Yum Yum Sauce
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You know that crazy good sauce they serve at the Japanese steakhouse? Mix it up at home in just 5 minutes!
The name says it all — Yum Yum Sauce! The Japanese steakhouse sauce we love to drizzle over hibachi chicken, shrimp, vegetables, fried rice — literally everything — is quick and easy to make at home!
Much tastier than store-bought, this homemade yum yum sauce recipe is super creamy with just the right amount of tanginess. Plus, it’s gluten free.
Since my husband got his new Blackstone griddle, making hibachi chicken for dinner has been at the top of the list. Needless to say, we had to have a fantastic dipping sauce to go along with it!
Key ingredients & substitutions for Yum Yum Sauce
- Mayonnaise — So many delicious condiments start with mayonnaise as the base because it is a stable emulsion and it tastes good, too! For a more authentic sauce, use Japanese Kewpie mayo if you can find it.
- Ketchup — Ketchup adds a bit of sweetness to the sauce, although some recipes use tomato paste instead.
- Rice vinegar — Not quite as tangy as other vinegars, rice vinegar has a sweeter taste.
- Mirin — Mirin is a rice wine commonly used in Japanese cooking to add umami, known as a pleasant savory taste. The mirin rice cooking wine you’ll find at most groceries has less than one percent alcohol and is labeled “aji-mirin” which means “tastes like mirin”.
tip
- If you can’t find mirin at your grocery store, substitute dry sherry or marsala wine and add ½ teaspoon of sugar to balance it out.
How to make yum yum sauce
Stir together the mayonnaise, ketchup, and spices until smooth. Add the rice vinegar and mirin and use a whisk to incorporate until smooth.
The flavors will continue to meld the longer the sauce rests, so make it a few hours ahead of time and refrigerate until ready to serve. How simple is that?!
tips
- If you prefer a thinner sauce, add water a teaspoon at a time until the desired consistency is reached.
- Want a bit of heat? Add a pinch of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes.
Do you like making your own condiments? You’ll love this simple honey sriracha sauce on fried chicken and this Remoulade Sauce on crab cakes. Often, I like to make my own barbecue sauce, pesto, and stone ground mustard, too.
Frequently asked questions
No. In fact, although yum yum sauce was created for Japanese steakhouses, it’s clearly an American mayo-based sauce, similar to Alabama White Sauce. Yum yum sauce may also be referred to as Japanese white sauce or sakura sauce. The main difference with these is that instead of using bottled mayonnaise, you make your own mayo with egg yolks and oil.
If you like the flavor of teriyaki sauce, use the soy sauce for cooking and add a dash of teriyaki just before you take the food off the griddle. Soy sauce is better for cooking hibachi style at high heat — teriyaki sauce includes sugar which may scorch more quickly on a hot griddle.
Serving suggestions
Yum yum sauce is the perfect dipping sauce for so many foods! Other than hibachi fare, try it on onion rings, as a vegetable dip, on grilled chicken or fish, or with chicken nuggets.
Yum Yum Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon mirin
- ½ tablespoon rice vinegar
Instructions
- In a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, ketchup, garlic powder, and paprika.
- Add the rice vinegar and mirin, whisking until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
- If you prefer thinner sauce, add water a teaspoon at a time until the desired consistency is reached.
- If you can’t find mirin at your grocery store, substitute dry sherry or marsala wine and add ½ teaspoon of sugar to balance it out.
- Store in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Nutrition
Life Love and Good Food does not claim to be a registered dietician or nutritionist. Nutritional information shared on this site is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
About Sheila Thigpen
Recipe Developer, Food Photographer, Food Writer
Sheila Thigpen is the publisher of Life, Love, and Good Food — a Southern food blog — and the author of Easy Chicken Cookbook and The 5-Ingredient Fresh and Easy Cookbook. After 20+ years in the publishing industry, she retired in 2018 to focus on her own creative endeavors full time. She and her husband live near the beautiful Smoky Mountains and have a precious little granddaughter who has stolen their hearts. As an influencer, Sheila has collaborated with brands like Creamette, Kroger, HERSHEY’S, Hamilton Beach, Garafalo Pasta, OXO, Smithfield, Valley Fig Growers, and more.
