This homemade yum yum sauce Recipe is a delectable, savory, and 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 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! However, this sauce is best after one to two days, so a little advanced preparation is needed.
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. If it is unavailable, I have had success with the taste of Hellmann’s and Duke’s mayonnaise.
We enjoy it as a dipping sauce for stir-fried vegetables such as broccoli and zucchini. We also use it as a condiment on grilled hamburgers, wraps, sandwiches, and salad dressing.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Mayonnaise: 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.
- Substitute tomato paste 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.
More Asian Recipes
Yum Yum Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup mayonnaise preferably Japanese mayo like Kewpie
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 1½ teaspoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon mirin see notes
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ 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
- 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.
Nutrition
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Jacque
I was just looking for this sauce at the grocery store the other day, and they didn’t stock it! So glad I can easily make this from home; yum!
Krista
This sauce is exactly as it says – it’s YUM YUM!
Erin
This is seriously making me hungry! YUM!!! I love this delicious version!!!
Kimberly Bullard
My family LOVE “Yum-Yum” sauce, so I would go & buy it from the nearest Kroger! We LOVE it on everything!! From dipping our chicken, shrimp & steak to dipping celery, carrots & french fries!! My daughter LOVES Yum-Yum better than Ranch!! I’m going to try ur recipe & wanted to say “THANK YOU” for letting us know that “Dukes” mayo can be used in this recipe!! Dukes is the ONLY mayo I use (my family loves it as well!!)
Beth Pierce
Thanks so much Kimberly! I hope you and your family love it! Dukes really is the best.
Tosha
Good recipe. It wasn’t an exact replica of our local hibachi place’s yum yum sauce but definitely very tasty. I plan to use it on Asian style tacos.
Beth Pierce
Thanks Tosha! I am glad that you enjoyed it
Cookilicious
Its always so interesting to learn about world cuisine. Saving this recipe for future.
Heidy
This looks like a wonderful Yum Yum sauce to use on that juicy shrimp. I am almost considering making my husband stop after work to fetch a few ingredients and make this tonight. If not tomorrow for sure.
Beth Pierce
Awesome! I hope you enjoy it! I need to get my hubby to run more errands!
Pam
Oh my gosh! We love this sauce! I had no idea it was so easy to make! I can’t wait to surprise my husband with it, he is crazy about this sauce!
Beth Pierce
That sounds like a great plan! Thanks Pam! Enjoy!!
Emily
This sauce looks amazing! Love to make restaurant quality sauce like this at home!
Anita
Oooo I love this sauce. I never knew it is this easy to prepare at home, and I have all the ingredients to boot! Got to go to the store and grab some shrimps and some dumplings. 😀
Mykki
Oh this is perfect!
I already have all these ingredients in my kitchen, but I really want to try it with Japanese mayo so I’ll definitely add that to my list the next time I hit up the local Asian grocer.
Thanks for sharing this awesome recipe.
Beth Pierce
That is fabulous! I love it with Japanese mayonnaise!