My Homemade Tonkatsu Sauce recipe uses only four simple ingredients and is so quick to make! With savory, sweet, and tangy notes, it tastes just as amazing as Japan’s famous Bull-Dog Tonkatsu sauce. Serve it with tonkatsu (breaded pork cutlets), chicken katsu, or my favorite korokke (potato and beef croquettes).
Open my refrigerator, and you’ll find a stash of Japanese condiments and sauces—a mix of store-bought and homemade goodies. Among them is Tonkatsu Sauce (とんかつソース). This condiment is mandatory when it comes to serving Tonkatsu (deep-fried pork cutlet), Chicken Katsu, and more.
In today’s recipe, I’m sharing a simplified version of Homemade Tonkatsu Sauce using only four ingredients. You most likely already have them in the pantry, so you can whip up tonkatsu sauce anytime you need it. The great thing about making your own is that you can also adjust the sweetness to your liking.
Table of Contents
What is Tonkatsu Sauce?
Tonkatsu sauce (とんかつソース) is served with Tonkatsu (deep-fried pork cutlet) and is often used for other deep-fried dishes like Korokke or to make Hambagu sauce.
Tonkatsu sauce mainly consists of vegetables and fruits such as tomatoes, prunes, dates, apples, lemon juice, carrots, onions, and celery. It also includes more than 10 kinds of spices along with soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar. It’s a lot of work to make it from scratch, so most Japanese people would use the store-bought versions.
However, if you don’t live near the Japanese/Asian grocery stores or prefer to make your own, you can always count on my easy homemade recipe.
The Most Popular Tonkatsu Sauce Brand
The most popular tonkatsu sauce is the Bull-Dog Vegetable & Fruit Sauce (Tonkatsu Sauce). It’s easy to recognize the signature bulldog logo on the bottle. You can purchase it on Amazon and Japanese or Asian grocery stores.
Ingredients for Homemade Tonkatsu Sauce
- Worcestershire sauce – I use Lea & Perrins brand. If you’re vegan, use vegan Worcestershire sauce.
- Sugar
- Ketchup – The sweetness of the ketchup varies, so adjust the amount of sugar based on the ketchup taste.
- Oyster sauce – Use Lee Kum Kee Vegetarian Stir-Fry Sauce if you’re vegetarian or allergic to shellfish.
How to Make the Best Tonkatsu Sauce
- Mix all the condiments together. I usually start by combining the Worcestershire sauce and sugar. Whisk until the sugar is completely dissolved before adding the rest of the condiments.
- Yes, that’s it! The main flavor of tonkatsu sauce comes from Worcestershire sauce and ketchup. Since every brand of ketchup has a different level of sweetness, you may need to adjust the flavor with sugar.
Okonomi Sauce and Yakisoba Sauce
We have different sauces for okonomiyaki and yakisoba although these three sauces are quite similar.
- Homemade Okonomiyaki Sauce (Okonomi Sauce)
- Homemade Yakisoba Sauce
Recipes Using Tonkatsu Sauce
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Homemade Tonkatsu Sauce
Video
Ingredients
- 4½ Tbsp Worcestershire sauce (use vegan Worcestershire sauce for vegan)
- 2 Tbsp sugar (plus more to taste)
- 5 Tbsp ketchup
- 2 Tbsp oyster sauce (use Lee Kum Kee Vegetarian Stir-Fry Sauce for vegetarian or if you‘re allergic to shellfish)
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients. I included a bottle of Bull-Dog Tonkatsu Sauce in the image, but it‘s not needed for this recipe.
- In a jar or small bowl, combine 4½ Tbsp Worcestershire sauce and 2 Tbsp sugar. Whisk well until the sugar is completely dissolved.
- Then, add 5 Tbsp ketchup and 2 Tbsp oyster sauce and whisk until combined. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning. Some ketchup is sweeter than others, so please adjust the amount of sugar to taste. Your Homemade Tonkatsu Sauce is ready to use.
To Serve
- Enjoy this Homemade Tonkatsu Sauce as a condiment for breaded and/or deep-fried Japanese foods like Tonkatsu, Chicken Katsu, and Korokke (Potato and Meat Croquette) or their baked versions Baked Tonkatsu, Baked Chicken Katsu, and Baked Croquette. Tonkatsu sauce is also an ingredient in recipes like Japanese Hamburger Steak (Hambagu), Keema Curry, and Meat Doria (Rice Gratin).
