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This easy Yum Yum Sauce Recipe is creamy, tangy, slightly sweet, and packed with delicious Japanese steakhouse-style flavor! Made with mayonnaise, ketchup, rice vinegar, and simple seasonings, this homemade hibachi sauce comes together in just 5 minutes. It’s perfect for dipping shrimp, chicken, and vegetables or drizzling over fried rice
Love Japanese-inspired dishes? Pair this creamy Yum Yum Sauce with our crispy Shrimp Tempura or homemade Shrimp Tempura Rolls for an irresistible combination!
Why You’ll Love This Yum Yum Sauce
- Easy to adjust: thin it out for drizzling or leave it thick for dipping, and add more cayenne if you like more heat.
- Ready in 5 minutes: no cooking, no special equipment, just a bowl and a whisk.
- Made with pantry staples: most of the ingredients are probably already in your kitchen.
- Creamy, tangy, and just a little sweet: a balanced flavor that goes with nearly everything.
Ingredients You’ll Need
How to Make Yum Yum Sauce
- Mix: Whisk all the sauce ingredients together until smooth.
- Adjust: Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you reach your desired consistency.
- Chill: Refrigerate for 30–40 minutes before serving.
- Store: Keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4–5 days.
Don’t Skip the Chill Time
The sauce tastes good right after mixing, but it tastes noticeably better after 30 to 40 minutes in the fridge. The garlic powder and sugar have time to dissolve fully, and the flavors meld into that smooth, balanced taste you recognize from restaurant versions.
How to make yum yum sauce without mayo
You can use Greek yogurt which is tangy and creamy like mayo. It is a great option to save calories and add a gram of protein. For vegan yum yum sauce, use vegan mayo or vegan yogurt.
How to use yum yum sauce
Yum yum sauce is sweet and savory, pairs really well with almost everything.
- Fried rice: Drizzle over fried rice, it is absolutely delicious. Try it with Hibachi fried rice, Chicken Fried Rice or Shrimp Fried Rice.
- Shrimp: It is great as a dipping sauce for shrimp tempura or shrimp cakes. Actually it will be fantastic on any seafood.
- Salads: Try to use it as a dressing for potato salad. It is so good.
- Veggies: It is also so amazing for veggies like roasted cauliflower, steamed broccoli or oven roasted potatoes.
- Potstickers: It is very scrumptious with chicken potstickers. Drizzle them to brighten everything up or use as a dipping sauce.
Homemade vs. Store-Bought Yum Yum Sauce
Bottled yum yum sauce is convenient, but it can taste overly sweet or thin, and it usually costs more than making it yourself. Homemade takes five minutes, uses ingredients you likely already have, and lets you control the sweetness, the heat, and the thickness, so you end up with a sauce that tastes fresher and fits exactly how you plan to use it.
How to store the sauce
You need to refrigerate the sauce for 30-40 minutes before serving. Keep the leftovers in an airtight jar or container in the refrigerator. It will last for 4-5 days.
Recipe Variations
- Spicy Yum Yum Sauce-Increase the cayenne to ¾ teaspoon, or stir in a teaspoon of sriracha for extra heat.
- Smoky Yum Yum Sauce-Swap the regular paprika for smoked paprika for a deeper, slightly smoky flavor.
- Lighter Yum Yum Sauce-Replace half of the mayonnaise with plain Greek yogurt for a tangier sauce with a little less richness.
- Japanese Mayo Yum Yum Sauce-Use Japanese-style mayonnaise in place of regular mayo for a richer, slightly more savory flavor.
Frequently Asked Questions
This version is made with mayonnaise, sugar, ketchup or tomato paste, paprika, rice vinegar, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and a little water to thin it. It’s a creamy, mildly sweet, lightly spicy sauce that’s often served at Japanese-style steakhouses.
It has a gentle kick from the cayenne, but it’s mild overall. For less heat, reduce the cayenne to a pinch, and for more heat, add extra cayenne or a little sriracha.
Rice vinegar gives the mildest, most balanced flavor, but white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar can work in a pinch. Start with a little less and taste, since they’re a bit sharper.
Give this yum yum sauce a try, and if it turns out as creamy and flavorful as ours, come back and leave a star rating below, because it helps other home cooks find this recipe too!
Yum Yum Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon ketchup, or tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2-3 tablespoons water, or as needed
Instructions
- Make the sauce: In a medium bowl or jar, whisk together the mayonnaise, sugar, ketchup (or tomato paste), paprika, rice vinegar, cayenne pepper, and garlic powder until smooth and well combined.
- Adjust the consistency: Gradually whisk in the water, starting with 1 tablespoon and adding more as needed, until the sauce reaches your desired consistency.
- Chill: Cover and refrigerate for 30–40 minutes to allow the flavors to blend.
- Store: Transfer to an airtight container or jar and refrigerate for up to 4–5 days.
Notes
- Mayonnaise: Use full-fat mayonnaise for the richest, creamiest flavor. Hellmann’s or Best Foods works well.
- Ketchup or tomato paste: Ketchup adds a slightly sweeter flavor, while tomato paste gives the sauce a richer tomato taste.
- Rice vinegar: Adds the signature tanginess. Start with a little less if you prefer a milder sauce.
- Chilling: Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to develop.
- Serving suggestions: Delicious with hibachi chicken, shrimp, fried rice, French fries, and grilled vegetables.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Made it today and it was so delicious!Thank you!
Thank you, Jane!
Omg!When I tasted the sauce it was so authentic to my favorite Japanese restaurant! Thanks for sharing !
Thank you, Nikki!))
It is absolutely perfect! Tastes just like the sauce at my favorite sushi restaurant! Thank you, Tati!
Thank you so much, Emma!))
This is the most authentic recipe I’ve found. It tastes like the sauce at the Japanese Steakhouse! So so good!
Thank you so much for your kind words, Danielle! This yum yum sauce is best!
This sauce is so good on everything!A new staple at our house! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much, Kerri! I am so glad you liked it)))
This is my daughter’s favorite dip for years. If I let her, she would eat it straight from the jar. Thank you for posting.
Hi Sandra! Thank you for your lovely comment! I’m so happy to hear this dip has been your daughter’s favorite for years. That’s such a sweet compliment! 😊