Learn how to make Okonomiyaki Sauce at home with just 4 ingredients! This simple condiment is a must for drizzling over the iconic Japanese savory pancake, okonomiyaki.
One of the key characteristics of Okonomiyaki is the thick, sweet brown sauce that is drizzled over the savory pancake. Without it, the savory pancake would be bland and missing the right flavor. Simply known as Okonomiyaki Sauce (お好み焼きソース), the condiment is packed with umami flavor that is similar to Worcestershire sauce or Tonkatsu Sauce.
You can find ready-made okonomiyaki sauce at Japanese or Asian grocery stores, but it is really easy to make with just a few ingredients at home.
When I make okonomiyaki at home, I often reach my pantry to whisk up the sauce quickly to serve with the pancake. The homemade version is convenient when you don’t have or run out of the store-bought okonomi sauce.
To Make Okonomiyaki Sauce
4 Ingredients You’ll Need
- Worcestershire sauce (Lea & Perris Worcestershire Sauce)
- Ketchup (Heinz Simply Tomato Ketchup)
- Sugar (organic cane sugar)
- Oyster sauce (Lee Kum Kee Premium Oyster Sauce)
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk well together. Have a taste and adjust any seasonings if needed. It’s that simple!
The Best Store-Bought Okonomiyaki Sauce
I usually have a bottle of Otafuku brand’s Okonomi Sauce (お好みソース) in my refrigerator. This sauce is by far the most popular and well-known okonomiyaki sauce in Japan.
I was introduced to this sauce by a Japanese friend from Osaka when I was in college. She also told me that people in Osaka season a fried egg (目玉焼き) with okonomi sauce while people in Tokyo/Yokohama area normally drizzle soy sauce to enjoy the egg.
You can get Otafuku Oknomi Sauce at Japanese grocery stores (maybe at well-stocked Asian grocery stores, too) and Amazon.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long can I store the homemade okonomiyaki sauce?
You can keep the sauce in an airtight container or jar and store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. It can probably last longer, but might as well make a fresh batch since you are likely to have all these condiments in the fridge.
Can I substitute with other ingredients?
I haven’t tried making the okonomiyaki sauce besides these 4 ingredients I listed. My intention to create okonomiyaki sauce is to replicate the exact flavor as the Otafuku’s okonomi sauce, and I think it’s pretty close (I’d say you will need a tiny bit more sugar to achieve the exact taste). Therefore, I don’t recommend substitutions for this recipe.
If you need to modify certain things due to dietary restriction, I really hope you can find a good substitution that helps yield the right flavor.
Can I skip sugar?
The Worcestershire sauce is quite tangy and the oyster sauce is salty, so you will need to counterbalance that with sugar. If you think your ketchup is already sweet, you can skip the sugar or gradually add it to your liking.
Okonomiyaki Recipes on Just One Cookbook
With the homemade okonomiyaki sauce, you can make the pancake anytime you like! On my blog, I offer two classic versions:
- Hiroshima-style Okonomiyaki – This one is layered with shredded cabbage, fried egg, and yakisoba noodles!
- Osaka-style Okonomiyaki – A simpler recipe anyone can attempt at home. The key ingredients include You’ll find plenty of ingredient ideas in my recipe post.
Other Homemade Japanese Sauces & Condiments
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Homemade Okonomiyaki Sauce
Ingredients
- ¼ cup oyster sauce (76 g; I used Lee Kum Kee Premium Oyster Sauce; if you‘re allergic to shellfish, use Lee Kum Kee Vegetarian Stir-Fry Sauce)
- 3 Tbsp sugar (39 g; or more, to taste)
- ½ cup ketchup (136 g; to taste)
- 7 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce (105 g; I used Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce)
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients.
- Combine ¼ cup oyster sauce and 3 Tbsp sugar in a small bowl. Mix with a spatula or whisk until the sugar is completely dissolved. Tip: I used organic cane sugar.
- Add ½ cup ketchup and 7 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce. Tip: I used Heinz Simply Tomato Ketchup. Some ketchup is sweeter than others, so please adjust the amount of sugar to taste.
