag. Add your pork tenderloin to the sauce and marinate it in the fridge for 4 hours or overnight if you can.
When you’re ready to make dinner, preheat the oven to 425 degrees and transfer the meat into a baking dish. Don’t dump out the marinade! You’re going to turn this into yummy teriyaki glaze. Carefully pour the marinade into a small pot and bring it to a slow boil over medium heat. Let it cook for 2 or 3 minutes then slowly whisk in the arrowroot starch to thicken it up. Throw in some thinly sliced onions and let them cook in the sauce for a few more minutes, stirring frequently.
Once the glaze is ready, spoon some of it over your pork and put it in the oven to roast for about 30 minutes. I know the meat is done when I prick it with a fork and the juices runs clear. Baste the tenderloin with more glaze every 10 minutes or so while it’s roasting (so two more times). When the pork’s done, let it rest for a few minutes then slice it up. Pour more of the teriyaki sauce over the meat when you serve it. Just delicious!
Paleo Teriyaki Glazed Pork Tenderloin
Ingredients
- 1.5 pound pork tenderloin
- 1/2 cup coconut aminos
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 2 teaspoons fresh ginger minced
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/2 teaspoon fish sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- pinch crushed red chili pepper flakes
- 2 teaspoons arrowroot starch
- 1/2 yellow onion sliced
Instructions
To marinate
- Mix coconut aminos, honey, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, fish sauce, pepper, and chili pepper flakes in a bowl.
- Pour into a freezer bag with pork tenderloin and marinate 4 hours or overnight in fridge if possible.
To roast
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Remove pork from freezer bag and place in baking dish, reserving marinade.
- Pour reserved marinade into a small pot over medium heat and bring to a slow boil for 2 or 3 minutes. Gradually whisk in arrowroot starch to thicken.
- Once arrowroot is fully incorporated, add onions and allow to cook for 5 or 6 minutes, stirring often.
- Spoon thickened glaze over pork tenderloin and place in oven to roast for 30 minutes or until interior temperature reaches 160 degrees, basting twice more with teriyaki sauce during cooking time.
- Slice meat and pour additional sauce over pork when serving.
Notes
Gluten-free tamari soy sauce can be substituted for coconut aminos.
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So wrong of me to have seen this recipe this early in the day. I’ll be thinking “Pork Tenderloin” all day….
Looks really tasty!!
LOL! Thanks, Laurie! π
I laughed at your “no cauliflower” comment when you linked up. Too funny!
I don’t think you are weird. I’m very iffy about ordering food online for the same reason. ..I like to see it in real life.
The glaze on your tenderloin looks perfect. I’m glad marinating is optional. That’s a step I often forget to plan for!
Thanks for sharing, Olivia.
Me too! I have so many recipes that I never make because I don’t think about it until it’s too late to marinate.
This looks really yummy! Hope I remember to marinate when I make this dish!
Oh my gosh that marinade sounds delicious! I love fish sauce.
Mmm… Fish sauce adds wonderful umami!
I love the sound of this, teriyaki and fish sauce means it must be good. I’m looking forward to trying this out, thank you for sharing. π
Thanks, Elizabeth! I’d love to hear what you think if you end up making this.
That looks soooo delicious. Awesome post!
You sure have dressed up this Pork Tenderloin,it looks delish !
it looks yummy!!! would love to try this out on Mother’s Day π
Thank you for linking up last week on Tasty Tuesdays! I am featuring your recipe this week. Make sure you stop by and grab a featured button and link up again!
Julia @ Mini Van Dreams
Thank you so much for featuring my recipe! I’ll be sure to stop by. π
we tried this last weekend,it was not for me,but hubby and the boys loved it
Yum! We thought we were having pork tonight but it ended up being ham! ha! Teriyaki ham would be good, too, though!
I have to try this soon. It seem very easy to cook! Thanks for the recipe.
Mmm this looks so so good.I have to try it.Thanks!!!
I NEVER remember to either thaw my food or marinate it π Glad this is good either way!
Thanks for linking up to #GetHimFed last week. I’m featuring your post on #GetHimFed No. 43. Canβt wait to see what you bring this week. We party from early Friday morning through Sunday night every week. Iβve also pinned to our #GetHimFed Pinterest board.
Annamaria
We have pork tenderloin fairly often so I’m glad to find a new recipe for it…thanks!
This is making me drool. I love pork.
Coconut aminos are amazing. I wish they were cheaper, but they make for the best paleo stir-frys. I’ll have to give this a try too. Pork is really popular at my house!
Yep, I really like cooking with coconut aminos too, but I’m still looking for a store near me that carries it. I haven’t had much luck finding it locally.
If you do make this recipe, I’d love to hear what you think. π
your picture is making my mouth water
Thanks for the Paleo recipe
Coconut aminos are very inexpensive from vitacost. I placed a huge order when they had flat rate shipping (I live in Hawai’i, shipping can get very expensive). I think I paid less than $4 per bottle. They also carry Red Boat fish sauce at reasonable prices too. Going to use this maribade with chicken thighs for the grill!
Thanks for the tip! I’ll have to go check and see what they charge to ship to Canada.
I’ve been looking for delicious Gluten Free recipes, and this one sounds great!
Yummy, grilled my pork tenderloin a d it turned out so good. Thanks for sharing.
So glad you enjoyed it!