Yum Yum Sauce
on Feb 18, 2024, Updated Mar 13, 2024
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From fish to chicken, this Yum-Yum Sauce makes a great topping. The recipe blends together sweet and savory flavors to create a sauce that elevates any recipe!
Yum-yum sauce, or Japanese Mayo, is a staple in many Asian restaurants. This delicious sauce uses a blend of mayonnaise, tomato paste, rice vinegar, and spices to create a rich, flavorful sauce that pairs well with a variety of dishes. While the sauce itself had a complex flavor, it couldn’t be easier to make. Simply throw all of your ingredients in a bowl and give them a quick stir!
We love making a double batch of this sauce since it stays good for up to two weeks. You can drizzle the sauce over sushi, easy fried rice, homemade shrimp stir fry, ramen, and even use it as a dip for air fryer chicken nuggets! No matter how you serve your yum-yum sauce it will definitely be a hit.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It is easy to make ahead of time.
- Only uses a handful of ingredients.
- Goes great with a variety of dishes.
Recipe Ingredients
- Mayo—Forms the base of your sauce.
- Tomato Paste—To help sweeten the sauce a little bit. You can also use ketchup.
- Rice Vinegar—Adds a sharp, savory flavor to the sauce.
- Spices—A combination of paprika, garlic powder, and salt.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Yum-Yum Sauce
Step #1. Use a fork to whisk all of the ingredients together in a small bowl.
Step #2. Make sure the spices are fully incorporated into the sauce. Serve and enjoy.
Recipe FAQs
If your sauce is chunky or thick then it might have a tad too much tomato paste. To fix this, simply whisk in a little bit of water ½ teaspoon at a time until it has reached the desired consistency. Make sure you whisk the sauce thoroughly before adding any water. The sauce may seem thick at first, but will become more homogenous and thin as you stir it.
Traditionally, yum-yum sauce is on the mild side as far as spice level goes. If you are looking to turn up the heat a little bit then you can add a half teaspoon of chipotle chili powder or a pinch of red pepper flakes. You can also add a teaspoon or two of sriracha sauce to bring some extra heat to your sauce. If you are adding sriracha then you can omit the tomato paste to prevent the sauce from becoming too thick.
You can store your sauce in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. There are a few different ways to store your sauce. You can tightly cover the bowl you prepared the sauce in with plastic wrap if you are in a rush. Alternatively, you can move the yum-yum sauce to a Rubbermaid container or mason jar with a tight fitting lid. Give your sauce a quick stir before using it.
Expert Tips
- If you aren’t going to use your sauce immediately then it should be covered with plastic wrap and stored in the fridge until you are ready to use it.
- The longer you let your sauce sit in the fridge, the more the flavors will settle and blend together. As a result, the flavors in this sauce come out after the fridge has had time to sit in the fridge.
- Serve your yum-yum sauce with anything from chicken to easy shrimp sushi.
- If you don’t have any tomato paste then you can use ketchup instead.
- You can use any kind of Mayo in this recipe. We usually use olive oil Mayo or traditional Mayo.
How to Serve Your Sauce
This sauce can be used with a variety of dishes! Traditionally, yum-yum sauce is drizzled on top of sushi or Katsu chicken. The light, sweet tones of the sauce pair well with the savoriness of fish and chicken. You can also add this sauce to fried rice, Hawaiian chicken, and ramen. In addition to using this sauce in Asian-inspired dishes, it makes a great dipping sauce for chicken nuggets and French fries!
More Condiments and Marinades to Consider
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Chipotle Sauce
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Yum Yum Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup mayo
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- ¾ teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Use a fork to whisk all of the ingredients together in a small bowl.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- This makes about 1 cup of sauce.
- If you are not going to use this sauce immediately then you should cover it with plastic wrap and transfer it in the fridge.
- You can store your yum-yum sauce in the fridge for up to 2 weeks when covered with plastic wrap or transferred to an airtight container.
- The longer your sauce is in the fridge, the more the flavors will settle and blend together.
- This sauce is great served over Katsu chicken, sushi, fried rice, etc.
if you do not have tomato paste then you can use a tablespoon of ketchup, preferably unsweetened. - Mayo comes prepared with a variety of oils. You can use any kind of Mayo in this recipe.
