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Yum Yum Sauce Recipe

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Yum Yum Sauce needs only 7 ingredients and 5 minutes to make this delicious healthy copycat Japanese steak, chicken, and shrimp sauce. Made with simple ingredients commonly found in your pantry! Use on chicken, pork, seafood, beef, vegetables, burgers, fries, and more.

A white bowl of light orange yum yum sauce ready for serving
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❤️ Why You'll Love This

"This is the tasty light orange colored sauce you see served at Japanese steakhouse restaurants. You'll be happy to know this is SUPER easy to make and it's much healthier (and cheaper) than the store-bought or restaurant versions." 🙂 -Kori

Simple

Ready in five minutes, throw the 7 ingredients in a bowl, then mix it up. I know, right? It's that simple. 🙂

Inexpensive

My family loves yum yum sauce (although they call it shrimp sauce or that orange sauce)! I tried a couple of store-bought brands, and they tasted good, but I felt like they were overpriced. Most people have all the ingredients in their pantries already, which makes this sauce even less to make.

Healthy Keto and Vegan Sauce

This homemade yum yum sauce is a homemade copycat recipe that's so much better for you than the store-bought versions. You can feel good about serving your family.

  • Depending upon what type of mayonnaise and ketchup you use, this is can easily be made into a gluten free, low carb, vegan, vegetarian, dairy free, and sugar free.
  • No dairy is used in this recipe
  • No added sugar is used in this recipe.
  • Vegan Yum Yum Sauce: use a vegan-friendly mayonnaise such as Just Mayo, Vegenaise, Hellman's Vegan Mayo, and Chosen Foods Mayo. Double-check the ketchup to make sure it is vegan as well.
  • Keto Yum Yum Sauce: Use a sugar-free ketchup and a keto-approved mayonnaise such as Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil Mayo, Chosen Foods Keto Mayo, Sir Kensington Avocado Oil mayo.

What is yum yum sauce?

Yum yum sauce is that delicious light orange-colored sauce served with your hibachi-style meats, vegetables, and rice at Japanese steakhouses.

It is mayonnaise-based, creamy, slightly sweet, has a slight tang, and often has a small hint of spicy heat to it. It is also commonly called Japanese steakhouse sauce, sakura sauce, white sauce, or even shrimp sauce.

🥗 How To Use It

This healthy sauce can be used in so many ways! Here are a few ideas:

  • Use it as a sauce on chicken, seafood, beef, and pork.
  • Use it as a condiment over rice, stir-fried vegetables, or hibachi vegetables.
  • Use it as a salad dressing.
  • Use it on sandwiches, burgers, and hot dogs.
  • Serve it over your favorite Asian dishes like Teriyaki Salmon Bowl, Salmon Buddha Bowl Recipe, or Instant Pot Chicken Fried Rice
  • Makes a great dipping sauce! Dip your vegetables, fries, onion rings, or tater tots in it - my kids favorite thing!

🥘 Yum Yum Sauce Ingredients

Here are the ingredients you will need to make this recipe:

Ingredients needed for making yum yum sauce sitting on a white board

See the recipe card for exact quantities.

Mayonnaise - Use any favorite mayonnaise. Feel free to use any mayonnaise that will work with your dietary requirements (keto, vegan, dairy-free, sugar free, etc)

Ketchup - Use any favorite ketchup. Be sure to use sugar-free if following a sugar free diet or keto.

Apple Cider Vinegar or Rice Vinegar - Either one of these kinds of vinegar will work great in this recipe. Use what you have on hand.

Paprika - Use regular paprika or even smoked paprika to give it a smoky flavor.

Garlic Powder

Dry Mustard Powder

Cayenne Pepper

🍽 Equipment

Equipment and tools needed to make this sauce recipe:

📖 Variations

Here are a few ways you can vary or make substitutions to your Yum Yum Sauce recipe:

  • Adjust any ingredients to your liking.
  • Yum Yum sauce is a little sweet. If you find your sauce not sweet enough (this can happen depending upon the brand of mayo or ketchup you used) then by all means add a small amount (1/2 to 1 teaspoon) of sugar or a granulated sugar substitute until it tastes good to you.
  • This sauce is intended to be mild to accommodate most people. If you like your sauce spicy then increase the cayenne pepper.

🔪 Instructions

Here's how to make this recipe:

For complete instructions, please see the printable recipe card below.

Mix All Ingredients

Add all ingredients to a small bowl.

Adding the yum yum sauce ingredients to a clear glass bowl

Stir until blended.

Stirring the yum yum sauce in a clear glass bowl

Serve and Store

Serve over your favorite Asian recipe - chicken, beef, pork, seafood, and vegetables. The image below features our Salmon Teriyaki Bowl.

Drizzling the japanese steakhouse sauce over a piece of salmon in a white bowl.

