How To Make Takoyaki Sauce at Home

For this simple recipe, you need Worcestershire sauce, mentsuyu, sugar and ketchup. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk well together. Adjust the sauce to your liking. It’s really easy!

A white plate containing Takoyaki (Octopus Balls) topped with a generous drizzle of takoyaki sauce, Japanese mayo, aonori, katsuobushi.

You can also purchase this sauce like below in a Japanese grocery store.

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Takoyaki Sauce

4.59 from 46 votes

by Namiko Hirasawa Chen

Takoyaki Sauce | Easy Japanese Recipes at JustOneCookbook.com

Make my easy Takoyaki Sauce recipe from scratch for a taste that‘s close to Otafuku‘s famous takoyaki sauce. This sweet, tangy, and savory sauce is so delicious drizzled over Takoyaki, the crunchy Japanese grilled octopus balls!

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Prep: 5

Total: 5

Ingredients

Servings: 3 tablespoons

3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce (see Notes)
1 tsp mentsuyu (concentrated noodle soup base) (see Notes)
½ tsp ketchup (see Notes)
¾ tsp sugar (to taste)

Instructions

Gather all the ingredients.
Add 3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp mentsuyu (concentrated noodle soup base), ½ tsp ketchup, and ¾ tsp sugar to a small bowl. Whisk until the sugar is dissolved. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking.
Nami's Tip: Some brands of ketchup are sweeter than others, so adjust the sugar based on the brand. Likewise, I use Japanese brand Bull-dog Worcestershire sauce, which is milder and less sour than Lea & Perrins. Adjust the seasoning to taste.

To Serve

Try this sauce drizzled over Takoyaki (Grilled Octopus Balls).

To Store

Keep in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 2–3 weeks or in the freezer for up to 3–4 months. Thaw in the fridge before using.

Notes

Ingredients

Worcestershire sauce: I use Bull-dog Worcestershire sauce (usuta-sosu, ウスターソース), which is milder and less sour than Lea & Perrins. Please adjust the sugar for the brand you use. Use vegan Worcestershire sauce for vegan/vegetarian.
Mentsuyu: You can use bottled or make Homemade Mentsuyu. Learn more about this soup base for Japanese noodles on my Mentsuyu page.
Ketchup: Some ketchup is sweeter than others, so please adjust the sugar to taste.

Nutrition

Serving: 1tablespoon, Calories: 19kcal, Carbohydrates: 5g, Protein: 1g, Sodium: 229mg, Potassium: 139mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 18IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 18mg, Iron: 1mg

The nutrition facts shown are generated by an online calculator and are estimates only. Please consult a professional nutritionist for specific dietary needs.

Did you make this recipe?

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Brenda

I only had the English worcestershire sauce, so I added some more ketchup and some soy sauce and yumm!
- January 25, 2026
- Reply
- Naomi (JOC Community Manager)
  
  Hello, Brenda! Thank you so much for reading Nami’s post and sharing your experience with us! We really appreciate it!
  January 29, 2026
  
  Reply
Nina

Just tastes like Worcester sauce – the other ingredients are undetectable
- June 8, 2024
- Reply
- Naomi (JOC Community Manager)
  
  Hello, Nina. We’re sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy the homemade sauce.
  Takoyaki sauces vary by area in Japan, so we hope you adapt this recipe to your preferred flavor.
  Thank you for trying out Nami’s recipe!
  June 9, 2024
  
  Reply
Ryan Wright

Is it better to buy takoyaki sauce or buy mentsuyu to make your own takoyaki sauce?
- January 6, 2024
- Reply
- Naomi (JOC Community Manager)
  
  Hello, Ryan. You may choose mentsuyu if you plan to cook other dishes with it. However, you can make homemade mentsuyu as well!
  Thank you for trying Nami’s recipes.
  January 8, 2024
  
  Reply
Chris J

this would seem to make a very small amount of the takoyaki sauce.
- February 21, 2021
- Reply
- Naomi (JOC Community Manager)
  
  Hi Chris, Thank you very much for trying this recipe! The recipe shows servings size 3 tablespoons. You may increase the servings amount as you like by using the slider bar at the recipe card’s servings amount. We hope this helps!😊
  February 25, 2021
  
  Reply
Whitaker

Hi just one cook book.
I made too much Takoyaki sauce , can I use it for another recipe and if yes which ones do you recommend?
- May 3, 2019
- Reply
- Namiko Hirasawa Chen
  
  Hi Whitaker! Okonomiyaki, takoyaki, yakisoba have similar sauce. Hope you can use it all for these recipes. 🙂
  May 4, 2019
  
  Reply
  - Whitaker
    
    Thank you for your reply Nami
    🙂 I’ll try it out
    
    May 5, 2019
    
    Reply
    - Namiko Hirasawa Chen
      
      Enjoy! xo
      
      May 5, 2019
      
      Reply
maine

Hi Nami, will using Lea & Perrins worcestershire taste different compared to Japanese w sauce?
- November 4, 2018
- Reply
- Namiko Hirasawa Chen
  
  Hi Maine! I compared with the Lea & Perrins Worcestershire vs Japanese Usuta-sauce. L&P one has more tangy, strong taste while Japanese one has more milder tone to it. Basic taste is similar, but when you taste, that zing! kick is in the L&P. 🙂
  November 15, 2018
  
  Reply
Pazila

Hey Nami, I think u should show with we all how to make takoyaki sauce with another ingredients the meaning is easy to find the ingredients. 🙂
- May 15, 2018
- Reply
- Namiko Hirasawa Chen
  
  Hi Pazila! Which ingredient is hard for you to find? Maybe Mentsuyu bottle (store bought) or homemade Mentsuyu ingredients like Katsuobushi (bonito flakes) and kombu? They are pretty essential ingredients for a lot of Japanese recipes (because we need to use them to make dashi).
  
