This homemade yum yum sauce recipe is a copycat of the famous Japanese steakhouse sauce. This sauce is identical in flavor to the extremely loved hibachi sauce and only takes about 5 minutes to make. It requires minimal dishes, which means minimal clean up, and is versatile as it is an excellent dipping sauce or salad dressing.
This delicious sauce is great to make during the summer months since it pairs so well with a lot of the fresh summer flavors that are made on the grill. It is a very popular sauce in Japanese hibachi restaurants so if you are making any recipes on hibachi grills, this sauce pairs very well. This sauce is great to bring to summer barbecues, friends and family will love the yum yum sauce taste paired with their favorite barbecued items.
This was inspired by my Burger King Zesty Sauce on this site, and pairs well with this Reverse Seared Ribeye Steak.
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Ingredients
This creamy sauce recipe is made up of nine simple ingredients. The base of the sauce is Kewpie mayo which is a Japanese mayonnaise and is why this sauce is often called a Japanese white sauce. A little ketchup and rice vinegar is added to bring an acidic element which is then cut with the addition of sugar to balance the flavors. A variety of spices is then added to round out the sauce to match the copycat flavors in a traditional yum yum sauce recipe.
- Kewpie mayonnaise
- ketchup
- rice vinegar
- sugar
- paprika
- ground cayenne pepper
- garlic powder
- salt
- black pepper
- water
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
- Step 1: Add Japanese mayonnaise, ketchup, rice vinegar and sugar to a small bowl.
- Step 2: Add paprika, ground cayenne pepper, garlic powder, salt and pepper to the bowl. Add water ½ tablespoon at a time to thin out sauce if necessary.
- Step 3: Mix until combined.
- Step 4: Serve immediately or chill for later.
Hint: for best results, chill this sauce for at least 4 hours before serving. This allows the flavors in the sauce to marry and settle and also allows the sauce to have a nice, creamy consistency.
What helps this yum yum sauce recipe stand out?
The Kewpie mayonnaise is the ingredient that really makes your own homemade yum yum sauce recipe stand out. Kewpie mayonnaise is a brand of Japanese mayo and is very rich in flavor. It almost has an eggier flavor to it which helps bring out the best flavor in this easy recipe.
Substitutions for Ingredients
- Mayonnaise - for a more affordable option, use regular mayonnaise. This will slightly alter the flavor as Japanese mayonnaise tends to be more rich in flavor
- Ketchup - use tomato paste instead of ketchup
- Rice Vinegar - can be replaced with apple cider vinegar
Variations of Copycat Sauce Recipes
- Copycat Outback Bloomin Onion Sauce - make your own blooming onion sauce at home
- Copycat Buffalo Wild Wings Southwest Ranch - this sauce is a ranch based sauce with additional spice
- Copycat McDonald's Big Mac Sauce - this famous sauce is perfect on burgers
Equipment to make Yum Yum Sauce
To make this recipe, you will need a small mixing bowl or mason jar, measuring cups and measuring spoons.
To create less dishes, add all of the ingredients to make this recipe into a mason jar, seal the lid and shake the contents.
Storage Tips and Tricks
Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container or airtight jar for up to 2 weeks.
These ingredients don't stand up well to freezing.
Top Tip
Make sure the ingredients are mixed thoroughly so that you have an even distribution of the flavors for best results.
FAQ
This sauce is a yummy sauce to dip french fries, onion rings, or any other fried foods. It is also an excellent seafood sauce and is delicious when hibachi shrimp or fried shrimp is dipped into it.
This delicious yum yum sauce is great to drizzle on fried rice, hibachi steak, hibachi chicken or hibachi vegetables. When mixed in with these ingredients it can also be a delicious hibachi rice bowl recipe. To create this, place rice, veggies and meat into a medium bowl and drizzle with this mayo-based sauce.
All of the main ingredients can be bought at any grocery stores. Finding Kewpie mayo can be a little tricky but it is sold at most major stores and shouldn't be terribly hard to find. Finding all of the ingredients will give you a better result and store-bought versions of yum yum sauce. Homemade sauces are not only delicious but you can make a bigger portion at a fraction of the cost compared to buying what is available at the store.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with homemade yum yum sauce:
📖 Recipe
How to Make Easy Homemade Copycat Yum Yum Sauce Recipe
Equipment
- 1 small bowl
- measuring cups and spoons
Ingredients
- 1 cup Kewpie Mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoon ketchup
- 2 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper ground
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ tablespoon water add more as needed
Instructions
- Add Japanese mayonnaise, ketchup, rice vinegar and sugar to a small bowl.
- Add paprika, ground cayenne pepper, garlic powder, salt and pepper to the bowl. Add water ½ tablespoon at a time to thin out sauce if necessary.
- Mix until combined.
- Serve immediately or chill for later.
Notes
- save leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
- perfect to serve with hibachi meat, veggies or fried rice.
Nutrition
If you have any questions about how to make this yum yum sauce or need other sauce recipe suggestions, leave a comment below!
Alicia says
This recipe tastes just like the restaurants!