Yum Yum Sauce: a kitchen method

A bowl of yum yum sauce served with fried rice, chicken and tempura shrimp.

This yum yum sauce is a silky, savory and sweet condiment that is a classic staple at Japanese style hibachi restaurants. Serve your sauce with beef, chicken, seafood and veggies, then watch the rave reviews roll in!

I make my own sauces and condiments whenever possible, because they taste SO much better than the store bought versions. Some of my go-to sauces include kitchen-made teriyaki sauce, fresh and flavorful marinara sauce and this tasty hibachi style silky sauce.

For special occasions we often head over to the local hibachi restaurant. My kids love watching the food being cooked right in front of them, and I love all the juicy and tender meat and seafood! In my opinion, no Japanese steakhouse meal is complete without a side of yum yum sauce. Luckily, this sauce takes just minutes to make, with ingredients that you probably have on hand.

Yum Yum Sauce Ingredients

Bowls of ingredients including mayonnaise, tomato paste and spices.

To make this recipe, you will need mayonnaise, tomato paste, sugar, rice vinegar, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, butter, salt, pepper and water.

How Do You Make Yum Yum Sauce?

Place all of your ingredients in a bowl. Whisk everything together until it is well combined. Add a little water to thin the sauce to your desired consistency. Serve immediately, or refrigerate in an airtight container for later use.

Step by step shots showing how to make creamy hibachi sauce.

Tips For The Reliable Condiment

The tomato paste adds depth of flavor as well as that characteristic pink color. If you don’t have tomato paste, you can substitute ketchup instead.
This hibachi sauce will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 5 days in an airtight container.
While I really like the extra flavor that smoked paprika adds to this sauce, if you don’t have it on hand, you can use regular sweet paprika.
Like spicy food? Feel free to add hot sauce, cayenne pepper or sriracha to taste for an extra kick.
For a fresh flavor, stir in some finely chopped green onions.

Quick Tip

This recipe works finest with Japanese mayonnaise if you can find it. I typically find this style of mayonnaise in the international foods aisle of larger grocery stores, or at Asian markets. If you can’t find a Japanese mayonnaise, you can use your go-to brand of American mayo instead.

Recipe FAQs

What is yum yum sauce made of?

Yum yum sauce is a mayonnaise based sauce that is flavored with tomato, spices, sugar and butter. It is commonly found in Japanese steakhouse restaurants in North America, and is not necessarily a traditional Japanese condiment.

Do you refrigerate yum yum sauce?

Silky hibachi sauce is highly perishable and should be refrigerated. You should not leave it at room temperature for more than one hour.

Is yum yum sauce the same as spicy mayo?

Both of these sauces have a mayonnaise base and a light orange color, but that is where the similarity ends. Yum yum sauce has a sweet and savory flavor and is not spicy. The spicy mayo has a kick and does not contain sugar or tomato paste.

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A hand dipping a tempura shrimp into yum yum sauce.

Ways To Use Yum Yum Sauce

The mild flavor of this sauce makes it pair well with so many different dishes!

Meat: Pour it onto some grilled flank steak or serve alongside a hearty pork chop.
Chicken: Grill or pan sear pieces of chicken breast or thigh meat, then add a dollop of the sauce on top for plenty of savory flavor.
Vegetables: Dip cooked veggies in the sauce such as grilled zucchini, broccoli, roasted mushrooms, carrots or bell peppers. You can even use it as a dip for french fries!
Rice: Add a generous drizzle to flavor plain steamed white rice or veggie fried rice. It’s also great with noodles.
Appetizers: Serve it as a dipping sauce for potstickers or tempura.

I love that this dish takes just minutes to make, but adds loads of flavor to pretty much anything you put it on. This is a must-have to get that restaurant experience in the comfort of your own home. You can never go wrong with kitchen-made sauce recipes!

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Love This Recipe?

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Add as Google preferred source Authorthe Makdob kitchen A bowl of yum yum sauce on a plate with fried rice and chicken.

This yum yum sauce is a silky, savory and sweet condiment that is a classic staple at Japanese style hibachi restaurants. Serve your sauce with beef, chicken, seafood and veggies, then watch the rave reviews roll in! Time Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time1 minute
Total Time6 minutes

Course Sauce
Cuisine Japanese
Serves 8

Ingredients

1 cup mayonnaise Look for Japanese mayo such as Kewpie if you can find it
1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 tablespoon melted butter
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons water or more if needed

Instructions

Place all of the ingredients in a medium bowl.
Whisk until well combined. You can add more water, 1 teaspoon at a time, if needed to reach your desired consistency.
Serve immediately, or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for later use.

Notes

The tomato paste adds depth of flavor as well as that characteristic pink color. If you don’t have tomato paste, you can substitute ketchup instead.
Yum yum sauce will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 5 days in an airtight container.
This sauce tastes finest with Japanese style mayo such as Kewpie brand.