Takoyaki Sauce

A quick and easy recipe for homemade Takoyaki Sauce, PERFECT for drizzling over crispy golden takoyaki (Japanese octopus snacks). Sweet, tangy and oh-so-delicious, it’s also an amazing sauce for other Japanese dishes like okonomiyaki (savoury pancakes) and yakisoba (crispy fried noodles).

Course Condiment

Cuisine Japanese

Prep Time 5

Total Time 5

Servings jar

Calories 158kcal

Author Wandercooks

Cost $5

Equipment

Ingredients

4 tbsp mentsuyu homemade or store-bought
3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tsp tomato sauce / ketchup (tomato sauce)
2 tsp honey
½ tsp garlic minced or powder
½ tsp ginger minced or powder

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Simply pop all your ingredients (mentsuyu, worcestershire sauce, oyster sauce, tomato sauce, honey, garlic and ginger) into a small bowl and mix together.
4 tbsp mentsuyu, 3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 2 tbsp oyster sauce, 2 tsp tomato sauce / ketchup, 2 tsp honey, ½ tsp garlic, ½ tsp ginger
Taste your sauce and add more of any ingredient until you’re satisfied with the flavour. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

You can use store bought, or make your own at home
European style worcestershire sauce tends to be quite tangy, while Japanese-style worcestershire sauces are often sweeter. If you know your worcestershire sauce brand is QUITE tangy, you might like to adjust the amount in your version to compensate. Ultimately it’s up to your personal flavour preference!
Feel free to use leftover takoyaki sauce for other Japanese recipes – it’s a winner for okonomiyaki and yakisoba too! Or why not try it as your next marinade or basting sauce?
Are okonomiyaki sauce and takoyaki sauce the same? Okonomiyaki sauce and takoyaki sauce are quite similar, and you could use either as a substitute for the other in a pinch. There are subtle differences in flavour, fruitiness, colour and thickness which make each sauce the best choice for its chosen dish.
What does takoyaki sauce taste like? The blend of fruity, tangy worcestershire sauce and aromatic kombu/soy flavours in mentsuyu give takoyaki sauce a delicious umami kick. Takoyaki sauce is a little sweeter than other Japanese brown sauces, offsetting the saltiness of crispy golden fried takoyaki balls perfectly!
How long does takoyaki sauce last? For the best flavour and quality, use your hHomemade takoyaki sauce within one week. Always store any unused sauce in the refrigerator.

Variations & Substitutes

If you don’t feel like making mentsuyu or can’t source it locally, you can leave it out. Optionally, try adding a dash of soy and a pinch of kombu dashi powder diluted in 2 tsp water.
For our Australian readers, ketchup can be substituted with regular tomato sauce.

Nutrition