- Mix it well, taste the sauce, and adjust it according to your liking.
To Serve
- To enjoy, drizzle Homemade Okonomiyaki Sauce on your favorite Japanese savory pancake. Try my recipes for homemade Okonomiyaki and Hiroshima-style Okonomiyaki.
To Store
- You can keep the sauce in an airtight container or jar and store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
1 portion is way too much. I had so much left over after feeding 3! Taste is great otherwise.
Hi Michiko, Thank you for trying Nami’s recipe and for your feedback!
This recipe makes 1 cup, as listed on the recipe card, so we hope you keep the recipe and use half the quantity of the ingredients for half a cup next time. We hope this helps! 🙂
This was delicious and so easy! A lot of other recipes I found were more complicated with different ingredients. I was pressed for time so chose this one and I’m so glad I did! Perfectly tangy and took the okonomiyaki to the next level. It was my first experience with cooking Japanese cuisine. I’ve always thought it to be intimidating, but not today!
Hi Lilah! Thank you so much for trying Nami’s recipe!
We are so happy to hear that you enjoyed the recipe.🥰
We have a lot of recipes with less than 5 ingredients and easy recipes. We hope you will take a look!
https://www.justonecookbook.com/tags/under-5-ingredients/
https://www.justonecookbook.com/tags/easy/
Happy cooking! 😊
What can i use to substitute worcestershire sauce?
Hi Stacy, Thank you for trying Nami’s recipe!
Some readers tried with 1 tsp soy sauce and tsp apple cider vinegar, and it worked. HP Sauce can also be used as a substitute.
We hope this works for you.
We use this sauce most of the time. It goes well with hamburgers, on fried potatoes, and many seafood dishes.
Hi Tom, We are glad to hear you enjoyed this Okonomiyaki Sauce! Thank you very much for trying this recipe and for your kind feedback.😊
Here’s a question: Why isn’t fish sauce ever recommended in any substitutes for oyster sauce? Most of what I’ve read says umami (and maybe a bit of sweet) is the important factor, but fish sauce isn’t ever suggested…
Hi Aimee, The Fish sauce has a strong, distinct, pungent flavor. While you might use it, we find the oyster sauce is more suitable for Okonomiyaki as it has a deep caramel flavor with a light sweetness. We are also looking for the thickness, so oyster sauce helps to achieve the right consistency. We hope this helps!
This was very good with my Okonomiyaki! Thanks so much!
Hi Simone!
We are glad to hear you enjoyed this sauce with Okonomiyaki!
Thank you for trying this recipe and for your kind feedback.
Super!!!
Hi Violeta,
Thank you so much for trying this recipe and for your kind feedback!
Perfect! I always have Bulldog sauce on hand but not the yakisoba or okonomiyaki sauces as it starts taking too much space. Also I don’t use it often enough to always have it around. Now that I have this recipe which is delicious by the way, I won’t have to buy another sauce!
Hi Linda! I’m so glad to hear you enjoy the recipe. Thank you so much! I feel the same way too about not having enough condiment space in my fridge. 🙂
I’m that kind of person who obsessively reads a recipe’s reviews before trying it to make sure it’s a foolproof recipe.. almost didn’t make this one because of one bad review BUT I’m so glad I listened to the majority! Of course it’s not the exact same sauce as the bottled one you find in Asian shops, but it’s only slightly different and definitely just as tasty and tangy, perfect with my okonomiyaki and Kewpie mayo. Thank you so much!
Hi Debie! I think it’s important to read the reviews of the recipes you’re making or products you’re buying, especially the bad reviews to see what went wrong. 🙂
It’s my job to make sure my recipes work. And this was the result of my attempts to make a similar recipe as Otafuku Okonomi Sauce with condiments we have at home and without any other additives or unknown ingredients. I did side-by-side taste testing for this recipe several times (after a while, my tongue gets numb so I had to spend several days! LOL).
I think it’s tricky when each condiment tastes slightly different. I can’t force everyone in the world to buy the same brand and everyone has different preferences, so I can’t make everyone happy… but I’m so glad you liked this recipe. Thank you for taking the time to write your kind feedback. It meant so much to me. xoxo