To Store
- Store in an airtight container and keep in the refrigerator for up to 2–3 weeks or freezer for 3–4 months.
Nutrition
Editor’s Note: The post was originally published on January 27, 2014, and was updated with more helpful content and new images in February 2023. It was republished with a new video on February 16, 2024.
my family loves japanese food. thank you very much for sharing your recipes. God bless!!
Hi Carmen! I’m happy to hear your family enjoys Japanese food! 🙂
thank you Namiko I made sweet potatoes instead of potatoes and so yummy!!
Hi Jazmin! Did you make Korokke with sweet potatoes? Delicious! 🙂
Putting this on almost any fried food with breading is really good. especially on fried chicken, Fried pork and even burgers.
Hi Reone! Yes, and even on fried sunny side up for breakfast. 🙂
This recipe is prefect with a splash of sioy sauce
Thank you Matthew! 🙂
Just make this sauce for lunch to go with vegie pancake, it taste beautiful….. Thank you for the great recipe!!????
Yay! So happy to hear yours came out well. Thank you for using my recipe, Wai! 🙂
What other ingredients can we use instead of worcestershire sauce?
Hi Opalyn! I’d say Tonkatsu sauce can’t be made without worcestershire sauce… Sorry, but it’s REALLY the key ingredient. Like tomato in ketchup… so please look for it, if you want to make quick shortcut Tonkatsu sauce… 🙂
Just made the sauce and it’s amazing! Thank you for the recipe! 😀
Hi Carrisa! I am so happy to hear you liked the recipe! 🙂
Thank you for this recipe Nami. It’s a life saver I went to several big supermarket here where I live but can’t find any tonkatsu sauce in a bottle. This recipe is so easy that I made extra and put in the squirt bottle to use anytime when it’s katsu time ^^ The taste is spot on.
Hi June! Yay! I actually filmed a recipe that uses Tonkatsu sauce and I used this recipe. I really think this sauce is pretty good too! I thought I should ditch and only use homemade one from now on… 🙂 Glad to hear you liked it too! 🙂
Is there something I can use in replace for ketchup?
Hi Mykala! Ketchup is a big part of tonkatsu sauce here… so the resulting taste will change if you don’t use it. Tomato sauce is not quite the same as ketchup… we’re relying that specific flavor, but if you’re okay with the taste difference, you can use tomato sauce. 🙂
I am allergic to shellfish. So is there a substitute for oyster sauce? Thanks!
Hi Anna! You can omit it, and it is still okay. The flavor is slightly different, but I can’t think of a good sub for oyster sauce…
This is the best Tonkatsu sauce I have tried. Thank you so much!
Hi Julie! I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks so much for your feedback! 🙂
I make my sauce a little differently – I used equal parts ketchup, worcestershire, and honey + I add a little freshly grated ginger since we love it so much. It comes out nice and thick and if you need to thin it down just had a little water. I don’t use oyster sauce in mine.
Thanks for sharing, Moggy!
The tonkatsu sauce is oh so yummy! ???? Btw,since i don’t have a worcestershire sauce on hand. I’ve tried to make a subsitute and it went well. So,for those folks who will probably don’t have it. You’re welcome to try it. ????
*If you’re out of Worcestershire sauce, use 2 teaspoons soy sauce, 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice,1/4 teaspoon sugar and a dash of hot sauce for every tablespoon Worcestershire the recipe calls for.
Hi Gretch! Thanks so much for sharing your tip on substituting Worcestershire sauce! Awesome! 🙂
This is the best Tonkatsu sauce I have tried! Thank you so much!
P.S. I also love your Tonkatsu recipe / tutorial!
Hi Julie! Aww thank you so much for your kind feedback! 😀
Made some Okonomiyaki sauce today. Turned out great, little sweet, tangy, salty, and nice peppery heat afterwards. Takes up alot of ingredients though (but I kind of had most of this around the house anyway)
1/3 cup ketchup
2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (I used Lea and Perrins)
2 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
2 teaspoon molasses
1 garlic glove minced
1 in of ginger minced
salt and pepper to taste (I used about 1/8 teaspoon of each)
Combine and mix well in a bowl, adjust to taste before pouring it into a small saucepan and reducing the sauce with 2 tablespoons of water until desired thickness.
Hi Hondo! Thank you for sharing your Okonomi sauce! 🙂