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    Home » Sauces » Homemade Yum Yum Sauce

    Homemade Yum Yum Sauce

    Published on Jun 21, 2021 Modified: Jun 17, 2021 by Alexandria Drzazgowski.

    Jump to Recipe

    This condiment became popular as a Japanese Steakhouse staple, but now you can make it at home! You’re going to want to pour this sauce on everything. 

    small bowl of yum yum sauce with rice and noodles and shrimp
    YouTube video
    Jump to:
    • Recipe Origins
    • Why Make this Recipe
    • What Do I Need to Make this Recipe?
    • Watch the Recipe Video
    • How to Make this Recipe
    • Expert Tips
    • Recipe FAQs 
    • Homemade Yum Yum Sauce

    Recipe Origins

    In my opinion, there are few meals better than a Japanese Steakhouse… The hibachi grill full of flaming onions, fried rice, chicken (try this hibachi chicken recipe at home), shrimp and steak is a site to behold.

    The best part of the Hibachi experience? Yum Yum Sauce. By Far. 

    Whenever we order dinner at a Japanese Steakhouse, I order double yum yum sauce. Plus more, because I eat it on everything. 

    My rice, noodles, shrimp, veggies… It all gets poured into one big bowl and smothered with yum yum sauce. It’s the best part of the meal! 

    So you may be wondering (as I was)… Is Yum Yum Sauce actually Japanese? The simple and quick answer is no. In fact, experts on Japanese cuisine don’t even know what Yum Yum Sauce is when asked about its place in Japanese cuisine. 

    Yes, we may serve this sauce in “Japanese” steakhouses, but yum yum sauce is purely American. 

    Why Make this Recipe

    shrimp dipped in pink sauce
    1. Have Yum Yum Sauce At Home: With how delicious this sauce is and how easy it is to make at home, you’re going to want to make it all the time! 
    2. Great with Rice: If I want to add a little oomf to my Homemade Fried Rice, I love mixing this sauce together as a side dish! 

    What Do I Need to Make this Recipe?

    Ingredients 

    labeled ingredient shot
    1. Mayonnaise – For another delicious mayo-based sauce, check out this Tiger Sauce!
    2. Ketchup
    3. Rice Vinegar
    4. Spices: Garlic powder, paprika, granulated sugar, 

    Tools

    1. Mixing Bowl 
    2. Whisk 

    Watch the Recipe Video

    [adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”IwrB7E3x” upload-date=”2021-09-17T17:06:51.000Z” name=”Yum Yum Sauce” description=”This condiment became popular as a Japanese Steakhouse staple, but now you can make it at home! You’re going to want to pour this sauce on everything.” player-type=”default” override-embed=”default”]

    How to Make this Recipe

    bowl of sauce with a whisk in it

    Mix all of the ingredients together in a small mixing bowl. Serve and enjoy!

    Expert Tips

    • You can sub apple cider vinegar for the rice vinegar if you’d like 
    • If you like spicy food, you can also add hot sauce to this recipe
    • To make the sauce thinner, you can add more water. If you want a thicker sauce, don’t add as much water as the recipe calls for. 

    Recipe FAQs 

    Is Yum Yum Sauce Actually Japanese? 

    overhead of plate of hibachi food with yum yum sauce

    Despite being served in Japanese Steakhouses on a regular basis, Yum Yum Sauce is a purely American condiment. 

    How to Use Yum Yum Sauce

    There are so many awesome options that you can use this sauce for, outside of its usual use on hibachi meals! Some great options foods you can serve it with are: 

    • French Fries
    • Fried Rice 
    • Grilled Chicken 
    • Shrimp
    • Lobster
    • Hamburgers/Hot dogs
    • Sweet Potato Fries/Fritters
    • Egg Rolls 
    • Crab Rangoons
    • Instant Pot Shrimp Boil
    • And so much more

    How to Store Yum Yum Sauce

    Keep your Homemade Yum Yum Sauce in an airtight container in the fridge. It will keep like this for up to 2 weeks! 

    Did you like this article on How to Make Yum Yum Sauce? If so, make sure to check out these other recipes I picked out just for you! 

    • Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce
    • The Best Vodka Sauce Recipe
    • Chinese Sweet and Sour Sauce
    • Homemade Pizza Sauce Recipe
    • Filet Steak with Cream Sauce
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    Yum Yum sauce sitting on a plate of hibachi food with chopsticks.

    Homemade Yum Yum Sauce

    This condiment became popular as a Japanese Steakhouse staple, but now you can make it at home! You’re going to want to pour this sauce on everything.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Sauces
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Servings: 12 tablespoons
    Calories: 72kcal
    Author: Alexandria Drzazgowski

    Equipment

    • Mixing Bowl(s)
    • Whisk
    • Measuring Cup
    • Measuring Spoons

    Ingredients

    • ½ cup mayonnaise
    • 1 ¾ tbsp ketchup
    • 1 tsp rice vinegar
    • 1 ½ tbsp granulated sugar
    • 1 tsp paprika
    • ½ tsp garlic powder
    • 2 tbsp water

    Instructions

    • Mix all of the ingredients together in a small mixing bowl. Serve and enjoy!

    Video

    [adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”IwrB7E3x” upload-date=”2021-09-17T17:06:51.000Z” name=”Yum Yum Sauce” description=”This condiment became popular as a Japanese Steakhouse staple, but now you can make it at home! You’re going to want to pour this sauce on everything.” player-type=”default” override-embed=”default”]

    Notes

    Recipe copyright The Foreign Fork. For educational or personal use only. 
    • You can sub apple cider vinegar for the rice vinegar if you’d like 
    • If you like spicy food, you can also add hot sauce to this recipe
    • To make the sauce thinner, you can add more water. If you want a thicker sauce, don’t add as much water as the recipe calls for. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1tablespoon | Calories: 72kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 0.1g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 79mg | Potassium: 10mg | Fiber: 0.03g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 30IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 1mg | Iron: 0.04mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @TheForeignFork or tag #TheForeignFork!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Erin says

      August 22, 2022 at 7:46 pm

      5 stars
      Better than my local Japanese steakhouse! Wow!

      Reply
      • The Foreign Fork says

        August 24, 2022 at 1:39 pm

        That is such a compliment Erin, thank you! I’m so glad you liked the recipe.

        Reply
    5 from 2 votes (1 rating without comment)

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