Here’s a quick and easy recipe on how to make Yakisoba Sauce to season the popular Japanese fried noodles! The taste is similar to Otafuku brand’s famed yakisoba sauce.
Yakisoba Sauce is mostly used for seasoning Yakisoba, the classic Japanese stir-fried noodles. Sweet & savory, this versatile sauce can also be used in any of your stir fry recipes.
How To Make Yakisoba Sauce from Scratch
Ingredients You’ll Need
You will need just 5 simple ingredients from your kitchen.
- Worcestershire sauce
- Soy sauce
- Ketchup
- Oyster sauce
- Sugar
Overview: Cooking Steps
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl or mason jar and whisk well together. Have a taste and adjust the seasonings to your liking. It’s really easy!
You can also buy Yakisoba Sauce from a Japanese/Asian grocery store. I like the Otafuku brand’s yakisoba sauce, and I made this recipe to copy its taste using the common condiments from the pantry.
Recipes Using Homemade Yakisoba Sauce
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Homemade Yakisoba Sauce
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp oyster sauce (if you‘re allergic to shellfish or vegetarian, use Lee Kum Kee Vegetarian Stir-Fry Sauce)
- 2 Tbsp ketchup
- 1½ Tbsp soy sauce
- 1½ Tbsp sugar (to taste)
- 7 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce (use vegan Worcestershire sauce for vegan/vegetarian)
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients.
- In a mason jar or bowl, whisk together 3 Tbsp oyster sauce, 2 Tbsp ketchup, 1½ Tbsp soy sauce, and 1½ Tbsp sugar until well combined and the sugar is dissolved.
- Add 7 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce (I use Lea & Perrins brand) and whisk it all together. It‘s important to taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning, if needed. For example, some ketchup is sweeter than others, so adjust the amount of sugar to taste. Keep in mind that you will be using this sauce for the noodles, so the flavor should be strong and not bland.
To Serve
- The Homemade Yakisoba Sauce is now ready to use. Try different variations of these stir-fried noodles including classic Yakisoba, Vegetable Yakisoba, Yakisoba Pan, Shio Koji Yakisoba, and Yakisoba with Malony Glass Noodles.
To Store
- You can store the sauce in a mason jar or airtight container for up to a month.
Hello, Dimitris. Thank you for reading Nami’s post and experimenting with her recipe.
Because teriyaki sauce has a milder flavor than oyster sauce, you may need to adjust the amounts of the other ingredients to achieve the best balance.
We hope this helps!
Thanks for including a link for substitutions. I found on Google that Teriyaki sauce can be used instead of oyster sauce, given that they are of similar consistency. I bought it as I figured that I would use up teriyaki sauce more quickly than oyster sauce. Just cooking up some Yakisoba tonight for the first time
Hi Judy! Thank you for reading Nami’s post and trying her recipe!
We hope you enjoyed Yakisoba with homemade Yakisoba Sauce.
Happy Cooking!🙂
Can I use this sauce in canning to have available in my cupboard all year??
Hi Teresa, We recommend up to one month.😉
We hope this helps!
Can I boil the Yakisoba sauce before storing?
Hi Connie! Thank you for reading Nami’s post and trying her recipe!
Sure, you can use medium-low heat and stir occasionally.
We hope you enjoy homemade sauce!
“adjust to taste” but without a frame of reference is there a way to identify what it should taste like, aka really sweat to not sweat at all.
Hi, Greg! As Nami mentioned in this post, this sauce is Sweet & savory.
However, some ketchup is sweeter than others, so please adjust the amount of sweetness to your taste.
We hope this helps!
Can you substitute fish sauce Fiore Worcestershire?
Hi Maria! Thank you very much for trying Nami’s recipe!
The fish sauce has a different flavor, and we don’t think it will be a substitute. But if you like the fish sauce, it might work out well for you.
Try a small portion first and see if you like it.
We hope this helps!
Thank you for sharing this! I’ve made it many times for my Girlfriend, who introduced me to Yakisoba in the first place, and she says it’s very close to what she remembers when stationed in Japan.
Hi Mike! Thank you very much for trying Nami’s recipe and for your kind feedback!
We are glad to hear the taste came out close to what she remembers! Yay!☺️
Hi Nami,
It’s quite difficult to get hold of Japanese Worcestershire sauce in my country, so I was just wondering how I would substitute it with Lea & Perrins? How would I adjust the other ingredients? And is there anything else I would need to add to compensate for the difference in taste?
Thank you very much!
Hi Maya,
As Nami mention in this recipe, the Japanese brand “Bulldog” Worcestershire sauce is milder and less sour than Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce.
If you follow this recipe with the Lean & Perrins brand and it’s too sour for your taste, you may add a little sugar.
We hope this helps!
Hey Namiko, Thanks for sharing your amazing recipes!
I bought the Maruchan yakisoba and it had a powder packet inside it and sauce written on it in Japanese. Should I use that packet along with your yakisoba sauce or just skip that?
Thanks!
Hi Sam,
If you are making Nami’s Yakisoba Sauce, you may skip the powder packet.
The powder packet is an instant Yakisoba Sauce.
We hope this helps!🙂
After visiting Japan my favorite meals are Doria and Okonomiyaki- your recipes are great and especially how to make the sauces. Thank you
Hi Judi,
Thank you very much for your kind feedback! 😊
We love Japanese Doria too. Nami has a few kinds of Doria recipes as well. Please check it out!
https://www.justonecookbook.com/meat-doria/
https://www.justonecookbook.com/seafood-doria/
https://www.justonecookbook.com/curry-doria-rice-gratin/
Way to sweet! And all I could taste was ketchup! Taste like when white people botch ethnic food.
Hi Amanda!
First of all, thanks for trying this recipe. We’re sorry it didn’t work out for you. We’re not sure if you’re aware, but ketchup’s sweetness varies even among ketchup brands here in the US and ones in Japan. So you will have to adjust according to yours as well as your liking because we can’t simply ask everyone to use the same brand. We go through multiple rounds of tests and comparison with the Japanese brand Yakisoba sauce when we create our recipes, and we’re very confident when we publish our recipes, including this one.
Arigatou! My kids are doing an event I needed to make yakisoba sauce from scratch. ❤️
Hi Maya! Awesome! hope your kids had a lot of fun at an event (sounds like a delicious event… 🙂 ). xoxo
Hi Nami-san,
My brother made yakisoba with your sauce recipe and my family enjoyed it. Sadly, I was the only one unable to eat it due to the oyster sauce. I am allergic to shellfish, is there an alternative I can use to replace the oyster sauce and still retain the authentic yakisoba taste?
Thank you for your time and review of my inquiry.
-Michellle
Hi Michelle! Aww I’m so glad to hear your brother and your family enjoyed it, but I’m sorry you couldn’t. 🙁
Have you seen LEE KUM KEE Vegetarian Stir-Fry Sauce? That’s the vegetarian version of the oyster sauce. I heard it tastes the closest. Hope you get to enjoy it next time! xo
If I make extra how long can it be stored in fridge?
Hi Jalyn! Sure, maybe up to 2 weeks or so. No water, so it tends to last for a longer time if you keep in airtight container or jar.
Dear Nami,
Can I freeze this sauce?
Hi Anna! I think you can do that. 🙂
Hi there! Can you do a recipe for hayashi rice? Thank you sooooo much
Hi Lisette! I’m currently working on it… Trying to make the shortcut but good demi glace sauce… so hard but that’s the important part of hayashi rice! Stay tuned…