Homemade Okonomiyaki Sauce Recipe (Quick & Easy)

This homemade okonomiyaki sauce recipe is the perfect balance of sweet, savory, and tangy flavors, making it an essential topping for authentic Japanese savory pancakes. Made with simple pantry ingredients like ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and soy sauce, it’s quick, easy, and great for when you run out or can’t find okonomiyaki sauce in stores.

What is Okonomiyaki?

Okonomiyaki is a savory Japanese pancake made with cabbage, eggs, and a batter that’s often lightened with grated nagaimo for a fluffy texture. Topped with ingredients like pork or seafood, it’s cooked on a griddle and finished with mayonnaise, bonito flakes, and, most importantly, okonomiyaki sauce. This sauce is what gives okonomiyaki its signature sweet and tangy flavor. It’s essential to have okonomiyaki sauce for an authentic experience, but at the very least, you can use tonkatsu sauce, chuno sauce, and takoyaki sauce in a pinch.

Store Bought Okonomiyaki Sauce

The most popular brand of store-bought okonomiyaki sauce is Otafuku. Known for its iconic sweet and savory flavor, Otafuku’s sauce has been a staple in Japanese households for decades. My family is loyal to Otafuku, and we’ve always kept a bottle in the fridge for when we make okonomiyaki. When you realize you’ve run out or don’t have any on hand, this homemade recipe is perfect for it—it’s happened to me multiple times!

Ingredients in Okonomiyaki Sauce

Otafuku’s Okonomiyaki Sauce is made from a blend of vegetables, fruits, and spices to achieve its distinctive sweet and savory flavor. The primary ingredients include water, sugar, molasses, tomato paste, soy sauce, apple paste, salt, grain vinegar, modified corn starch, onion paste, spices, yeast extract, concentrated date juice, carrot extract, xanthan gum, garlic extract, and shiitake mushroom powder.

To simplify the ingredients for this homemade version, you’ll need just 5 pantry staple ingredients:

• Ketchup: I use Heinz brand.
• Worcestershire sauce: Preferably a Japanese brand, I use Bulldog brand. I’ve also included a recipe using a British brand (Lea and Perrins).
  • Bull-Dog Worcestershire sauce is sweeter, thicker, and more umami-rich.
  • Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce has a more tangy, vinegary, and slightly spiced profile.
• Oyster sauce: or substitute with more Worcestershire sauce
• Soy sauce
• Honey: For sweetness! You may also substitute it for sugar.

How to Make Okonomiyaki Sauce

This okonomiyaki sauce recipe is super quick and easy to make:

1. Mix all the ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl.
2. Heat in 30-second intervals, stirring after each, until the sauce thickens to your desired consistency.
3. Alternatively, heat the mixture in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring continuously, until thickened.

How Do You Use Okonomiyaki Sauce?

While okonomiyaki sauce is most commonly used for okonomiyaki and tonpeiyaki, you can use it for so much more. Think of it like BBQ sauce! Here are some suggestions:

• add it to burgers
• top it on baked potatoes
• drizzle over fries
• use as marinades
• drizzle on fried or scrambled eggs
• spread on pizza
• drizzle over rice bowls (donburi)

How to Store Homemade Okonomiyaki Sauce

Store your homemade okonomiyaki sauce in an airtight container in the fridge. It will keep for up to 3 weeks.

Homemade Okonomiyaki Sauce FAQ

Enjoy!! If you make this Homemade Okonomiyaki Sauce recipe, let me know! Leave a comment, rating and if you decide to share it on socials, tag me on instagram @Okonomikitchen. I’d love to hear from you!

Okonomiyaki Sauce Recipe

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5 from 2 reviews

• Author: Lisa Kitahara
• Total Time: 5 minutes
• Yield: 1/2 cup
• Diet: Vegetarian

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Description

This homemade okonomiyaki sauce recipe is the perfect balance of sweet, savory, and tangy flavors, making it an essential topping for authentic Japanese savory pancakes. Made with simple pantry ingredients like ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and soy sauce, it’s quick, easy, and great for when you run out or can’t find okonomiyaki sauce in stores.

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Ingredients

Version 1

• 3 tbsp ketchup (I use Heinz brand)
• 3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce (I use Bulldog Brand)
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce (or Vegetarian Mushroom/Stir-Fry Sauce)
• 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2–3 tsp honey or sugar

Version 2

• 4 tbsp ketchup (I use Heinz brand)
• 3 tbsp Worcester sauce (I use Lea & Perrins)
• 1 tbsp oyster (or Vegetarian Mushroom/Stir-Fry Sauce)
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1.5–2 tbsp honey or sugar

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Instructions

Microwave Method

1. In a microwave-safe bowl, whisk together ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, oyster sauce, soy sauce, and honey.
2. Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring after each, until the sauce thickens to your desired consistency (approximately 3 minutes total).

Stovetop Method

1. Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and cook over medium-low heat. Stir continuously with a spatula until thick enough to draw a line in the sauce with the spatula.

To Serve

• Drizzle over anything that calls for okonomiyaki or whatever you like. Try my okonomiyaki recipe or tonpeiyaki recipe! 
   
   

• Prep Time: 2 minutes
• Cook Time: 3 minutes
• Category: Condiments
• Method: Microwave
• Cuisine: Japanese

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 tbsp
• Calories: 16
• Sugar: 2.9 g
• Sodium: 169.3 mg
• Fat: 0
• Saturated Fat: 0
• Unsaturated Fat: 0
• Trans Fat: 0
• Carbohydrates: 4 g
• Fiber: 0
• Protein: 0.22 g
• Cholesterol: 0

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