This Yum Yum Sauce is just like the kind they serve at Japanese Steakhouses and Hibachi grills. The lightly sweet and tangy sauce goes perfectly with chicken, steak, shrimp, seafood and of course fried rice! The best part is that it only takes minutes to make!
Yum Yum Sauce – The EASY Way!
For as long as I can remember, eat out at the Japanese Steakhouse has been a favorite of my husband, a main reason being he LOVES the pink sauce!
You will find this sauce called Yum Yum sauce, pink sauce, shrimp sauce, or other names depending on the restaurant. It has many names, but two things are generally the same:
- The creamy, slightly sweet, just a hint tangy, savory taste
- It is SO EASY to make at home!
Since my husband loves this stuff so much, I went through a lot of research on the flavor, tasting it from restaurants, as well as, the bottled stuff you can buy at the store.
I tried countless iterations of flavor combinations, and in the end we settled on a recipe that we feel is pretty darn close to our favorite hibachi grill.
You can make it at home in just minutes with only 7 very common ingredients. Once made it keeps in the fridge and the flavor only gets better so it can be on hand whenever the craving strikes!
If you are looking for Japanese Spicy Mayo, check out this recipe!
What to Serve with Yum YUM Sauce
Since this dish has the classic flavors from the Japanese steakhouse, it will pair well with many of your favorite entrees and side dishes you would normally get there.
There are both classic options below, but I have also included a few extra ideas that aren’t traditional be we have found to be also very delicious!
Classic Options
- Steak Fried Rice
- Pineapple Chicken
- Slow Cooker Thai Chicken
- Asian Turkey Meatballs
- Teriyaki Beef and Rice
- Chicken Veggie Stir Fry
- Hibachi Chicken Bowls
- Shrimp
- Sushi
Creative Uses
- Dip for french fries
- Drizzle over a salad
- Sandwich spread – Try it with turkey and avocado!
- Raw veggie dip
Recipe Notes
This Yum Yum Sauce recipe is as simple as promised! Less than 5 minutes and 7 everyday ingredients for a sauce that is restaurant quality.
In this section I am going to go through a few tips and tricks I use when making this recipe to get the absolute best and most delicious results.
Make sure to scroll to the bottom for the FULL recipe card.
Ingredients
- Mayonnaise – I use regular mayo, but you can also use light and get a good result
- Ketchup– I tested this recipe many times with tomato paste vs ketchup and we preferred the taste with ketchup every time! Some recipes use tomato past, but our experience was that ketchup gave a superior flavor.
- Butter
- Sugar
- Paprika
- Garlic powder
- Hot sauce – I generally use Franks, but you can use your favorite brand with good results. This does not add heat, but is used in a small quantity to add some depth to the flavor.
Easy Family Recipe Tips
- Make sure the butter is completely melted. Since this sauce is not cooked, if the butter is not completely melted it will not combine well and you will end up with lumps of butter in the sauce.
- Use a whisk. A whisk will combine the sauce most thoroughly with the least amount of effort. It allows the ketchup and mayo to combine without leaving lumps. If you don’t have a whisk, you can use a fork, but it will take longer.
- Get the right consistency. Water is used in the recipe to thin the sauce. I find that 1 tbsp is perfect for dipping. If you want to drizzle it over a dish, you may want an extra 1/2 tablespoon or so. Again, whisking helps to mix it the most smoothly.
- It gets better with time. Like most sauces, as the sauce sits, the more the flavors meld and the better it tastes. You can absolutely use the sauce right away, but you may find that it tastes even better the next day or a few days after that even.
Recipe Variations
If you love this recipe as much as we do and want some quick ways to change it up for variety, these little tips will do the trick!
- Spicy Yum Yum Sauce– You can easily give this recipe a kick by adding up to 1-2 tbsp sriracha or chili sauce to the recipe.
- Honey Yum Yum Sauce– If you prefer a sweeter sauce, omit the sugar and instead add 2-3 tbsp of honey to taste.
Dietary Considerations
If you have special dietary needs, this recipe meets some and can be easily modified to comply with others.
As always, check all store bought ingredients for compliance on specific dietary needs. The notes below are a general guide.
- Gluten free: This recipe is naturally gluten free.
- Dairy free: This Yum Yum sauce recipe can be made dairy free by using margarine in place of butter.
- Nut free: This recipe is naturally nut free
- Egg free: This yum yum sauce recipe can be egg free by using vegan mayonnaise.
- Low carb/Keto: This recipe is low carb with 0g net carbs per serving. It can be made increasingly keto friendly by using a sugar substitute and sugar free ketchup.
- Macros: The approximate macro calculation for this recipe is- P: 1g C: 1g F: 8g
Storing Yum Yum Sauce
Yum Yum sauce should be stored in the refrigerator in a covered container. It should stay good for up to two weeks.
More DELICIOUS Sauce Recipes
If you enjoyed this recipe, I really hope you will take a moment to grab a few more easy recipes for another busy night!
You can check out all of my EASY recipes here, or see a few of our readers favorite sauce and seasoning recipes below.
Yum Yum Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp ketchup
- 2 tbsp butter, melted
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp hot sauce, (franks or tabasco)
- 1+ tbsp water
Instructions
- Whisk all ingredients except water together until a smooth sauce is formed.
- Whisk water into sauce until it is the desired consistency. I use 1 tbsp for dipping, but you may want slightly more if you want to drizzle it.
- Serve drizzled over your favorite Asian foods. Store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
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