This homemade Yum Yum Sauce Recipe is a delectable, savory, easy seven-ingredient Japanese Hibachi sauce that comes together in less than five minutes. It is just as tasty as the one you get at those expensive Japanese Hibachi Restaurants but at a fraction of the cost.
I love dipping my pork dumplings, egg rolls, and chicken and broccoli stir fry into this sauce. It is so delicious! You are going to love it! This sauce is best after one to two days, so a little advanced preparation is in order.
One of our favorite restaurants is a Japanese Steakhouse about twenty minutes from the house. We love the whole experience, from the chef cooking and entertaining us to the delectable fried rice, seafood, crispy cooked vegetables, and tender, juicy chicken. My family is particularly fond of this addictive, famous Japanese Steakhouse sauce. We love to dip our shrimp and fried rice in this yummy sauce.
We can’t always go to the hibachi grills as much as we would like to. Sometimes, it is the weather, but most of the time, we must be frugal and watch our budget. You can make this delicious recipe right in your kitchen at a fraction of the price of dinner at the Japanese Steakhouse.
What is Yum Yum Sauce?
Also known as White Sauce, Sakura Sauce, Seafood Sauce, or pale pink sauce, this dipping sauce is commonly found in Japanese steak houses. It takes about five minutes to prepare, and its main ingredient is Japanese mayonnaise. You can make it with mayo from your local grocery store if it is unavailable. I have had success with the taste of both Hellmann’s and Duke’s mayonnaise.
It is so yummy that we enjoy dunking our hibachi vegetables, such as broccoli and zucchini, in it. We also like to dip French fries in it. We use it as a condiment on grilled hamburgers, wraps, sandwiches, and salad dressing.
Ingredients Notes and Substitutions
- Mayonnaise is preferably Japanese mayo like Kewpie, but I have also made it with Duke’s, which is still delicious.
- Ketchup: organic or sugar-free
- Rice vinegar: apple cider vinegar would be the next closest match
- Mirin: If you have trouble finding mirin, use white wine, dry sherry, or vermouth and a bit of sugar.
- Seasonings: garlic powder, smoked paprika, and a pinch of cayenne if you like a little heat
Preparation Tips
- To substitute for mirin, mix 1 tablespoon of white wine, dry sherry, or vermouth with 1 teaspoon of sugar.
- Tomato paste can be substituted for the ketchup, but you may want to include 1-3 teaspoons of granulated sugar to sweeten it a little.
- Add a couple of pinches of cayenne pepper for a little extra kick.
- If the sauce is too thick, add 1 teaspoon of cold water until the desired consistency.
Serving Suggestions
- Main meal: sushi, grilled shrimp, steak, grilled chicken, chicken fried rice, and moo shu pork
- Appetizers: fried wontons, crab rangoon, bacon-wrapped water chestnuts, gyoza, and onion rings.
- Sides: stir fry vegetables, lo mein, sweet potato fries, and steamed broccoli.
Storage
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days. However, they are so quick and easy to make that you can mix up a fresh batch anytime.
Yum Yum Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup mayonnaise preferably Japanese mayo like Kewpie
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 1 1/2 teaspoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon mirin see notes
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 tablespoons cool water
Instructions
- Whisk together mayo, ketchup, rice vinegar, mirin, garlic powder, paprika, and water. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.
Notes
- As a substitute for mirin, mix 1 tablespoon white wine, dry sherry, or vermouth with 1 teaspoon sugar.
- Tomato paste can be substituted, but you may want to include 1-3 teaspoons of granulated sugar to sweeten it a little.
- Add a couple pinches of cayenne pepper for a little extra kick.
- If the sauce is too thick to your liking, add 1 teaspoon cold water until desired consistency.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
Nutrition
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Rachel
Loved this! So easy and a really yummy sauce.
Karens
Great! I can only imagine how good it will be once the flavors mingle.
Kelly
I made this and thought it was awesome!! Keeping it cool overnight really helped and we added a little garlic to ours. Easy and yummy!!
Beth Pierce
Thanks so much Kelly! So glad that you liked it!
Chelsea
Made this sauce this afternoon and had it on my burger for dinner it was definitely yum-yum sauce thanks for the recipe
Beth Pierce
You are most welcome Chelsea! So glad that you liked it!
Becky
I made it tonight to go with our Japanese themed dinner. It is delicious. Everyone loved it.
Beth Pierce
Thanks so much Becky! So glad that you liked it!
Beryl
Thank you for taking time to share this. Folks will pay top dollar for something that takes only everyday simple condiments!
I made some last night based on my taste sensory and pleased to have come dern close. Instead of sugar, I gave it a shot of Asian sesame salad dressing.
Beth Pierce
My pleasure Beryl! Thanks for the tip!
Emily
I have made this recipe a few times now, and it is perfect. My husband cooks hibachi meat and vegetables on the outdoor griddle, and we serve with this sauce and a copycat Benihana ginger sauce. It’s like eating at a restaurant.
Beth Pierce
Thanks Emily! You are making me hungry for some good hibachi cooking this morning!
Aurora
Shooting from the roof tops that your recipe is AMAZING!!! I’m very picky in Mayo based recipes because i have Mayo and convince myself that my favorite dips don’t have any in there lol. I looked up a bunch of recipes to find the perfect one. My favorite yum yum is from a place in NC and I’ve yet to find good sauces at my local restaurants. Your recipe called for the most authentic of ingredients I ran out to my local Asian market and grabbed the exact ones. I even made a half serving because I didn’t want to waste if we didn’t like it. OMG! It’s sooooo delicious. I’m so excited for our chicken teriyaki tomorrow with the chilled sauce!
Beth Pierce
Awesome! Thank Aurora! Chicken Teriyaki and Yum Yum Sauce will be absolutely delicious!
Meagen
My husband LOVES yum yum sauce so naturally we had to find a recipe to make some at home. A big hit in our house so we will be making more soon I’m sure!
Justine
I love yum yum sauce! I didn’t know it was so easy to make, but it is and it tasted JUST like the sauce at our local hibachi grill.
Andrew S
I absolutely love this sauce! I haven’t found an off the shelf bottled sauce that tastes like restaurants make it so i found this recipe and it’s awesome. I don’t have rice vinegar so instead I used regular vinegar with a splash of saki for that rice flavor(I used sake because I had it available, most people won’t have this in their kitchen). I also used about 3 tbsp mirin for a sweeter aftertaste.
Beth Pierce
Thanks Andrew! I love mirin too! I use it in a lot of my recipes.
Jimmy
I made this and thought it was awesome!! Keeping it cool overnight really helped and we added a little garlic to ours. Easy and yummy!!
Beth Pierce
Thanks Jimmy! So glad that you liked it!!
Bern
I’ve made others and they taste like French dressing….your dressing is awesome…thanks for sharing.
Beth Pierce
Thanks so much Bern! So glad that you found it yummy!!
Alex
Does it have to be refrigerated for 24 hours before using or can you use right away?
Beth Pierce
No you can eat it right away. However it is even better after 24 hours cause the flavors mingle together!!
Sheri
How long will this keep in the refrigerator once it is made?
Beth Pierce
Store in an airtight container for up to one week.
Jenn
I love how easy this sauce is to make and it tastes great with everything! Our fav is over shrimp fried rice!