what is okonomi sauce?

Using just 5 simple ingredients that you likely already have in your kitchen, you can whip up this delicious, thick and fruity homemade okonomiyaki sauce in just a few minutes!

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Okonomiyaki sauce (also known as okonomi sauce) is thick and fruity sauce that you apply to the famous Japanese savoury pancake called "okonomiyaki" (お好み焼き). In Japan, most people use pre-made packaged okonomiyaki sauce, but you can easily make it from scratch too!

It's actually heavily based on Woucestershire sauce but a lot thicker and sweeter. That being said, it's a very fruity yet a little bit sour sauce.

You might wonder if there are any differences between okonomiyaki sauce and yakisoba sauce. Simply put, they are actually quite similar but there are still a few differences.

Ingredients vary somewhat from manufacturer to manufacturer, but tomatoes, onions, apples, vinegar, spices, salt, and oyster sauce are commonly used. However, if you compare these side by side, you will definitely notice okonomiyaki sauce is sweeter, thicker and yakisoba sauce is more savoury and thinner.

Other than yakisoba sauce, takoyaki sauce is also quite similar to okonomiyaki sauce, but unlike okonomiyaki sauce vs yakisoba sauce, they are actually very similar and interchangeable. If I have to name some differences, I would say takoyaki sauce is often slightly sweeter but not as thick as okonomiyaki sauce.

I know this is kind of breaking the essence of this post, but seeing as we often just buy okonomiyaki sauce in supermarket, I thought it would be helpful what kind of brand has the most authentic flavour.

I would have to say, more than 99% or even higher of people in Japan buy Otafuku's okonomiyaki sauce. It's the kind of okonomiyaki sauce in Japan without a doubt. You can actually forget about other pre-made okonomiyaki sauce because Otafuku is the one.

Otafuku also operates in US, so you can buy their wide range of products from their own website directly. Their signature okonomiyaki sauce is called "Okonomi Sauce".

Other than that, you can find Okonomiyaki Flour (if you wanna make it from scratch, I have a homemade okonomiyaki recipe), Okonomiyaki Kit and Okonomiyaki value pack.

Even though I'm going to explain easy way to homemade okonomiyaki sauce soon, you might be looking for substitutes. Maybe you wanna look for easier alternative or change the flavour a bit. Here are some popular examples of alternative okonomitaki sauce in Japan:

Of course it's best to use okonomiyaki sauce for okonomiyaki, but sometimes it's good to change things up!

In my recipe, I use following ingredients to make okonomiyaki sauce:

However, if you want to know the ingredients in general sense, these ingredients are used according to Otafuku:

Basically to avoid this long list of ingredients, I use Worcestershire sauce, which already contains a lot of fruit and vegetables instead.

I recommend keeping homemade okonomiyaki sauce in an airtight container in the fridge and using it within 2-3 weeks. Because it's made of condiments that contain preservatives, it would probably last longer in theory, but you might as well make a fresh batch as it uses typical condiments that most people already have at home.

Homemade okonomiyaki sauce works great with a number of my recipes!

One of the key characteristics of Okonomiyaki is the thick, sweet brown sauce that is drizzled over the savory pancake. Without it, the savory pancake would be bland and missing the right flavor. Simply known as Okonomiyaki Sauce (お好み焼きソース), the condiment is packed with umami flavor that is similar to Worcestershire sauce or Tonkatsu Sauce.

You can find ready-made okonomiyaki sauce at Japanese or Asian grocery stores, but it is really easy to make with just a few ingredients at home.

When I make okonomiyaki at home, I often reach my pantry to whisk up the sauce quickly to serve with the pancake. The homemade version is convenient when you don’t have or run out of the store-bought okonomi sauce.

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk well together. Have a taste and adjust any seasonings if needed. It’s that simple!

I usually have a bottle of Otafuku brand’s Okonomi Sauce (お好みソース) in my refrigerator. This sauce is by far the most popular and well-known okonomiyaki sauce in Japan.

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 soy sauce to enjoy the egg.

You can get Otafuku Oknomi Sauce at Japanese grocery stores (maybe at well-stocked Asian grocery stores, too) and Amazon.

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.

