Yakiniku Sauce is a sweet and savory Japanese BBQ sauce. It‘s perfect for dipping thin slices of well-marbled beef short ribs and other grilled delicacies.
Looking for a truly great BBQ sauce that can kick things up a notch? You need to try Yakiniku Sauce (焼肉のタレ).
Sweet, savory, and complex in flavor—You’ll love everything about this sauce! Sure, it is a must-have for Japanese BBQ, but it also offers plenty of versatility. Make a batch, use it for fresh spring rolls, teppanyaki, any Asian-themed grilled offerings, or over your noodle and rice bowls!
Table of contents
What is Yakiniku Sauce?
Yakiniku sauce is the special dipping sauce for a Japanese BBQ meal called yakiniku (焼肉). To enjoy the barbecue, everyone cooks the meats and vegetables on a small grill set in the center of the table, then dip them in the sauce known as yakiniku no tare (焼肉のタレ). Everything tastes tantalizingly fresh and delicious.
The meats and vegetables are not marinaded or seasoned prior to grilling, so it makes sense to place high importance on the dipping sauce—the flavor bomb for BBQ enjoyment!
You can find commercial brands of yakiniku sauce such as Ebara Foods Sauce or Kikoman, but nothing can live up to the fresh taste of a homemade sauce. It’s simple to make, healthier, and you don’t even have to cook it!
Here’s my complete guide on how to host a Yakiniku (Japanese BBQ) at home!
How to Make Yakiniku Sauce
The Ingredients You’ll Need
- Sweet onion – Adds natural sweetness and tang to the flavor.
- Garlic and grated ginger – These two aromatics lend depth and zest.
- Gochujang (Korean Chili Paste) – This condiment is a must as it adds a deep, savory flavor with a note of fruity and slight smoky heat to the sauce.
- Soy sauce – Use a Japanese soy sauce that has the right flavor and texture.
- Roasted sesame oil – Oh, you can’t miss out on the amazing aroma!
- Sesame seeds – For extra nuttiness and texture.
The Preparation
- Combine everything, except the sesame oil, in a jar.
- Microwave it for 30–35 seconds until it‘s hot enough to dissolve the sugar.
- Add the sesame oil to the sauce. Mix well and it is now ready to be enjoyed!
That’s it. The simple ingredients strike the right balance of sweetness, acidity, and umami. Texturally, it’s smooth and luxurious without being overly thick, with speckles of nutty sesame seeds.
I love making a batch and keeping any leftover sauce in the refrigerator. It stores well within 2 weeks and you can use it for many more things to come.
More Ways to Enjoy Yakiniku Sauce
While this yakiniku sauce is perfect for dipping mouthwatering charred meats and vegetables straight off the grill, it can do more than just that. Here are some ideas:
- Dipping sauce for fresh spring rolls such as these and these.
- Teppanyaki.
- Use it to flavor your pan-fried or stir-fried dishes like tofu, mushrooms, chicken, and all!
- Drizzle it over your rice bowl or noodle bowls!
- Use it on your Asian pulled pork or taco bowl.
Other Japanese Sauces You Need to Make
- Authentic Teriyaki Sauce
- Okonomiyaki Sauce
- Homemade Tonkatsu Sauce
- Unagi Sauce (Eel Sauce)
- Ponzu Sauce
Wish to learn more about Japanese cooking? Sign up for our free newsletter to receive cooking tips & recipe updates! And stay in touch with me on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram.
Yakiniku (Japanese BBQ) Sauce
Ingredients
- ¼ sweet onion (75 g; grated, with juice)
- 3 cloves garlic
- ⅛ tsp ginger (grated)
- ¼ tsp gochujang (Korean chili paste)
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- ½ Tbsp toasted white sesame seeds
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients. If you like my previous recipe from 2014, please see the note below.
- Grate ¼ sweet onion. Make sure you collect all the juice.
- Transfer the grated onion and all of its juice to a mason jar or microwave-safe container. Mince or press 3 cloves garlic (I use a garlic press) and add to the jar.
- Grate the ginger (I use a ceramic grater) and collect ⅛ tsp ginger (grated).
- To the jar, add the grated ginger, ¼ tsp gochujang (Korean chili paste), ¼ cup soy sauce, and 2 Tbsp sugar.
- Add ½ Tbsp toasted white sesame seeds. Microwave the sauce for 30–35 seconds until it‘s hot enough to dissolve the sugar.
- Add 1 tsp toasted sesame oil and mix well. The Yakiniku Sauce is now ready to use.
To Serve
- Serve in individual dipping plates alongside a Teppanyaki meal, Fresh Spring Rolls with Yakiniku, or your favorite grilled delicacies.
To Store
- Store in the refrigerator and use it within 2 weeks.
Notes
- 2 Tbsp sake
- 2 Tbsp mirin
- 1 tsp sugar
- ½ tsp rice vinegar
- 3 Tbsp soy sauce
- ½ tsp miso
- ¼ tsp katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes)
- ⅛ of an apple
- 2 tsp roasted white sesame seeds
Nutrition
Editor’s Note: The post was originally published on July 1, 2014. It’s been updated with a revised recipe, more information, and new step-by-step and final images.
Hello! Was very sorry to see that Juban had closed, but am delighted to find this recipe. I would love to recreate this sauce, but my girlfriend has a soy allergy. Do you have any advice for what I can use to replace the soy sauce and the miso? Thanks!
Hi Justin,
Thank you very much for your kind feedback!
To replace the soy sauce, we found the product called “No Soy Soy-free Sauce”. This may work for your girlfriend.
https://amzn.to/2KLxJOK
As for Miso, Chickpeas miso may work for her.
