Homemade Yum Yum Sauce

Yum Yum sauce is a delicious and easy pink sauce typically found in a Japanese Steakhouse. Made with just a handful of ingredients, this dipping sauce comes together in just minutes! Serve with your favorite fried rice and stir-fried meals!

Have you ever gone to a Japanese Hibachi Steakhouse or grill and been dazzled with all of the small bowls of dipping sauces? We typically get 2 to 3 sauces when at the grill and always enjoy dipping or adding the sauces to our recipes. My favorite dipping sauce is the yum yum sauce. It’s that yummy pink sauce that is sweet and tangy and looks a little like salad dressing. 

We can’t always splurge and go to the steakhouse. It costs a lot to feed our big family! When we can’t go we love to try our hand at making our favorite dishes at home. I love the sauce so much I decided I had to make it to go along with our recipes! You only need a few ingredients to make Yum Yum sauce and you can store the leftovers in the refrigerator for future recipes.

What is Yum Yum Sauce?

Yum Yum sauce is a mayo based staple found at most Japanese steakhouses. It’s sometimes called shrimp sauce, seafood sauce, or white sauce. However, it’s so good you can dip and use this sauce on almost anything! Yum Yum sauce is made with just a few ingredients and you probably already have them on hand.

• Ketchup – I like to make my sauce recipe with ketchup, but you can also use tomato paste if needed. 
• Mayonaise – I like to use an olive oil based mayo, but any is good here. 
• Paprika – if you have smoked paprika that’s perfect! If not, regular paprika works just fine. 
• Mirin– Just a little goes a long way with this, so you won’t need a lot. 
• Rice Vinegar – Seasoned rice vinegar makes the flavors perfect! 
• Garlic Powder
• Cayenne Pepper – just a pinch! Not a lot. 
• Sugar – (optional) white sugar works fine, but you can use brown sugar, too! Only needed if you’re using tomato paste and not ketchup. I personally prefer ketchup.

You can make this sauce recipe in a larger batch and store leftovers in the refrigerator for 5-7 days. Perfect for leftovers and all of your other favorite dishes. 

How to Make Yum Yum Sauce

Now comes the easy part! Grab the Yum Yum sauce ingredients and whip this together in less than 5 minutes. 

In a medium sized bowl add mayonnaise, ketchup, cayenne pepper, paprika, garlic powder, Mirin, and rice vinegar . Stir with a wire whisk until blended well. 

You can make this ahead of time and store in the refrigerator for a day or two to give the flavors time to blend and you will be soooo happy you did! If you’re in a rush, you can make this and serve it immediately afterwards and it will still be amazing. 

What is Mirin?

Mirin is a well used Japanese restaurant condiment. It’s typically used in place of sake, which has a higher alcohol content. 

If you’re unable to find Mirin, you can also make your own. Sake is typically easier to find, and you can make homemade Mirin with ¼ cup granulated sugar, 3 tbsp water, and ¾ cup sake. Boil water and sugar together, remove from heat, and add in Sake. You can store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use. 

How to Serve Yum Yum Sauce

Now that you have the Yum Yum sauce recipe made, it’s time to serve it with your favorite meals! I like to serve this easy sauce recipe with:

• Shrimp
• Fried Rice
• Teriyaki Chicken
• Steak Bites
• And more…

Yum Yum sauce is also really good as a salad dressing. I honestly will eat it with just about anything. 🙂 

I hope you enjoy this homemade Yum Yum Sauce recipe. It’s quick and easy and super delicious. We would love it if you would let us know what you think about this recipe by giving it a star rating. Not only does it tell us what we’re doing right, but it also lets others know how good it is. 

If you’re on social media, share a picture of your homemade sauce on Instagram and tag us at @pinkwhenjen. We love to see what you make!