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 as the Otafuku’s okonomi sauce, and I think it’s pretty close (I’d say you will need a tiny bit more sugar to achieve the exact taste). Therefore, I don’t recommend substitutions for this recipe.

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.

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.

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

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Okonomi sauce is a descendant of Worcestershire sauce, but it is far sweeter and less salty than its British ancestor. This is because Worcestershire's main ingredient and the source of its powerful umami flavor is anchovies, while okonomi sauce's main ingredient is dates.

For this week lifestyle article we decide to bring you another What is? article. This time we will go deep into the world of Asian street food. Okonomiyaki is a much loved Japanese pancake made of batter mixed with shredded cabbage and a variety of ingredients. In this article, we will focus, in one of its essential accompaniments, the Okonomiyaki sauce.

Okonomiyaki sauce is an umami-packed Japanese sauce used as a condiment for many dishes. It goes great on everything! On burgers and steaks, as a dip for veggies and meats, in soups and as a marinade or stir-fry. Just like BBQ sauce, its sweet, smoky flavor adds an extra element to just about any food you’re enjoying.

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Okonomiyaki sauce is a sweeter and less salty descendant of Worcestershire sauce. The big difference between these sauces is in the main ingredient. While Worcestershire uses anchovies as the source for its powerful umami flavor, the Japanese version uses dates as the main ingredient. But this is not the only difference between these sauces. Worcestershire sauce uses tamarind, which has a taste that is both sweet and sour, while Okonomiyaki sauce uses raisins for a milder flavor. You can also see a big difference in texture, the Japanese sauce is much thicker than its British ancestor.

It was after that the WWII, during the recovery of the Japanese economy, that this sauce was born. After the war, the main source of nutrition was a simple flour cake, that would eventually become know as okonomiyaki. At the time the Worcestershire sauce was a popular topping for this cakes because of its savory, umami taste. So, in 1950, Seiichi Sasaki (Otafuku founder) introduced the “Otafuku Worcestershire Sauce” as a topping for the famous Japanese pancakes.

However, after listening to okonomiyaki vendors complain that Otafuku sauce was too thin and runny for okonomiyaki, Seiichi began experimenting with a thicker sauce. In 1952, he produced a new product called “Otafuku Okonomi Sauce”, specifically for okonomiyaki, which is now the actual version of the famous sauce.

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For Japanese people,Okonomi Sauce is not just essential when cooking traditional “Okonomi-yaki”, but a great sauce for all-around use. Made from seven kinds of fruits and vegetables and a variety of savory spices, sprinkle a dash over meats and vegetables to quickly liven up the flavor.

You can also mix Okonomi sauce with chopped vegetables and mayonnaise to create original sauces that go great with a variety of meals.

In addition, since Okonomi sauce already has a great balance of fruits, vegetables and spices, it can be used to make delicious meals quickly, without complicated stewing or marinating.

Here we’ve prepared 6 recipes for dishes made with Okonomi Sauce.

If one of them piques your interest, click the link to check out the recipe!

If you want to make an authentic Japanese dish with Okonomi Sauce, this is a good first choice. The ingredients used are easy to work with and can be made in just one fry pan.

Click here for “Quick and Easy Yakisoba”

These Vegan dipping sauces use nutritious ingredients like nuts and vegetables and combine them with a base of Okonomi Sauce. Although French fries are displayed in the photo, these sauces also go well with a variety of foods, such as vegetable sticks or grilled mushrooms.

Click here for “3 Homemade Vegan Dipping Sauces”

Whip up this easy sauce by combining Okonomi Sauce with fresh tomato and basil. So good with anything cheesy!

Click here for “Tomato Basil Sauce for Hamburger Steak”

A simple recipe, the chicken is baked in the oven with no need to marinate ahead. The spices in the Okonomi Sauce create savory, mouth-watering chicken!

Click here for “Japanese Sauce for Oven-baked Chicken and Vegetables”

A savory vegan dish with porcini flavors and the tangy spice of Okonomi Sauce.

Click here for “Homemade Vegan Gnocchi”

A world-class cheese lasagna using healthy eggplant instead of pasta. Okonomi Sauce added to the meat sauce makes an extra-rich flavor.