Go Back
–+ servings
Japanese Eel Sauce Recipe (Kabayaki Sauce)
Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Eel Sauce Recipe (Unagi Sauce)

Make authentic eel sauce (unagi sauce) at home with just 3 simple ingredients. Sweet, savory, and perfect for sushi, grilled meats, and more.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Course: sauce
Cuisine: Japanese
Keyword: soy sauce
Servings: 16 tablespoons
Calories: 41kcal
Author: Mike Hultquist

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup soy sauce
  • 1/2 cup mirin Japanese sweet wine
  • 1/2 cup white sugar see notes

FOR THICKER EEL SAUCE

  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons water

Instructions

  • Whisk the ingredients together in a small saucepan. Heat to medium heat, then simmer until thickened and reduced to 1 cup (or ¾ cup for thicker sauce).

FOR THICKER EEL SAUCE (optional)

  • As the eel sauce is simmering and reducing, swirl together the cornstarch with water to form a slurry. Stir into the eel sauce and simmer, stirring, until the sauce thickens, 2-3 minutes. If it becomes too thick, add a bit of soy sauce or water to loosen it up.

Notes

You can use half the sugar, but the sugar is what helps to thicken the sauce as it reduces. If you prefer less sugar, use half the sugar, but then add the cornstarch per the optional part of the recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 41kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 0.04g | Saturated Fat: 0.003g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.003g | Sodium: 343mg | Potassium: 28mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 8g | Calcium: 3mg | Iron: 0.1mg