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SHRIMP SAUCE

READY IN 5 MINUTES!  This creamy, tangy and super delicious shrimp sauce is perfect for Japanese meals,  meats, vegetables, rice or just about anything! It would probably be good on a rubber tire! It’s ridiculously good and easy!

If you live on the west coast, you might not have heard of Shrimp Sauce. This sauce goes by other names too such as Japanese White Sauce, Yum Yum Sauce or  even Benihana Sauce.

Shrimp Sauce in a small white bowl with Broccoli being dipped in. green napkin under.

Broccoli is good in Shrimp Sauce

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS!

  • Easy
  • Ready in 5 minutes.
  • Makes enough to enjoy for a few days.
  • Great on EVERYTHING!

HERE’S HOW IT IS DONE

STEP 1. 

Assemble your ingredients. Have everything measured and ready to go. Put them in a Large bowl together.

Blue bowl with mayonnaise in it and a smaller bowl with hot sauce

Adding all the ingredients to the bowl.

 

STEP 2. 

Whisk all of the ingredients together until smooth. Then refrigerate.

This sauce is BEST if you refrigerate for a few hours before using, but if you can’t wait, no worries, its good right away too! 

A blue bowl with ingredients being whisked

Whisk it, Whisk it REAL good!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)

WHAT IS SHRIMP SAUCE?

Shrimp Sauce is often offered at Japanese Steakhouses’. You know, the kind of steak house where you sit in a half circle around the grill and the chef entertains you while cooking your food?

One of the sauces typically offered is the house white sauce which is also called Shrimp sauce. This is that sauce!

Interestingly enough, Shrimp sauce does NOT contain shrimp. It IS the pretty pink color of shrimp though!

HOW DO YOU  MAKE SHRIMP SAUCE?

If you search the internet, you will often see the advice, “Just mix mayo and ketchup together”.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Instead, just follow the recipe below. You won’t be disappointed!

HOW LONG IS SHRIMP SAUCE GOOD FOR? 

You can keep shrimp sauce in the refrigerator, in a jar with a lid for about 2 weeks.

Never leave the shrimp sauce out of the refrigerator for longer than 2 hours

CAN I FREEZE THE EXTRA SHRIMP SAUCE? 

No, unfortunately, you can not freeze shrimp sauce. The mayonnaise in it separates when frozen turning it into a gloopy mess. 

IS SHRIMP SAUCE SPICY? 

No, shrimp sauce is not spicy in the least. The Sriracha and the cayenne don’t add as much heat as they do flavor. 

WHAT CAN I SERVE SHRIMP SAUCE WITH? 

Shrimp sauce is super good on Restaurant Style Chicken Fried Rice. Perfect on Frozen Broccoli too! 

How about some delicious carrots? These Pork Pepper Kabobs are excellent with Shrimp sauce too!

TIPS AND TRICKS FOR THIS RECIPE

  • If you like for this sauce to be sweet, simply add more sugar.
  • Concerned about too much heat? Then don’t add the ground cayenne pepper. The sriracha isn’t adding heat – it is adding flavor – so don’t remove that unless it is a last resort.
  • Allow this mixture to sit in the fridge for a while before you add more sugar or before using on your dinner. The flavors have to marry and meld and generally get to know each other.
  • Pour this shrimp sauce  on EVERYTHING! It makes a wonderful chip dip, a veggie dip, on eggs, on noodles – literally everything!
    This makes a large quantity and should stay good in your fridge for at least a week. Maybe longer. No worries, it will be gone long before then.

IF YOU HAVE ENJOYED THIS RECIPE, YOU MIGHT ALSO ENJOY…

Appalachian Tiger Sauce

Sloppy Joe Sauce

Pizza Sauce from Scratch

or maybe, my Best Sandwich Ever

 

Shrimp Sauce being poured over a bowl of asian rice in a green bowl with green napkin under

Shrimp Sauce, yum!

