A few weeks ago, I ran out of Tonkatsu Sauce so I tried making my own. It is really simple and only requires four ingredients: ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, and oyster sauce. The combination of ingredients is surprising at first but I swear it tastes very similar to the storebought sauce.
Try Tonkatsu Sauce drizzled on my Chicken Katsu Curry or Chicken Katsu Musubi.
๐ฏ๐ต About This Recipe
Tonkatsu sauce is a sweet and tangy Japanese condiment that is commonly used as a dipping sauce for tonkatsu (fried pork cutlet) and other katsu-like dishes.
Traditionally, it's made by simmering and pureeing various fruits, vegetables, and seasonings. However, a quick version can be made by combining ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, and sugar.
It has a sweet and tangy flavor profile with a depth of umami from the soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce. I used to always buy bottles of this stuff until I learned you can make it much easier at home.
๐ Storebought Vs. Homemade
Bulldog Tonkatsu Sauce is my favorite brand, and it's probably the most popular brand in Japan as well. You can buy it at almost any Asian grocery store.
In my opinion, homemade tonkatsu sauce tastes very similar to store-bought, but it does lack some of the finer nuisances. For example, I find Bulldog to taste slightly fruitier, and I haven't been able to exactly replicate that at home.
My best copycat was using Japanese ketchup I got from Tokyo. But I ran out of that pretty quick so now I just use Heinz. If you have some Japanese ketchup, I highly recommend using it for this.
๐ง Ingredients
- Ketchup: This forms the base of the sauce. If you have Japanese-style ketchup, I recommend using that. I'm not sure exactly what is in Japanese ketchup, but it tastes a little more spiced and pungent than regular ketchup.
- Worcestershire Sauce: This is required for homemade katsu sauce. It adds tanginess and umami.
- Soy sauce: I'm using regular soy sauce. If you use low sodium, you might need to add some salt.
- Sugar: Ignore my picture. I accidentally wrote salt, it should be sugar. You can also use brown sugar. The only difference is brown sugar has a bit more molasses-y flavor.
๐ช Instructions
STEP 1: Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and stir until the sugar dissolves. You can use it immediately or store it in the fridge for up to three months (the sauce has a long shelf life because it's made with other shelf-stable condiments).
๐ฝ Serving Suggestions
๐ Recipe
Easy Tonkatsu sauce
Ingredients
- โ cup ketchup
- 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce (or Oyster sauce)
- 2 teaspoons sugar
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and stir until the sugar dissolves. You can use it immediately or store it in the fridge for up to three months (the sauce has a long shelf life because it's made with other shelf-stable condiments).
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