We hope this helps and she can enjoy Japanese food too.🙂
Hi Nami,
How do you make 130 ml of sauce with the stated amount of ingredients? My sauce only like 30 ml max. Seems less than that.
Where did I go wrong? 😀
Did I miss something?
Me is newbie in cooking.
Thank you.
Cheers,
Iin
Hi Lin,
Thank you for trying this recipe!
Did you use a measuring spoon? Nami’s 1 Tablespoon is 15 milliliters. So if you follow the recipe, you will have more than 30 milliliters?
Konnichiwa,
I would like to know the shelf life of Yakiniku Sauce in the refrigerator? Can I dont add the apple and the saseme seed only when i am about to use it, will this prolong the shelf life the Yakiniku Sauce? Thank you
Hi Gilroy!
Thank you for trying this recipe!
If you don’t add the apple to the sauce, you can store it in an airtight container and place in the refrigerator for about one month.
Enjoy!
Very good recipe, we tried to have a similar setup to what you showed in the pics, but failed spectacularly with the grill. Being used to a gas grill, we couldn’t get a decent fire from the coals in the coal pan, they even went out after a while.
Do you have a recommendation how to light the grill properly? We don’t have a chimney for the coals, just a hair dryer to fan them. We have some binchotan, but we used coal made from bamboo which is supposed to be between binchotan and normal coal in terms of properties.
Hi Erik! Thank you so much for trying this recipe! For restaurants and ryokans (Japanese inns) in Japan, they use sterno canned heat to heat up a cooking vessel (like cast iron plate) to cook the meat instead of actual coal to cook. When actual binchotan is used, they usually have to restock to keep it going as the fire goes out. It’s a lot of work and small cooktop.
So for home use, I recommend using a mini weber and cook outside OR use an electric grill like this.
https://www.justonecookbook.com/teppanyaki/
Can I mix with flour, soybean, rice wine, leek, salt, sugar, ginger, garlic, apple all together n boil? If I can mix, can u teach me details pls. What is the Japanese marinade sauce recipe? Can u coach me details? Coz I wanna try to make it. I saw in above I mentioned one found in Korea street food shop mostly.
Hi John! To keep that apple fragrance and taste, I usually add after. I’m sorry I wasn’t sure your other questions….
Juban! In downtown Menlo Park, yes? Gosh I haven’t been there in years. I had Japanese wagyu for the first time there when they had it as a special. So so good! I hope they are doing alright through SIP. I will be sure to schedule a reservation there when they re-open! 😋
Hi Nancy! I’ve been to both Menlo Park and Burlingame. Me too, we haven’t visited for several years. I should also think about visiting them when they reopen! 🙂
Is that table top grill authentic? Too many fakes out there orz.
Hi LeonCloud! We do use this type of grill/cooktop at Ryokan (Japanese inn) in Japan, but we rarely use it at home (No one owns multiple sets for each family member. Haha). 😉
Just tried a Japanese recipe that we saw on TV. It was delicious but can not find it on a web site, it contained grated fresh ginger, chopped garlic, brown sugar and water.
Thinly sliced meat sautéed with sliced onion.ur rice on plate, top with sauce, put meat and onion on top then more sauce on that. It was DELICIOUS.
Hi Charlene! Probably soy sauce was included in the sauce? Sounds like gyudon or yakiniku don. 🙂
Hi Nami!
I didn’t put a comment for a while, but just did this sauce and tasted it and the memory of a meal in Japan came back to me instantly. (didn’t have an apple and put some drops of la-yu inside) Will add the apple next time :-D.
Thanks for all your recipes, I enjoy them every time!
Cheers from Switzerland.
Hi Bastien! Awww! I’m so happy to hear that. Thank you so much for trying this recipe! 🙂
[…] meat eater, and on a daily basis, I eat more vegetables than meat. However, I have a soft spot for Yakiniku (Japanese BBQ) and fall-off-the-bone baby back ribs smothered with sweet-savory delicious sauce, […]
I’m never buying ready-made sauce again! This was delicious, though I have to say, it didn’t seem so when I tasted it on its own!
Hi Jose! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for your kind feedback! xo
How necessary is it to let it sit out over time? I made it without reading the entire recepie and used it immediately with dinner and it was still good
Hi Jack! I’m so happy to hear you liked the recipe. Sure, you can use it right away, but flavors will come out more after melding all the ingredients for a while. 🙂
What type of miso did you use or recommend for making this sauce???
Hi James! I didn’t specify because there are many types (and brands) of miso and each one has slightly different flavor profile but it all has savoriness, umami, and depth. I didn’t want anyone to buy a different type of miso from their miso they already have in the fridge just for this recipe. So use what you have, and if you don’t have one, then buy the miso you want to use for other miso recipes (like miso soup etc). 🙂
My personal favorite (if you can purchase) is shared in this page: https://www.justonecookbook.com/miso/
What grill would you recommend to prepare this dish? Just bigger than pictured?
Hi John! In Japan we often use an electric griddle pan and place it on the table and everyone cook together. We like charcoal taste so we use outside bbq sometimes too. This tiny device is often used at Ryokan (Japanese inn) for individual table. 🙂
Hi Nami..
Can i use yakiniku sauce with grilled fish? And what kind of fish would be suitable for yakiniku? Thanks Nami ????
Hi Leony! “Yaki (grilled) Niku (meat)” sauce is usually used for meat as you see in its name… you could use it for any white fish fillet, or even salmon, I think. 🙂
Hi Nami!
This yakiniku sauce tastes wonderful. My children love it!
I have a question though.. how long can i keep the sauce in the fridge? Can i freeze it?
Thank you ????
Hi Leony! I’m so happy to hear you and your children liked it! I’d say use it within a few days. I had never freeze it but I think you can. 🙂