Ponzu sauce is a Japanese staple that’s hard to beat. I personally love it as both a dipping sauce for savory dishes and as a refreshing dressing for salads. While ponzu sauce is pretty easy to find at most Asian grocery stores, homemade ponzu sauce is very simple to prepare and well worth the effort.
Table of Contents
What is Ponzu Sauce?
Ponzu sauce is a Japanese condiment with tangy umami flavors combined citrus juices from the yuzu fruit (similar to a small orange) or sudachi (a green mandarin that looks like a lime). However, in Western grocery stores these fruits can be hard to come by and are commonly substituted with orange juice, lemon juice, lime juice, or a combination of the three.
It’s widely used across Japan as both a dipping sauce and a salad dressing. In particular, I enjoy using it as a dipping sauce when I make Japanese spring rolls.
How do you Make Ponzu Sauce
All of the ingredients for making ponzu sauce can be found in most regular grocery stores except for the yuzu or sudachi fruits. For this reason, I usually substitute the yuzu juice for a combination of lemon juice, orange juice, and lime juice as I think this brings out the most depth in the sauce.
Below are step-by-step instructions along with photos of how to make homemade ponzu sauce.
1. Combine soy sauce, mirin, rice vinegar, and kombu into a sauce pot and slowly bring to a simmer on medium low heat.
2. Once simmering, remove the pot from heat and add katsuobushi. Cover and let soak for around 20 minutes.
3. After 20 minutes, strain out the solids into a bowl. I would use a wooden spoon to press all the liquid out of the strainer.
4. Once all the solids are strained out, mix in the citrus juices and enjoy!
Ponzu Sauce Recipe
Ponzu Sauce Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Sauce pot
- 1 Strainer
- 1 Mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 1/2 Cup Mirin
- 1/2 Cup Soy Sauce
- 1/2 Cup Katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes)
- 1 Tbsp. Rice vinegar
- 2 Tbsp. Orange juice
- 3 Tbsp. Lime juice
- 3 Tbsp. Lemon juice
- 1 Piece Kombu Roughly 2" x 3"
Instructions
- Combine soy sauce, mirin, rice vinegar, and kombu into a sauce pot and slowly bring to a simmer on medium low heat.
- Once simmering, remove from heat and add katsuobushi. Cover and let soak for 20 minutes.
- Strain out the solids into a bowl and mix in the citrus juices.
- Serve and enjoy!
Video
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
Is ponzu sauce gluten-free?
Unless specifically stated, ponzu sauce will most likely have gluten as it contains soy sauce. However, ponzu sauce is easy to make gluten-free by using a gluten-free soy sauce. All the other ingredients in ponzu sauce are naturally gluten-free.
What is ponzu sauce served with?
Ponzu sauce can be served as both a dipping sauce for savory dishes or as a dressing for a wide variety of salads.
Final Thoughts on Ponzu Sauce
The combination of tangy flavors with the citrus juices give ponzu sauce a unique depth of flavor that’s hard to match. I hope that you enjoy this recipe as much as we do! Happy cooking!
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