Learn how to make Homemade Okonomiyaki Sauce with just 4 ingredients! This sweet and umami-rich condiment is a must-have for drizzling over the iconic Japanese savory cabbage pancake.

A glass jar containing homemade Okonomiyaki Sauce (Okonomi Sauce).

One of the signature flavors of Okonomiyaki is the thick, sweet brown sauce drizzled on top. Without it, this Japanese savory pancake would be missing the right taste. Simply known as okonomiyaki sauce (お好み焼きソース), it’s a condiment packed with umami flavor similar to Tonkatsu Sauce.

While you can find ready-made okonomiyaki sauce at Japanese or Asian grocery stores, it is really easy to make at home with just four pantry ingredients. The homemade version is so convenient! I often look in my pantry to quickly whip up the sauce when I made okonomiyaki at home. Let me show you how quick and easy it is!

What is Okonomiyaki?

Okonomiyaki (お好み焼き) is a savory Japanese green cabbage pancake. This well-known dish of Japanese cuisine is an Osaka specialty and popular street food that’s now a staple of Japanese cooking at home. It’s made from a special okonomiyaki batter of flour, dashi soup stock, tempura scraps (tenkasu), grated yam (nagaimo or yamaimo), eggs, baking powder, and salt.

The name translates to “grilled as you like it”—okonomi (as you like it) + yaki (grill). It’s highly adaptable with the different proteins like pork belly slices, shrimp, squid, octopus, and other seafood. You can also add condiments of your choice like Japanese Kewpie mayonnaise, dried seaweed (aonori), dried bonito flakes (katsuobushi), pickled ginger, and/or green onions/scallions. The one thing that we always add, though, is okonomiyaki sauce!

Ingredients You’ll Need

  • Worcestershire sauce – I use Lea & Perrins brand
  • sugar – I use organic cane sugar; adjust to your taste
  • ketchup – I use Heinz Simply Tomato Ketchup; some ketchup is sweeter than others, so please adjust the sugar to taste
  • oyster sauce – I use Lee Kum Kee Premium Oyster Sauce; if you’re allergic to shellfish, use Lee Kum Kee Vegetarian Stir-Fry Sauce
A glass jar containing homemade Okonomiyaki Sauce (Okonomi Sauce).

How to Make Okonomiyaki Sauce

The instructions for this recipe are so easy!

  1. Combine the oyster sauce and sugar in a small bowl. Mix with a spatula or whisk to completely dissolve the sugar.
  2. Add the ketchup and Worcestershire sauce.
  3. Mix well. Taste the sauce and adjust it to your liking.

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. It’s by far the most popular and well-known okonomiyaki sauce sold in Japan. I tried to recreate its flavor in my homemade okonomiyaki sauce recipe, and I think it’s pretty close! You’d need to add a touch more sugar to achieve the exact taste.

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 on soy sauce to enjoy the egg.

You can get Otafuku Okonomi Sauce at Japanese grocery stores, well-stocked Asian grocery stores, and Amazon.

A glass jar containing homemade Okonomiyaki Sauce (Okonomi Sauce).

FAQs

How long can I store 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 of Otafuku’s okonomi sauce. I think it’s pretty close, although you’d need to use more sugar to achieve the exact taste. If you want to keep this similar flavor, then I don’t recommend substituting other ingredients.

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 the 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 this homemade okonomiyaki sauce, you can make this Japanese savory pancake anytime you like! On my blog, I offer two classic versions:

  • Osaka-style Okonomiyaki – This is the classic recipe that anyone can attempt at home with key ingredients of green cabbage and sliced pork belly with a variety of delicious toppings!
  • Hiroshima-style Okonomiyaki – This one has delicious layers of shredded cabbage, fried egg, and yakisoba noodles.
A glass jar containing homemade Okonomiyaki Sauce (Okonomi Sauce).

Other Homemade Japanese Sauces & Condiments

A glass jar containing homemade Okonomiyaki Sauce (Okonomi Sauce).

Homemade Okonomiyaki Sauce

4.63 from 129 votes
Learn how to make Homemade Okonomiyaki Sauce with just 4 ingredients! This sweet and umami-rich condiment is a must-have for drizzling over the iconic Japanese savory cabbage pancake.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 1 jar (1 cup, 240 ml)

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)
Japanese Ingredient Substitution: If you want substitutes for Japanese condiments and ingredients, click here.

Instructions
 

  • Gather all the ingredients.
    Okonomi Sauce 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.
    Okonomiyaki Sauce 1
  • 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.
    Okonomiyaki Sauce 2
  • Mix it well, taste the sauce, and adjust it according to your liking.
    Okonomiyaki Sauce 3

To Serve

To Store

  • You can keep the sauce in an airtight container or jar and store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 tablespoon · Calories: 25 kcal · Carbohydrates: 6 g · Protein: 1 g · Fat: 1 g · Saturated Fat: 1 g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g · Monounsaturated Fat: 1 g · Sodium: 264 mg · Potassium: 86 mg · Fiber: 1 g · Sugar: 5 g · Vitamin A: 44 IU · Vitamin C: 1 mg · Calcium: 11 mg · Iron: 1 mg
Author: Namiko Hirasawa Chen
Course: Condiments
Cuisine: Japanese
Keyword: okonomiyaki
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4.63 from 129 votes (115 ratings without comment)
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We use this sauce most of the time. It goes well with hamburgers, on fried potatoes, and many seafood dishes.5 stars

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!5 stars

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!!!5 stars

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!

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!5 stars

Tastes like weird ketchup, just buy the real thing online.

I’m trying to make a low carb okonomiyaki sauce. I’m wondering the main source of the carb is from sugar only. If so, I will try to substitute the sugar with Splenda to make the amount of carb as close as zero (1 g should be low enough).
I appreciate if you can share your thought!

try honey5 stars

Hi, just wanted to say thank you for this recipe. This is my first time visiting your blog. Keep up the good work!

I’m searching for an authentic okonomiyaki sauce recipe that is not based on worstershire and ketchup. Do you happen to know how to make a fermented version completely from scratch?
Thank-you.
Tina

This recipe comes out too sweet. You can add the tangy flavour it needs by adding rice wine vinegar (1 tblsp) and less tomato and a bit of soy (1/2 table spoon)

Bought some sauce (the one in the pic above) and made this recipe and to be honest they are completely different. No comparison. The only similarity is the colour.

I think if I was to try it again I’d only use about half of the tomato sauce as this is the dominant flavour and may be masking the other flavours.

You guys are amazing, i made great takoyakis using your instructions.

THANK YOU SO MUCH!
I’ve been making my own Hoisin Sauce now for two years- and it is so superior to anything commercial that I am sure this Oyonomiyaki Sauce will be a huge success too. Making my own sauces also allows me to replace sugar with rice bran syrup, which tastes better and is healthier.

Nami, I had no idea Okonomiyaki sauce was so easy to make! And I have all these ingredients already:) When we run out, we have to make a special trip to the Japanese grocery store more than an hour away… Thank you for sharing!