Japanese white sauce (also known as yum yum sauce, sakura sauce, hibachi sauce or Japanese steakhouse shrimp sauce) is a favourite at Japanese restaurants. The sauce is creamy, tangy, and slightly smoky dipping sauce that pairs perfectly with fried rice, shrimp, and hibachi vegetables.
Yield1¼ cups
Servings10
Ingredients
- 1 cup mayonnaise*
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste , or ketchup*
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder , or onion powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- cayenne pepper (optional) , or a splash of hot sauce
- water , 1 tablespoons at a time
- salt , to taste
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine mayonnaise, tomato paste, rice vinegar, melted butter, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and sugar. Whisk until well combined and smooth.
- If the sauce is too thick, you can add a splash of water, one tablespoon at a time, until it reaches your desired consistency – I typically add 2 tablespoons of water.
- Taste the sauce. Add salt to taste – I typically add ½ teaspoon of salt. I also like to add a ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper, but you can omit it, or add more for a spicier sauce.
- Serve the yum yum sauce as a dipping sauce for shrimp and veggies, or use it as a drizzle over your favourite dishes.
Notes
- You can use Japanese mayo (Kewpie mayo) if you have it, but regular mayonnaise works just fine. Just use a good-quality real mayo with a thick and creamy texture.
- You can use ketchup if you don't have a tomato paste. Use 2 tablespoons of ketchup to replace the 1 tablespoon of tomato paste and omit the sugar and vinegar. See ingredients and substitutes for more suggestions.
- Store leftover sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. Make sure to give it a good stir before serving.