Yum Yum Sauce – Hibachi Sauce

Yum sauce is kind of a big deal at our house. My husband grew up eating at Hibachi-style restaurants, probably the most famous being Benihana, and the one we went to in our town most often is called Ohana. I love stir fry, but my husband Trey LOVES stir fry. It’s a meal we not only eat in restaurants fairly often, but also make at home a lot. And yum sauce is a must with these meals. It’s the perfect creamy complement to a stir fry meal. Or at least I think so. 🙂

I’ll be honest, I usually just buy a container of store-bought yum sauce when we are running low. But, recently I had that on my list and the grocery store I was at did not have it in stock. So that’s what inspired me to go ahead and develop a yum sauce recipe that would pass my husband’s high standards. My version (in the recipe printable below) is slightly more spicy than the kind you’ll find at a Hibachi grill, but only a little. And if you like, just scale back on the sriracha.

So what ingredients are in yum sauce? It’s mostly … (surprise) mayo. If you can use a Japanese mayo, even better (like Kewpie), but it’s not necessary. Other than that, there is also butter, ketchup, sriracha, sugar, and a number of spices. It’s kind of a weird combination but truly, well, yummy. Ha.

Random, but I had to share this! Months ago, my 10-year-old niece stayed over one night and “pranked” us by adding googly eyes to all the condiments. I have been shocked by how long they have stayed on in the refrigerator. I had no idea glue dots would work that well. I’m also a little afraid when I shake up a bottle that a googly eye is going to fall off in my food, but it also makes me smile every time I see them. Best prank ever.

She also wrapped our toilet in Saran wrap that night, which I didn’t love as much. Ha.

I have a feeling someone will ask how long yum sauce will last in the refrigerator. I am not a food scientist, so technically I am not sure, but if you’re concerned I’d label it with the same expiration as the mayo since it’s the main ingredient. We tend to use ours up long before it starts to look or smell questionable, but that’s always a good test too. Happy stir frying, friends! xo. Emma

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5 from 5 votes

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easy homemade yum sauce recipe

Prep 5 minutes mins

Ingredients

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 cup mayo
• ▢ 1 tablespoon melted butter
• ▢ 2 teaspoons ketchup
• ▢ 2 teaspoons rice vinegar (or white vinegar)
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoons sriracha
• ▢ 2 teaspoons granulated white sugar
• ▢ 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon onion powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon paprika
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon cayenne
• ▢ 1-2 tablespoons water

Instructions

• In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients except water. Stir to combine. Taste and if needed add more hot sauce or salt and pepper—whatever you think it needs. Then thin to your desired consistency with water.
• Store in a container with a lid in a refrigerator when not using.

© Author Emma Chapman

Course Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine Japanese

Keywords sauce

Credits // Author and Photography: Emma Chapman. Photos edited with A Color Story Desktop.