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Shrimp sauce with a carrot disk being dipped in for the post Japanese White Sauce

Shrimp Sauce

This is a recipe for Shrimp Sauce like you would find in a Japanese Restaurant
5 from 3 votes
Print Pin Save Rate
Course: sauce
Cuisine: American
Keyword: shrimp sauce, yum yum sauce
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Resting Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 422kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 Cups of Mayonnaise
  • ½ Cup Ketchup
  • 3 Tbsp Sugar
  • 1 Tbsp Garlic Powder
  • 1 Tbsp Paprika
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ tsp cayenne pepper
  • ½ Cup of water
  • 1 tsp Sriracha or other hot sauce.

Instructions

  • Mix all ingredients in a LARGE bowl – may add extra sugar to taste. Allow to sit in refrigerator for at least an hour before serving so that flavors can meld.

Notes

SUBSTITUTIONS:
  • You can substitute any hot sauce for the sriracha, but sriracha is the best. 
  • Substitute raw sugar for granulated if need be. 
  • Leave off the cayenne if you are concerned about heat. 
PRO TIP:
Make this the day before you plan to use it, then stir well before serving.  This allows the flavors to marry and it is SO DELICIOUS! 

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Shrimp Sauce
Amount Per Serving
Calories 422 Calories from Fat 378
% Daily Value*
Fat 42g65%
Saturated Fat 6g30%
Cholesterol 23mg8%
Sodium 800mg33%
Potassium 92mg3%
Carbohydrates 10g3%
Sugar 8g9%
Protein 1g2%
Vitamin A 580IU12%
Vitamin C 1.1mg1%
Calcium 9mg1%
Iron 0.4mg2%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Tried this recipe?Mention @loavesanddishes or tag #loavesanddishes!

A VERSE TO SHARE

Do you know the song, Jesus loves the little children?

It doesn’t say anything about what country those kids live in. There’s no specifying which heritage of kid is loved most….

Nope, it says He loves all the colors.

That’s all I have to say about that.

John 3: 16-18

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God

 

Wendi is the writer, CEO and dishwasher at Loaves and Dishes! When not in the kitchen or behind the computer, you can find Wendi serving on International Food Conference Boards, Speaking at various conferences, Leading and Cooking for the local Arts Council's "Taste of Stokes" events or donating home cooked goodies to various local non profits such as the Danbury Songwriters and Stokes Partnership for Children. Wendi is also a Registered Nurse with a Master's Degree and serves on her town's board of councilmen.

Recipe Rating




Pam Webb

Sunday 29th of January 2023

My family all loved this shrimp sauce! I will be making it again. It’s very close to the shrimp sacude at our local Japanese restaurant.

Wendi Spraker

Monday 30th of January 2023

Thank you Pam! I'm glad you enjoyed it!

Ricky Carlson

Friday 1st of January 2021

What is the shelf life for this Shrimp Sauce Yum Yum? I only serve my wife for her lunch at work; on her day off we eat together. My son is allergic to shrimp and all shellfish, bummer, and I don’t want to waste them.

Wendi Spraker

Friday 1st of January 2021

Hi Ricky, It will last several weeks as long as you keep it refrigerated. You can use it on all kinds of things (we use it like ketchup or any other dipping sauce around here). Since it has NO shellfish in it, your son can enjoy it too! Try it as a dip for potato chips, french fries, with all kinds of meats, on your eggs and definitely any savory rice recipe. The list of things it is good on is literally endless!

Amber

Wednesday 20th of May 2020

What kind of mayo do u prefer to use for this recipe

Wendi Spraker

Wednesday 20th of May 2020

hi Amber! I think you get the most flavor from either Hellmans, Dukes, Blue Plate or Aldi Brand mayo. Hope this helps!

Julie

Sunday 23rd of June 2019

Really good! I am hoping it will thicken up in the fridge. If not, may just add water a little at a time until I reach the consistency I like.

Wendi Spraker

Sunday 23rd of June 2019

Julie, if you want this to be thicker, then don't add water. It should thicken in the fridge a little bit. Thanks for leaving a comment! It should be about the consistency of bottled Ranch dressing when it is done.

Moxie

Wednesday 4th of April 2018

Love this stuff!

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