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Tonkatsu Sauce Recipe

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This tonkatsu sauce recipe is a classic sweet and tangy Japanese sauce with western influences, perfect for fried pork cutlets and easy to make.

Easy Tonkatsu Sauce Recipe

Tonkatsu Sauce Recipe

We're cooking up a batch of Homemade Tonkatsu Sauce today in the Chili Pepper Madness kitchen. Would you care for some? 

Tonkatsu sauce is a sweet and tangy sauce from Japan that is traditionally served with "tonkatsu", which are panko breaded and deep fried pork cutlets or other deep fried dishes. It was created over a century ago by a chef named Kida Motojiro and is a Japanese take on Worcestershire sauce.

It is a sort of a Japanese style barbecue sauce.

The sauce recipe has changed over the years, with chefs adding ingredients like tomatoes and fruit purees to make it more palatable to local consumers.

What follows here are two different ways to make it. The first is more of a restaurant style tonkatsu sauce with more ingredients, which will take a bit longer to make.

The second version is a homemade, easy tonkatsu sauce that you can whip together in 5 minutes from simple ingredients.

This version is more like popular Bulldog Sauce so loved by Japanese diners that you can find in grocery stores.

Let's talk about how to make tonkatsu sauce, shall we?

Tonkatsu Sauce Ingredients

  • FOR AUTHENTIC TONKATSU SAUCE - More Restaurant Style
  • Vegetable Oil. For cooking.
  • Fruit and Vegetables. Onion, apple, tomatoes, garlic, tomato paste.
  • Liquids. Water, sake, vinegar, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce.
  • Seasonings. Salt, sugar, cayenne, white pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, bay leaf.
  • FOR EASY TONKATSU SAUCE (Homemade Bulldog Sauce)
  • Ketchup.
  • Worcestershire Sauce.
  • Sugar. Or use honey or brown sugar.
  • Soy Sauce.
Tonkatsu Sauce Ingredients

How to Make Tonkatsu Sauce - the Recipe Method

FOR AUTHENTIC TONKATSU SAUCE - Restaurant Style

Cook the Onion. Heat the oil in a large saucepan to medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes to soften.

Simmer Most of the Ingredients. Add the apple, tomatoes, garlic, sake, water, salt, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, tomato paste and bay leaf. Simmer about 30 minutes, then cool.

Process and Strain. Next you'll process then strain the ingredients.

Cooking ingredients, then processing and straining them to make Tonkatsu Sauce

Seasonings and Second Simmer. Add the seasonings and Worcestershire sauce. Heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Cool and serve.

Your homemade katsu sauce is ready to enjoy.

Tonkatsu Sauce on a spoon

FOR EASY TONKATSU SAUCE (Homemade Bulldog Sauce)

Whisk the Ingredients. Whisk together the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, sugar and soy sauce in a small bowl.

Serve it Up. Serve as desired with Japanese breaded tonkatsu like pork or chicken katsu or as a dipping sauce.

Easy Tonkatsu Sauce Recipe

Boom! Done! Your homemade tonkatsu sauce is ready to serve. Looks great, doesn't it? Which one did you make? The "restaurant style" version, or the "easy homemade" version? Got a preference?

Recipe Tips & Notes

  • Amounts. The classic tonkatsu sauce recipe makes about 3.5 cups of sauce. The easy tonkatsu sauce recipe makes about 1/2 cup.
  • Additional Ingredients. Other popular ingredients to include in your recipe include celery, carrots or other vegetables, oyster sauce, mirin, sweet vinegar, mustard, and other seasonings like garlic, ginger, clove, and toasted sesame seeds.

Storage Information

Homemade tonkatsu sauce will last for 1 week or longer in the refrigerator in a sealed container. The easy version will last even longer, as it is really a mix of prepared condiments.

You can freeze tonkatsu sauce for up to 6 months.

That's it, my friends. I hope you enjoy your new tonkatsu sauce recipe. Let me know if you make it, and how you made it your own. Did you make it more like the Bulldog brand?  I'd love to hear how it turned out for you. 

Cookbook Recommendation

If you love Japanese cuisine, check out the following cookbook. I'm learning a lot from it and used it to develop this recipe. Great book!

Try Some of My Other Popular Recipes

Drizzling homemade Tonkatsu Sauce over Tonkatsu (Japanese fried pork cutlet)

Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.

