This Hibachi Sauce Recipe is a versatile dip packed with luscious creaminess, an enticing aroma, and a tangy punch.
Perfect for backyard barbeque parties, I love preparing this Yum Yum sauce to accompany grilled chicken and roasted vegetables. For a fulfilling brunch, you can also use this hibachi dipping sauce to top fried rice.
In my opinion, a good sauce can transform any dish. Yum yum sauce makes every Japanese dish better, the way the right crab cake sauce can make those delicious patties transcendent!
This will become another one of your favorite recipes for incredibly easy, no-cook homemade sauce that only take 5 minutes to make. Let’s get dippin’!
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Did the Hibachi sauce originate in Japan?
No, it didn’t. Although this popular sauce is a staple at most Japanese steakhouses, the hibachi sauce is an American invention. In fact, you won’t even find this sauce being served at restaurants in Japan.
Then, who created the Japanese hibachi sauce?
Well, unfortunately, no one really knows. But the most popular individual who pioneered the packing and selling of bottled hibachi sauce is none other than Terry Ho. He successfully started a Yum Yum sauce business in 2012.
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❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
The flavor of this Yum Yum sauce recipe isn’t the only thing that makes it enticing. Here are 3 more reasons to fall in love with making this pink sauce!
- It’s very versatile. You can use this Japanese steakhouse sauce for meat, vegetables, sushi, and stir-frying. So you won’t need to prepare multiple sauces for different dishes.
- This sauce is already a crowd favorite, making it super easy for your guests to fall in love with your dip!
- You can make this sauce at home in just 5 minutes. No need to turn on the stove, blender, or food processor.
Need another dip to serve at a party? Consider whipping up this gluten-free and low-carb instant pot spinach artichoke dip.
🥘 Ingredients
Most of the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe are likely already in your spice cabinet. If you lack some, you can easily find them within minutes in the grocery aisles.
- Mayonnaise: This serves as the creamy base of your sauce.
- Ketchup: The tomato flavor will balance out the creaminess of your delicious sauce.
- Sour cream: This ingredient also incorporates a creamy texture while mellowing out the richness of the mayonnaise.
- White vinegar: This will add a refreshing touch to your hibachi sauce.
- Aromatics: You’ll need minced garlic, ground ginger, and onion powder to make your sauce aromatic and have balanced flavors
- Paprika: For that slightly sweet and peppery flavor.
- Hot sauce: This is optional if you want to add a spicy kick to your homemade hibachi sauce.
See recipe card for quantities.
🔀 Substitutions
Ketchup: You can use tomato sauce instead of ketchup for this recipe. Just note, though, that your sauce may not be as sweet as it’s commonly known to be.
Sour cream: If you don’t have this ingredient, you can also use plain Greek yogurt in the same quantity.
Minced garlic: Garlic powder can also be used for this recipe. Substitute 3/4 teaspoon of garlic powder for 1 tablespoon minced garlic.
White vinegar: Rice wine vinegar will provide a similar tangy and acidic flavor to your sauce.
Ground ginger: Freshly grated ginger will also work for this recipe. Just reduce its quantity by half, as fresh ginger tends to have a more intense flavor than ground ginger powder.
Hot sauce: You can also use cayenne pepper or pepper flakes instead of hot sauce. Just make sure to add in small increments to ensure you won’t overpower your dipping sauce recipe with spiciness.
🌈 Variations / Options / Add-Ins
Make this homemade Yum Yum sauce recipe more exciting by trying out one or some of the variations below.
- Vegan: Simply replace the mayonnaise and sour cream with their vegan-friendly alternatives, and this easy hibachi sauce will be completely vegan.
- Spicy: Following the hot sauce amounts called for in the recipe will create a sweet chili sauce with mild spiciness. If you want that extra fiery hot kick, increase the hot sauce quantity or add a dash of cayenne powder.
- Sweeter: Add a touch of honey to the original recipe if you want a sweeter sauce that’ll surely please kids at parties.
If you love mustard, consider serving the hibachi sauce alongside a copycat Chick-Fil-A sauce. After all, who doesn’t love having multiple dips to choose from?
🥄 Equipment Needed / Helpful Tools
You don’t need professional cooking tools to make the best Yum Yum sauce at home. Just have these common pieces of equipment ready, and you can have this dip ready in minutes!
- Mixing bowl: I highly recommend using a medium-sized bowl for this recipe.
- Whisk: This will make it super easy to mix your ingredients thoroughly.
- Airtight container: You’ll need this to store your dip and keep it fresh in the refrigerator.
🔪 How to Make Hibachi Sauce Recipe
Watch this sauce come to completion in less than 5 minutes!
Step 1: Combine all ingredients
You don’t need to follow a specific order when doing so. Just ensure that you’re using the right measurements for each ingredient before adding them to the bowl.
Step 2: Whisk all the ingredients together
Continue whisking until all ingredients are fully incorporated.
Step 3: Store in an airtight container
Once your sauce looks uniform, store it in an airtight container or a clean and empty sauce bottle that you have saved. You may use the sauce immediately or store it in the fridge.
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
Apart from savory main dishes, I love using this hibachi sauce as a dip for Hasselback Potatoes or as a burger sauce, particularly for instant pot turkey burgers.
❓ Recipe FAQs
Hibachi sauce generally lasts for about 1 to 2 weeks max in the fridge, considering that it’s properly stored in a sealed container. However, note that store-bought hibachi sauce generally has a longer shelf life due to added preservatives.
Hibachi sauce is commonly used in Japanese cuisine, including grilled meats, vegetables, seafood, or even fried rice. However, you can also use it as a dipping sauce, marinade, stir-fry sauce, and even as a condiment for dishes from other cuisines.
Hibachi sauce is known by several different names. Hibachi-style restaurants in the US call it Yum Yum sauce. While in Southern US, it is popularly referred to as Shrimp Sauce. Other Japanese-style restaurants also call it Sakura sauce or Pink sauce.
🙏 Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with the hibachi sauce recipe:
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📋 Recipe
Hibachi Sauce Recipe
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Airtight container
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2-1 teaspoon hot sauce as desired
Instructions
- Put all of your prepared ingredients in a mixing bowl and whisk furiously until fully incorporated and smooth.
- Use the sauce right away or store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.