  I understand Takoyaki sauce can be hard to find, but I believe bonito flakes or kombu are still easier to find…? I’m not sure where you’re located, but they are on Amazon US, Japan Centre (EU), or other online shops. Let me know how I can help! 🙂
  May 15, 2018
  
  Reply
Konrad Naszynski

Perhaps you could specify which Worcestershire sauce you used because using the British Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce with the stated proportions does not produce anything close to Otafuku’s Takoyaki sauce.

The Worcestershire sauce is so strong it completely overpowers the other ingredients to the point it’s difficult to even notice them.

After some experimentation I found 5 Tbs Mentsuyu, 2 Tbs Ketchup, 2 Tbs Sugar, 1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce produced something a lot closer, but even then the Worcestershire sauce flavour felt too strong.
- February 5, 2017
- Reply
- Namiko Hirasawa Chen
  
  Hi Konrad! I think I used that same brand though I am not 100% if we were using a different brand when I made this recipe. This British brand is our favorite for some time.. I’m glad you could figure out what works for your Takoyaki! 🙂
  February 10, 2017
  
  Reply
Amy Escobar

How bitter is this supposed to taste?
- September 20, 2016
- Reply
- Namiko Hirasawa Chen
  
  Hi Amy! Hmmm I wouldn’t say this is a bitter taste though????
  September 20, 2016
  
  Reply
Vanessa Nguyen

Hello Nami,

When you put the mentsuyu in it, is it the concentrated kind or do I have to dilute the mentsuyu first? We have a Mitsuwa and Nijiya market in my city, so I have easy to Japanese cooking ingredients. Would it be cheaper to just buy takoyaki sauce or buy the concentrated mentsuyu and make it at home? My sisters and I used your okonomiyaki + okonomiyaki sauce recipe yesterday. It was delicious! We’re going to try your takoyaki recipe this weekend and even bought the special pan for it. Thanks for the great recipes!
- August 15, 2016
- Reply
- Namiko Hirasawa Chen
  
  Hi Vanessa! It’s concentrated kind. It’s 1 tsp, but dashi and soy sauce in the mentsuyu gives a really nice kick. Honestly, since you live so close to Mitsuwa and Nijiya, you can buy Takoyaki sauce…. I made it for readers who can’t get it but I actually love homemade version too and it’s pretty close to store bought Takoyaki Sauce! For convenience, I’d say buy one… LOL.
  
  I’m so happy to hear you liked Okonomiyaki and Okonomiyaki Sauce! Thanks for trying these recipes, and hope Takoyaki will come out well!
  August 19, 2016
  
  Reply
consuelo s de larna

hi can I have the ingredients how to make takoyaki sauce also can I know if here in philippines have japanese store or supermart where I can buy all product of japanese items thank you
- January 15, 2016
- Reply
- Namiko Hirasawa Chen
  
  I’m sorry but I don’t live in the Philippines so I am not sure where you can find Japanese ingredients. Try Japanese or Chinese or Korean grocery stores. 🙂
  January 18, 2016
  
  Reply
alifa

hello

what kind of taste if i make takoyaki sauce without Mentsuyu?
is it any difference taste with the original?
i’ve already read the mentsuyu recipe. it contains sake. sake is forbidden to become ingredients at our food.

thank’s 😀
- July 20, 2014
- Reply
- Namiko Hirasawa Chen
  
  Hi Alifa! Well, definitely missing dashi and soy sauce flavor which is kind of like umami flavor… Sake and mirin can’t replace perfectly with something else but you can use sugar and water as mirin has sugar in it. I tried to make this recipe comparing with the takoyaki sauce I use…and this is the best I could reach by using other condiments (instead of making it all from scratch – which is kind of not easy to do…). Hope this helps. 🙂
  July 21, 2014
  
  Reply
santi

Basic ingridient for takoyaki sauce is rather difficult to find in indonesia,what is an alternatif ingridient for mentsuyu and worcestershire sauce?
- July 14, 2014
- Reply
- Namiko Hirasawa Chen
  
  Hi Santi! It’s actually a little too complicated to make this sauce from scratch… 🙁 Wish it was easy. Most Japanese household buy Takoyaki sauce instead of making it from scratch. If you can get Tonkatsu Sauce which should be easier to find in Indonesia, you can use it instead. 🙂
  July 14, 2014
  
  Reply
- Maureen
  
  Hi Nami! The taste was delicious, great alternative to buying takoyaki sauce! How long does the sauce last in the fridge? 🙂
  July 19, 2020
  
  Reply
  - Namiko Hirasawa Chen
    
    Hi Maureen! Probably a week or a bit longer. 🙂
    
    July 19, 2020
    
    Reply
Raja Joko

Hi
Any substitute for mentsuyu?
tq
- May 16, 2014
- Reply
- Namiko Hirasawa Chen
  
  Hi Raja! You can just omit it, if you like. It’s too little to make homemade Mentsuyu. 🙂
  
  https://www.justonecookbook.com/how-to/mentsuyu-noodle-soup-base/
  May 16, 2014
  
  Reply

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