Tonkatsu Sauce Recipe
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Tonkatsu Sauce Recipe

This tonkatsu sauce recipe is a classic sweet and tangy Japanese sauce with western influences, perfect for fried pork cutlets and easy to make.
Save Recipe
Course: Main Course, sauce
Cuisine: American, Japanese
Keyword: ketchup, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
FOR THE EASY TONKATSU SAUCE: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Calories: 17kcal
Author: Mike Hultquist
Servings: 56 tablespoons
Tap or hover to scale
4.84 from 6 votes
Leave a Review

Ingredients

FOR AUTHENTIC TONKATSU SAUCE

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 small onion chopped
  • 1 small apple 4 ounces, peeled and chopped
  • 1/2 pound tomatoes chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 cup sake
  • 1.5 cups water
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1/2 cup soy sauce or to taste
  • 1/4 cup white vinegar
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons tomato paste
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
  • 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon allspice
  • 1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce

FOR EASY TONKATSU SAUCE (Homemade Bulldog Sauce)

  • 1/4 cup ketchup
  • 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon sugar or use honey or brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce

Instructions

FOR AUTHENTIC TONKATSU SAUCE

  • Heat the oil in a large saucepan to medium heat.
  • Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes to soften.
  • Add the apple, tomatoes, garlic, sake, water, salt, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, tomato paste and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
  • Discard the bay leaf, then allow the mixture to cool.
  • Transfer the ingredients to a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Or, use a stick blender.
  • Strain the ingredients back into the saucepan and discard the solids.
  • Add the seasonings and Worcestershire sauce. Heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
  • Cool and serve.

FOR EASY TONKATSU SAUCE (Homemade Bulldog Sauce)

  • Whisk together the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, sugar and soy sauce in a small bowl.
  • Serve as desired.

Notes

Nutritional information estimated for the authentic tonkatsu sauce version.
The classic tonkatsu sauce recipe makes about 3.5 cups of sauce. The easy tonkatsu sauce recipe makes about 1/2 cup.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 17kcal   Carbohydrates: 2g   Protein: 1g   Fat: 1g   Saturated Fat: 1g   Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g   Monounsaturated Fat: 1g   Sodium: 182mg   Potassium: 43mg   Fiber: 1g   Sugar: 1g   Vitamin A: 46IU   Vitamin C: 1mg   Calcium: 5mg   Iron: 1mg
Tonkatsu Sauce Recipe
Did You Enjoy This Recipe?I love hearing how you like it and how you made it your own. Leave a comment below and tag @ChiliPepperMadness on social media.

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Linda O says

    5 stars
    I had excellent Katsu sauce at a restaurant in Chicago.I went back a second time and they barely gave me enough for the order. Since, I've searched for a real recipe, or at least as good.
    This is it, maybe better! Glad I made all 56 Tbs.! There's so much more going on here! Thank you.

    Reply

    • Mike Hultquist says

      Excellent! Glad you were able to find it and make it! So good! Thanks for sharing, Linda.

      Reply

  2. Meghan says

    5 stars
    I made this last night to go with chicken katsu. I didn't have sake, so I subbed mirin. It was excellent and much ruddier than the katsu sauces I've had before.

    Reply

    • Mike Hultquist says

      Awesome! Glad you enjoyed it, Meghan!

      Reply

  3. Valerie says

    4 stars
    Delicious! I made the bulldog version to go with our hot pot, but intend to make the more authentic, too. Would canned diced tomatoes be an acceptable substitute out of season? If so, with juice or without for the 1/2 lb called out in the recipe?

    Reply

    • Mike Hultquist says

      Glad you enjoyed it, Valerie. Use the canned tomatoes with juices.

      Reply

  4. Shanin says

    5 stars
    I use to work in a Japanese owned restaurant called Tatsu (Las Cruces, NM) and they made all their sauces. This sounds so similar to their Katsu sauce - I’m so excited to make it! How long would you say this keeps in the fridge after making?

    Reply

    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      Thanks, Shanin. The Bulldog Sauce version will last a long time in the fridge, many months. The more authentic style will last a few weeks, possibly longer, due to the fresher ingredients. Enjoy!!

      Reply

  5. Jérémie says

    5 stars
    Oh Mike, this was sooo good! this tempura style recipe, tonkatsu, was excellent... and the tonkatsu sauce with it? pleasure married to fireworks!
    This sauce is really something, my friend! Thanks a lot!

    Reply

    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      Thanks, Jérémie! Yes, this is a new favorite here in the Madness house! So good! Definitely extra crispy for us.

      Reply

  6. Damien C. says

    5 stars
    This is exciting. It's so much like the stuff you buy in the bottle, the Bulldog sauce, but now I think I'll have to make the restaurant version. Maybe mix them up! Another winner here.

    Reply

    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      Thanks, Damien! I think you'll like them both!

      Reply

  7. William Roberts says

    Can say already it's got promise. I usually add chopped carrot and celery into a this sauce for depth and colour but looks like you have it niled already. Trying this at the weekend. Thanks dude.

    Reply

    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      Thanks. Carrots and celery are listed in the additional optional ingredients. Enjoy!

      Reply