Yum Yum Sauce
This creamy and flavorful sauce is a copycat of the pale dipping sauce that’s served at Japanese hibachi or teppan restaurants. Delicious with meat and veggies!
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Table of Contents
About Yum Yum Sauce
There was a period of my life where all I wanted to do was go to hibachi or teppan restaurants, and the main reason for that boiled down to one thing:
The yum yum sauce.
Sure, the food was great, too, but it was made all the better by this delicious condiment.
And if only I had known how easy this sauce was to make at home, I might not have been so broke in my early twenties from all those restaurant visits.
Because, you guys, this sauce is a cinch to make, and you can serve it with so many more foods than what you can find at a Japanese steakhouse.
What is yum yum sauce?
If you’ve ever been to a Japanese hibachi or teppan restaurant (where they cook the food in front of you, whether it’s over a flame or a solid griddle) you’ve probably seen that they serve a few dipping sauces to go along with the cooked meats or veggies.
And if you were really lucky, one of those sauces was orangey-pink in color.
That, my friends, is “yum yum” sauce.
You might know it by another name, such a white sauce, pink sauce, seafood sauce, or even just vegetable sauce, but I personally prefer to call it yum yum sauce. Because that’s exactly what it is: a delicious combination of tomato, mayonnaise, and spices that is simply delicious.
What is yum yum sauce good on?
I think the better question is what isn’t yum yum sauce good on, but if you’re looking for a solid list of ideas, I highly recommend any of the following:
- Grilled steak or other thick beef cuts.
- Grilled or cooked chicken (ideally with mild seasoning).
- Grilled or cooked shrimp.
- Grilled, baked, or steamed veggies, especially broccoli, corn, carrots, and cauliflower.
- Mild chips, like tortilla chips.
- French fries.
- Fresh savory salads.
- And if you’re the type that can make sushi at home, this sauce would be great for dipping or drizzling.
How long is homemade yum yum sauce good for?
When stored in the refrigerator in a sealed container, yum yum sauce should remain good for up to a week.
Can you freeze yum yum sauce?
Because of the mayonnaise in this recipe, I can’t recommend freezing the sauce. The emulsion in mayonnaise will likely break as it thaws, making the texture of the sauce questionable.
For best results, try to enjoy this yum yum sauce while it’s still fresh.
Other great sauce recipes
How to make yum yum sauce
This next part is only a photo tutorial of the recipe steps. If you’re looking for the full recipe measurements and instructions, scroll down to Recipe Details.
Step 1 – Add all of the following ingredients to a medium bowl: mayonnaise, tomato paste, melted butter, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and sugar.
Step 2 – Using a whisk, mix all of the ingredients together very well.
Step 3 – Check the consistency of the sauce. Depending on what you’re using it for (dipping, dressing, etc) you may want to whisk in a bit of water to thin it out a little.
Step 4 – Serve and enjoy!
Yum Yum Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon salted butter, melted
- water, up to 1-2 tablespoon - see recipe instructions
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, thoroughly whisk together mayonnaise, tomato paste, melted butter, sugar, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and onion powder.
- Check consistency of the sauce. If needed, whisk in anywhere from 1 to 2 tablespoons of water to help thin it out. Tip: If you're using sauce as a dip, thicker is better (so either no water or only 1 tablespoon). If you're drizzling or using sauce as a dressing, more liquid is better (so anywhere from 1 to 2 tablespoons).
- Serve or use yum yum sauce immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
I do my best to provide nutrition information, but please keep in mind that I'm not a certified nutritionist. Any nutritional information discussed or disclosed in this post should only be seen as my best amateur estimates of the correct values.
