Homemade Tonkatsu Sauce とんかつソース (2024)

My Homemade Tonkatsu Sauce recipe uses only four simple ingredients and is so quick to make! With savory, sweet, and tangy notes, it tastes just as amazing as Japan’s famous Bull-Dog Tonkatsu sauce. Serve it with tonkatsu (breaded pork cutlets), chicken katsu, or my favoritekorokke(potato and beef croquettes).

Open my refrigerator, and you’ll find a stash of Japanese condiments and sauces—a mix of store-bought and homemade goodies. Among them is Tonkatsu Sauce (とんかつソース). This condiment is mandatory when it comes to serving Tonkatsu (deep-fried pork cutlet), Chicken Katsu, and more.

In today’s recipe, I’m sharing a simplified version of Homemade Tonkatsu Sauce using only four ingredients. You most likely already have them in the pantry, so you can whip up tonkatsu sauce anytime you need it. The great thing about making your own is that you can also adjust the sweetness to your liking.

What is Tonkatsu Sauce?

Tonkatsu sauce (とんかつソース) is served with Tonkatsu (deep-fried pork cutlet) and is often used for other deep-fried dishes like Korokke or to make Hambagu sauce.

Tonkatsu sauce mainly consists of vegetables and fruits such as tomatoes, prunes, dates, apples, lemon juice, carrots, onions, and celery. It also includes more than 10 kinds of spices along with soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar. It’s a lot of work to make it from scratch, so most Japanese people would use the store-bought versions.

However, if you don’t live near the Japanese/Asian grocery stores or prefer to make your own, you can always count on my easy homemade recipe.

The Most Popular Tonkatsu Sauce Brand

The most popular tonkatsu sauce is the Bull-Dog Vegetable & Fruit Sauce (Tonkatsu Sauce). It’s easy to recognize the signature bulldog logo on the bottle. You can purchase it on Amazon and Japanese or Asian grocery stores.

Ingredients for Homemade Tonkatsu Sauce

• Worcestershire sauce – I use Lea & Perrins brand. If you’re vegan, usevegan Worcestershire sauce.
• Sugar
• Ketchup – The sweetness of the ketchup varies, so adjust the amount of sugar based on the ketchup taste.
• Oyster sauce – Use Lee Kum KeeVegetarian Stir-Fry Sauceif you’re vegetarian or allergic to shellfish.

How to Make the Best Tonkatsu Sauce

1. Mix all the condiments together. I usually start by combining the Worcestershire sauce and sugar. Whisk until the sugar is completely dissolved before adding the rest of the condiments.
2. Yes, that’s it! The main flavor of tonkatsu sauce comes from Worcestershire sauce and ketchup. Since every brand of ketchup has a different level of sweetness, you may need to adjust the flavor with sugar.

Okonomi Sauce and Yakisoba Sauce

We have different sauces for okonomiyaki and yakisoba although these three sauces are quite similar.

• Homemade Okonomiyaki Sauce (Okonomi Sauce)
• Homemade Yakisoba Sauce

Recipes Using Tonkatsu Sauce

• Tonkatsu (Baked Tonkatsu)
• Chicken Katsu (Baked Chicken Katsu)
• Korokke (Baked Croquette)
• Ham Katsu

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Editor’s Note: The post was originally published on January 27, 2014, and was updated with more helpful content and new images in February 2023. It was republished with a new video on February 16, 2024.