Store in an airtight jar or container in your refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

💭 Top Tips

  • Every mayonnaise brand will impart a different flavor to this recipe. Adjust the vinegar and use a tiny bit of sugar (or sugar substitute) as needed to get that balance of tang and sweetness. If the mayo you use is on the sweet side, then you may need a little extra vinegar. If your mayonnaise is tangy, you might want to add a little sugar or substitute to tone it down.
  • Store in a squeeze bottle if desired. If the sauce gets too thick, add a little water until desired consistency is reached.

❓ Questions

What does yum yum sauce taste like?

Yum yum sauce is creamy, slightly sweet, and has a slight tang to it. Some brands and recipes will add a small amount of spicy heat to it from cayenne pepper or hot sauce. Each brand or recipe will have a slight variation.

What is in yum yum sauce?

The ingredients in this yum yum sauce recipe are mayonnaise, ketchup, apple cider vinegar, paprika, garlic powder, mustard powder, and cayenne pepper. This recipe was designed to be quick and easy with ingredients from your pantry.

Other recipes often call for ingredients like tomato paste, sugar, and more vinegar - which is essentially ketchup. We simplified the recipe and used ketchup.

This sauce is creamy because the main ingredient is mayonnaise, or the ingredients to make mayonnaise. Bottle brands use soybean oil, water, corn syrup, egg yolks, and apple cider vinegar - which are the ingredients to make mayonnaise.

Bottled sauces contain additional ingredients such as corn syrup, calcium disodium EDTA, polysorbate 80, sodium benzoate, and potassium sorbate.

How do I store it?

Store this sauce in an airtight container or a squeeze bottle in your refrigerator.

How long will it keep?

This sauce will keep up to 2 weeks if stored in an airtight container in your refrigerator.

✔️ More Asian Inspired Recipes

If you are looking for more Asian inspired recipes check these out:

Asian Sauces

Asian Recipes

⭐ Let's Connect

If you tried this Yum Yum Sauce, let me know! I'd love for you to come back and give the recipe a star rating and/or a review in the comments! 🙂 Let's stay connected, so please share photos of your creations with me and others on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest!

📋 Recipe

Yield: 8 servings

Yum Yum Sauce Recipe

A white bowl of yum yum sauce with a spoon in it for serving.

A healthy yum yum sauce with only 7 simple ingredients and 5 minutes to make this delicious copycat Japanese steak, chicken, and shrimp sauce.

Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup mayonnaise (use keto or vegan mayo if desired)
  • 2 tablespoons ketchup (use sugar free if desired)
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
  • 3/4 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Instructions

  1. Mix all ingredients in a small bowl.
  2. Use or store in an airtight container in your refrigerator for later use. Will keep up to 2 weeks.

Notes

  • Don't miss all of our helpful hints, substitution ideas, cooking tips, and other delicious recipes that can be found in our post. Check it out!
  • SUBSTITUTIONS: For keto yum yum sauce: use keto-friendly mayonnaise such as avocado oil mayonnaise and sugar-free ketchup. For Vegan yum yum sauce: use vegan mayonnaise and ketchup. Use apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar.
  • TOP TIPS: Adjust any ingredient to your liking. Want it spicier? Use more cayenne pepper. Don't like spice, use just a pinch. Want it sweeter, use a little sugar or sugar substitute.
  • SERVING SUGGESTIONS: Use it as a sauce on chicken, seafood, beef, and pork. Use it as a condiment over rice, stir-fried vegetables, or hibachi vegetables. Use it as a salad dressing. Use it on sandwiches, burgers, and hot dogs. Dip your fries, onion rings, and tater tots in it.

    • Nutrition Information:

    Yield:

    8

    Serving Size:

    2 tablespoons
    Amount Per Serving: Calories: 193Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 12mgSodium: 211mgCarbohydrates: 1gFiber: 0gSugar: 1gProtein: 0g

    DISCLAIMER: Any changes to this recipe could change the nutrition facts. Nutrition facts are provided as a reference only and are calculated to the best of our ability using Nutritionix. If you are concerned, always calculate your own nutritional analysis. The information provided on Seeking Good Eats is for informational use only and we are not liable for how that information is used. The information provided by Seeking Good Eats is not a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment for specific medical conditions. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem without consulting a qualified healthcare provider.

    © 2022 Seeking Good Eats™
    Cuisine: Asian / Category: Dressing, Sauces, and Seasoning

    Yum Yum sauce needs only 7 ingredients and 5 minutes to make this delicious healthy copycat Japanese steakhouse, chicken, steak, and shrimp sauce. Made with simple ingredients found in your pantry and it's healthy too! Use on chicken, pork, seafood, beef, vegetables, burgers, fries, and more. Gluten-free, low carb, keto, vegan, vegetarian, and dairy-free.

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