Easy, 5-minute Yum yum sauce recipe just like the one that you will find in Hibachi restaurants! It’s creamy, savory, slightly sweet, a bit spicy, so rich, and absolutely delicious.
What Is Yum Yum Sauce?
Yum yum sauce is a famous Japanese steakhouse sauce served in Hibachi restaurants in the US and Canada. It uses mayonnaise as a base so it’s quite creamy, it’s savory and sweet at the same time and gives richness to your food. So easy to make at home, and very delicious!
Not only does Yum Yum sauce have the best name ever (whoever came up with the name is a genius!), but it’s also incredibly delicious! I put Yum yum sauce on almost everything that I eat, I mean, fries, burgers, tacos, roasted vegetables, as a salad dressing, because why not?! This stuff is good!
However, Yum yum sauce is mainly paired with Hibachi steak, chicken, shrimp, classic fried rice or shrimp fried rice, and noodles. Speaking of Hibachi recipes, have you tried my Instant Pot hibachi recipes? They’re so popular, and I urge you to try them ASAP.
Yum Yum Sauce Ingredients
As I said, the yum yum sauce ingredients are sooo simple and are things that you probably already have in your kitchen. Here’s what you’ll need:
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
- Mayonnaise – this sauce uses mayo as a base, you can use store bought mayo which is fine but this homemade mayonnaise is superior! And if you’re looking for a vegan version then check out my homemade vegan mayo recipe.
- Unsalted butter – if vegan use sunflower butter or coconut oil.
- Tomato paste – you can substitute with ketchup if you like.
- Sugar – to add some sweetness to the sauce. You can substitute with maple syrup if desired.
- Garlic granules – or garlic powder.
- Paprika, and cayenne powder – if you like smokey flavors, then go for smoked paprika.
How Do You Make Yum Yum Sauce From Scratch?
This is sooo simple! When I say it’s a 5-minute sauce, I mean it, it won’t take you more than 5 minutes to make.
Melt your butter, gather all of the ingredients in a medium bowl, and whisk until smooth.
Depending on the type of the mayonnaise that you’re using, you may need to thin your sauce out a bit with water. Just add water by very small quantities like 1 tablespoon of water, and whisk until you reach the desired consistency.
The consistency should not be too watery, nor too thick. So be careful not to end up with too much water added to the sauce.
So your sauce is now ready, I told you that it’s the easiest yum yum sauce recipe in the universe! Didn’t I?
Also, make sure to check out my awesome Benihana copycat ginger sauce for a complete hibachi dinner just like what you’d have at a Hibachi restaurant!
Video Tutorial – How To Make Yum Yum Sauce
How Long Does Yum Yum Sauce Last?
I store Yum yum sauce in sealed glass jars in the fridge for up to 1 month.
The jar that you see in my picture below is a Weck jar. I use these cute jars for storing sauces, spices, seeds, and more! They’re so handy and quite cute.
What Can You Eat With Yum Yum Sauce?
All hibachi style dishes, and pretty much everything else! Below are a few ideas:
- Hibachi steak
- Hibachi chicken
- Hibachi shrimp
- Shrimp and broccoli
- Chicken and broccoli
- Beef and broccoli
- Egg roll in a bowl
- Oven-baked fries
The picture below is my shrimp hibachi recipe, you MUST make the yum yum sauce to serve it with!
Also make sure to check out my condiments category page for more homemade sauces, seasonings, and more.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Yum Yum Sauce
Recipe Video
Equipment
- Medium bowl
- Glass jar
Ingredients
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder or garlic granules
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
- 1 teaspoon tomato paste or ketchup
- 2-3 tablespoons water to thin the sauce out
Instructions
- Whisk all ingredients together until smooth.
- Thin out with water if needed by adding very small quantities and mixing.
Notes:
- The calculated nutrition values are a rough estimate.
- Store in a sealed glass jar in the fridge for up to 1 month.
- You can substitute the tomato paste with ketchup, the sugar with maple syrup, and the butter with coconut oil.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
Becky says
Loved it
MiMi says
This recipe is quick and easy. I made half a recipe to try it out. I used avocado oil in place of butter (I’m sure the flavor is better with butter but I was lazy) and a couple dashes of white vinegar to thin rather than water. I also added some onion powder
Tara Hoffmann says
Served with the Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Breast you recommended and it was to die for!!! My whole family adored it!
Randall Putala says
This recipe was a home run! I cut the chicken breasts in half width-wise, but they were still pretty thick so they took a few minutes longer. The breading was perfect and very flavorful. And the Yum- Yum sauce was a hit. This is a tasty recipe that uses almost no oil yet tastes almost as sinful as regular fried chicken. This recipe is a keeper!