Hibachi Yum Yum sauce you can make right at home. Lather on any stir-fry, fried rice, or veggie dish. This sauce is so simple to put together, calls for simple pantry items, and can last a week in the refrigerator. You will fall in love with making your own homemade yum yum sauce.
If you have ever visited Japanese Hibachi restaurants you will know this popular sauce. It's the one you start with one little cup and before you know it you are on your third refill. Guilty!
It goes by so many different names. Japanese white sauce, Japanese shrimp sauce, yum-yum sauce, orange sauce, or spicy mayo.
The main ingredient of this sauce is mayo and ketchup with a bunch of spices and a little melted butter. It's a fancy fry sauce. And it really does go great with french fries as well.
In fact, you can use this sauce on just about anything.
With that said, it's still amazing and we cannot make stir-fry, Blackstone fried rice, or hibachi vegetables without it. Or even use it as a fry sauce or smother it on a burger. The flavors really hold up to lots of different things.
It comes together in about 5 minutes and will last a week in the refrigerator.
Ingredients
This yum yum hibachi sauce calls for very simple ingredients and is a great way to finish so many different dishes.
You should be able to find everything at your local grocery store
- Ketchup: This recipe calls for ketchup but you can also use tomato paste. Just 1-2 tablespoons.
- Hot Sauce: Your favorite hot sauce can also be used. A great choice would be sriracha or Gochujang sauce.
- Water: Start off with a little bit of water and add more as needed. This helps thin th e sauce out so it isn't so thick.
How To Make
This recipe only takes a couple of minutes to put together. Just make sure you leave yourself enough time to chill. The longer it chills, the better it gets.
To make this homemade yum yum sauce recipe start out by whisking together the mayo, ketchup, and melted butter in a small bowl.
Whisking the butter first helps get it incorporated right away before it gets cold and solidifies.
Add in sugar, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, and cayenne.
Mix well until everything is fully combined.
Add in ¼ cup of water and mix well. Add more water until the sauce has reached your desired consistency.
If it gets too thin just add in a little more mayo and ketchup.
Want a spicy yum yum sauce? Add in some sriracha or my personal favorite gochujang sauce.
While gochujang does add a nice spice it also has a wonderful flavor which compliments what we have already added to the sauce.
Chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours before serving. Give it a good mix and serve.
Top it on some homemade fried rice, beef and rice bowls, or stir fry.
Variations
- Make it Spicy: It already calls for a small amount of cayenne but it really isn't spicy. You can intensify it by adding in a bit more cayenne, chili sauce, siracha, or gochujang sauce. Keep in mind that as it chills it will develop the flavor and get spicier. You can always add the spicy sauces right before serving as well if you don't feel it's spicy enough.
- Dairy-Free: This sauce still holds well without the butter. Feel free to leave it out and it will still taste amazing.
- Kid-Friendly: My kids can even detect the cayenne and say it's too spicy. If I know they will eat it, I will typically leave the cayenne out. Or separate the sauce into two bowls and add the spicy stuff to our version and leave them some without.
Equipment
You do not need much at all to make this sauce. Just a glass bowl and whisk.
- Glass Bowl: I like to use about a 1.5 quart glass bowl. This gives me plenty of room to whisk everything together.
- Whisk: You can also just use a rubber spatula but a wire whisk works the best. I prefer a longer, skinnier whisk.
- Food Processor: This sauce can also be mixed up in a food processor.
Storage
Store the sauce in an airtight container or jar and keep it in the refrigerator for up to a week. Give it a good stir right before serving as things can tend to settle.
This sauce does not hold up to freezing well. Mayonnaise is a combination of oil and egg and during the reheating process can become separated.
If you feel like you will not use up all the sauce I would recommend cutting everything in half instead of making a full batch.
Top Tip
Chill before serving. This sauce really gets better with time. So if you even have time to make it the day before, I strongly suggest it. When it sits in the refrigerator the flavors just get that much more intense.
Frequently Asked Questions
While they seem very similar they are actually different. They are both mayonnaise based but spicy mayo is made with a hot sauce, typically sriracha. Yum Yum sauce is mayonnaise with either ketchup or tomato paste and additional spices. Yum Yum tends to be a bit sweeter.
While this sauce can be frozen, it really isn't recommended. When mayonnaise thaws the texture and consistency can change. It's best to just make this right before serving.
What Can you Serve With Yum Yum Sauce:
📋Recipe
Yum Yum Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Mayonnaise
- ¼ Cup Ketchup
- 1 Tablespoon Melted Butter
- 1 Tablespoon Granulated Sugar
- ½ Tablespoon Garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon Paprika
- 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Cayenne - More if you want it spicy
- ¼ Cup Water - More or less depending on your desired consistency
Optional
- Sriracha or Gochujang Sauce - Adds more spiciness to it.
Instructions
- In a medium glass bowl whisk together the mayo, ketchup, and melted butter. We want to do this first so the butter gets incorporated right away before it gets cold and solidifies.
- Add in sugar, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, and cayenne.
- Mix well until everything is fully combined.
- Add in ¼ cup of water and mix well. If it is still too thick for your liking, add a little more water until you reached your desired consistency. If it gets too thin just add in a little more mayo and ketchup.
- Optional: Mix in Sriracha or gochujang to add some spiciness to it.
- Can be used right away or chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours before serving. Give it a good mix and serve.
Notes
- Make it Spicy: It already calls for a small amount of cayenne but it really isn't spicy. You can intensify it by adding in a bit more cayenne, chili sauce, siracha, or gochujang sauce. Keep in mind that as it chills it will develop the flavor and get spicier. You can always add the spicy sauces right before serving as well if you don't feel it's spicy enough.
- Dairy-Free: This sauce still holds well without the butter. Feel free to leave it out and it will still taste amazing.
- Kid-Friendly: My kids can even detect the cayenne and say it's too spicy. If I know they will eat it, I will typically leave the cayenne out. Or separate the sauce into two bowls and add the spicy stuff to our version and leave them some without.
You haven’t lived until you try this Yum Yum “everything” sauce. I literally put it on everything.
I couldn't agree more! We put it on so many things as well. So glad you enjoy it as much as we do.
This looks so yummy!
It really is! And so simple to make.
Mmm, I want to try all your sauces!
Thank you! If you do, let me know what is your favorite.
This looks great! I love the pictures at each step in the recipe. Can’t wait to try it!
Thank you! Hope you enjoy.
Recipie for fried rice, looks amazing thanks!!
I will be posting that next week! The two were made for each other.
Hi Pat! Here is the recipe for the fried rice. Enjoy!