Discover this delicious Tonkatsu sauce. This Japanese classic, savory, and sweet at the same time and full of umami, is an absolute must-try. Perfect with crispy schnitzel, grilled vegetables, salads, and rice dishes. And here, you will discover how you can easily make this delicious sauce at home!

Irresistibly tasty Japanese Tonkatsu Sauce
Today, a Japanese classic, the secret ingredient to make your dishes even tastier: Tonkatsu sauce. Savory, sweet, and spicy in a perfect balance. And that with simple ingredients that you buy in the supermarket.
The sauce with a delicious umami touch is delicious with crispy schnitzel (such as crisp Chicken Katsu), grilled vegetables as a dipping sauce, and numerous rice recipes. A delicious sauce that is so versatile that you can eat it with almost anything. Try it yourself!
What do you need for Quick and Easy Tonkatsu Sauce?
To prepare this Homemade Tonkatsu Sauce, you require the following ingredients. You can find the correct amounts in the recipe card at the bottom of the blog:
- Tomato ketchup: A tomato sauce that falls under the umami flavor. It is made from tomatoes, vinegar, sugar, salt, and spices. If you prefer to make it yourself, you will find a recipe for tasty tomato ketchup here.
- Worcestershire sauce: Is a liquid brown sauce that is spicy and has some umami. This sauce contains anchovies, so if you can't or don't want to eat fish, don't use it (or use the vegan variant)
- Soy sauce: Use Japanese soy sauce or light soy sauce (available at the Asian supermarket). These are salty soy sauces.
- Garlic Powder: It adds a subtle garlic flavor to the sauce without having whole chunks of garlic in your dish. It has a spicy and slightly spicy taste.
- Onion Powder: The dried ground form of onion. It has a sweet onion flavor.
- Mirin: Sweet Japanese cooking wine. Mirin is much sweeter than Chinese cooking wine (Shaoxing). Add two teaspoons of extra brown sugar if using the latter as a mirin substitute.
- Brown sugar: To sweeten the sauce. Brown sugar is also used because it gives a caramelized flavor to the sauce.
How to prepare Japanese Tonkatsu Sauce
You can find a printable recipe with a step-by-step description at the bottom of this blog.
- Place the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, and brown sugar in a small bowl.
2. Mix until the brown sugar has dissolved.
This is delicious with crispy chicken or fried rice.
Tips, Substitutions, and Variations
- Do you like spicy? Then add some sriracha or ginger to the sauce.
- Vegan/vegetarian variant: replace the Worcestershire sauce with a vegan variant.
- Also tasty? Add some spring onion to the sauce. That gives a kick and also looks nice!
Tonkatsu sauce is a savory and slightly sweet classic in Japan. It is often served with fried schnitzel. It combines sweet, salty, and spicy flavors and a hint of umami.
Did you make this recipe? Tag #byandreajanssen via Instagram. I enjoy seeing what your creation looks like. Video recipes can be found on my YouTube channel. And don't forget to save the recipes on Pinterest so you can easily find them next time!
📖 Recipe
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https://www.youtube.com/c/ByAndréaJanssenHomemade Tonkatsu Sauce
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons tomato ketchup
- 2 ½ tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon Japanese soy sauce
- â…› teaspoon garlic powder
- â…› teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon Mirin wine
- 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
Ingredients you need per step are listed below the step in Italic
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix well until brown sugar dissolves.4 tablespoons tomato ketchup, 2 ½ tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon Japanese soy sauce, ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder, ⅛ teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon Mirin wine, 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
Notes
- Spicy? Then add some sriracha or ginger to the sauce.
- Vegan/vegetarian variant: replace the Worcestershire sauce with a vegan variant.
- Also tasty? Add some scallion to the sauce. That gives a kick and also looks nice!
- Refrigerator: Store in the fridge in a sealed box or bottle. This way, you can store it for 3 to 5 days.
- Freezer: If you want to keep the tonkatsu sauce longer, freeze it in a freezer box. Then ensure you stay one cm from the top because the sauce expands during freezing. This way, you can store it for up to 2 months. After that, let thaw in the refrigerator.
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