Made with four simple ingredients, Tonkatsu Sauce is a delicious accompaniment for katsu chicken, Japanese pork cutlets, or croquettes. Savory, sweet, and tangy, this easy-to-make Japanese condiment will definitely tantalize your tastebuds!
You’re going to love our Homemade Tonkatsu (Katsu) Sauce. The fruity flavor of this savory sweet sauce creates a flavor profile that is a delicious alternative to a classic barbecue sauce.
If you like making homemade sauce for the foods you love to eat, make sure to try my Alabama White Sauce and Honey Sriracha Sauce. They are amazingly delicious and easy to make!
Ingredients to make Tonkatsu Sauce
Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make our homemade Tonkatsu Sauce recipe. In Chef Speak, this is called the Mise en Place, which translates into Everything in its Place.
Not only does setting your ingredients up ahead of time speed the cooking process, but it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.
Can I add other seasonings?
Of course, you can. Typically, this delicious dipping sauce only has four ingredients, but you can add seasonings to our tonkatsu sauce recipe.
Garlic powder, onion powder, and chili pepper flakes can be added for a little extra zing. Brown sugar can be substituted for white sugar, dark soy sauce can be used instead of oyster sauce, and tomato paste can be used instead of ketchup.
I’ve seen some recipes that added rice vinegar to the sauce and one that added Dijon mustard to this Japanese-style barbecue sauce, but you really don’t need either.
Of course, it all comes down to your taste preference, so feel free to experiment to find the perfect balance of flavors.
How to make Tonkatsu Sauce
- Add the Worcestershire sauce, granulated sugar, ketchup, and oyster sauce to a small bowl.
- Whisk to combine, making sure the sugar dissolves completely.
- Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning to your liking.
*If time permits, let the Tonkatsu sauce sit refrigerated for 12-24 hours before use. That will give the Unami flavors time to build.
Serve our homemade tonkatsu sauce with Chicken Katsu or Pork Katsu for a delicious foray into Japanese cooking.
Store the sauce refrigerated in a glass jar or airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
Recipe FAQ’s
This versatile sauce is usually used for Japanese-style deep-fried pork cutlets or chicken cutlets. But it can be used as a dipping sauce for other fried chicken and tempura dishes. It also makes a great topping for sandwiches and burgers.
Tonkatsu sauce is a popular Japanese condiment used as a dipping sauce for tonkatsu (breaded and fried pork or chicken cutlets) and other fried dishes. It has a sweet, tangy, earthy, and savory flavor.
The word tonkatsu is a combination of the Japanese word “ton,” which translates as “pig,” and “katsu,” which is a shortened form of katsuretsu, the Japanese version of the English word cutlet.
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Tonkatsu Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoon sugar to taste
- 6 tablespoon ketchup
- 2 tablespoon oyster sauce
Instructions
- Add the Worcestershire sauce, granulated sugar, ketchup, and oyster sauce to a small bowl. Whisk to combine, making sure the sugar dissolves completely.
- Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning to your liking. Your Homemade Tonkatsu Sauce is ready to use.
Lisa
I love this sauce and never knew it was this easy to make.