Homemade Ponzu Sauce Recipe (2024)

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by Mike Hultquist · · Leave a Comment · Jump to Recipe

This ponzu sauce recipe is a citrusy, vinegary dipping sauce essential to Japanese cuisine, so much better than store bought and so easy to make!

Homemade Ponzu Sauce Recipe (1)

Ponzu Sauce Recipe

We're making homemade ponzu sauce in the Chili Pepper Madness kitchen today, my friends!

Nothing spicy here today, but big flavor nonetheless! We greatly enjoy sushi and sashimi in our home, and a good ponzu sauce is important for us to keep on hand when the sushi cravings strike.

You can definitely buy it from the store, but when you make it at home, you not only get a vastly superior sauce, you can also control everything that goes into it.

Never heard of ponzu sauce?

Homemade Ponzu Sauce Recipe (2)

What is Ponzu Sauce?

Ponzu sauce is a Japanese citrus sauce made with vinegar, citrus juices, and sometimes soy sauce. It is a thin sauce flavored with kombu and bonito flakes, which makes it very umami rich.

It is often used as a simple dressing for meats and fish, or as a dip for sushi and sashimi, hot pot dishes like shabu shabu, or dumplings.

Today, most versions you'll find available at stores is made with soy sauce, though you can make it without it, instead focusing on the combination of citrus and vinegar.

We love it with soy sauce, as an alternative to soy sauce for our meals.

We enjoy it with thinly sliced sashimi, or when we pick up sushi from our corner sushi place.

I prefer making my own at home, as it's so easy to do, and tastes way better than anything you get from the store.

I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

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

Homemade Ponzu Sauce Recipe (3)

Ponzu Sauce Ingredients

  • Soy Sauce.
  • Citrus. Use any combination of lemon juice, lime juice, orange juice, and/or grapefruit juice, or you can use yuzu juice (Japanese citrus juice). It is ideal with more lemon.
  • Rice Vinegar.
  • Mirin.
  • Kombu.
  • Bonito Flakes.

How to Make Ponzu Sauce - the Recipe Method

Combine the Ingredients. Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl or jar.

Homemade Ponzu Sauce Recipe (4)

Steep the Ponzu. Cover and let steep in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours to let the flavors develop. You can steep for 2 days or more.

Strain Out the Solids. Strain and serve as desired.

Homemade Ponzu Sauce Recipe (5)

Boom! Done! Your ponzu sauce is ready to serve. Easy enough to make, isn't it? How are you going to serve yours?

Recipe Tips & Notes

  • You can easily adjust the ingredient ratios to make ponzu sauce your own way. Want more soy sauce? Go for it. More Japanese citrus fruit flavor, it's your choice.
  • Spice it up a bit with a bit of sriracha sauce. This is how Patty likes it. She just swirls a bit into her ponzu sauce bowl when she enjoys her sushi.
Homemade Ponzu Sauce Recipe (6)

Ponzu Sauce Uses

Serve your ponzu sauce with any of the following for dipping or as a simple dressing:

  • Sushi and sashimi
  • Grilled meats
  • Dumplings
  • Shabu-Shabu (hot pot)
  • Cold noodles - it really livens them up!
  • Stir fry dishes - add a splash for a nice citrus blast.
Homemade Ponzu Sauce Recipe (7)

Storage

Ponzu sauce will last up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator in a sealed container.

That's it, my friends. I hope you enjoy this citrus ponzu sauce recipe. Let me know if you make it. I'd love to hear how it turned out for you, and if you decided to spice it up!

Cookbook Recommendation

If you enjoy Japanese cuisine, I recommend the following cookbook, which I used to adapt this recipe. It has a lot of great recipes!

Try Some of My Other Popular Recipes

  • Homemade Chili Crisp
  • Sweet and Sour Sauce
  • Thai Sweet Chili Sauce
  • Homemade Teriyaki Sauce
  • Tonkatsu Sauce
  • Bulgogi Sauce
  • Pad Thai Sauce
  • Yakisoba Sauce
Homemade Ponzu Sauce Recipe (8)

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.

Homemade Ponzu Sauce Recipe (9)

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Homemade Ponzu Sauce Recipe

This ponzu sauce recipe is a citrusy, vinegary dipping sauce essential to Japanese cuisine, so much better than store bought and so easy to make!

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Course: sauce

Cuisine: Japanese

Keyword: soy sauce

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes minutes

Steeping: 12 hours hours

Calories: 18kcal

Author: Mike Hultquist

Servings: 20 tablespoons

Tap or hover to scale

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Ingredients

  • ½ cup soy sauce
  • ½ cup citrus juice use any combination of lemon juice, lime juice, orange juice, and/or grapefruit juice – best with part lemon – or use yuzu juice
  • ¼ cup rice vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons mirin
  • 1 6-inch piece kombu
  • ¼ cup bonito flakes

Instructions

  • Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl or jar.

  • Cover and let steep in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours to let the flavors develop. You can steep for 2 days or more.

  • Strain and serve as desired.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 18kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 3gFat: 0.02gSaturated Fat: 0.003gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.004gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.002gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 345mgPotassium: 44mgFiber: 0.1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 0.4IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 2mgIron: 0.1mg

Homemade Ponzu Sauce Recipe (10)

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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Homemade Ponzu Sauce Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What are ponzu sauce ingredients? ›

To make ponzu sauce you combine soy sauce, mirin, sake, citrus juice, water, kombu, and shaved bonito flakes (katsuobushi). You allow the ingredients to steep for a period of time.

What are the ingredients in Kikkoman ponzu sauce? ›

Water, Soy sauce (Water, Soybeans, Wheat, Salt) (31%), Sugar, Spirit vinegar, Concentrated lemon juice (3.1%), Salt, Natural lemon flavouring, Yeast extract.

What is a interesting fact about ponzu sauce? ›

Despite having a Dutch influence on its name, the components of ponzu are distinctly Japanese. It's traditionally made with rice vinegar, mirin, katsuobushi, and konbu.

Does ponzu have vinegar? ›

Interestingly, in 1960 the condiment company Mizkan began selling a product called 'Ponzu,' a lime-colored combination of citrus juice and vinegar that seems much closer to early Dutch/Japanese “pon-su” than 'Aji Ponzu,' Mizkan's 'seasoned' ponzu with soy that was released four years later.

What is ponzu sauce? ›

ponzu • \PAHN-zoo\ • noun. : a tangy sauce made with citrus juice, rice wine vinegar, and soy sauce and used especially on seafood.

Can ponzu sauce go bad? ›

Featured Recipes

For the freshest tasting sauce, we recommend using the sauces within one month of opening.

What's the difference between ponzu and soy sauce? ›

Ponzu: A Japanese citrus-based sauce, ponzu includes a mix of citrus juice (like yuzu, lemon, and lime), rice vinegar, mirin, soy sauce, bonito flakes, and kombu seaweed. Soy Sauce: Made primarily from fermented soybeans and wheat, soy sauce (or shoyu in Japanese) offers a strong umami and salty taste.

Why is ponzu sauce so good? ›

ponzu seamlessly combines all of these flavors in a perfectly balanced sauce. The magic lies in a few key ingredients. Lemon brings sweet/sour notes, rice vinegar provides sweet tanginess, and kombu and katsuobushi add a smoky touch of the sea. Soy sauce anchors all of those flavors with its salty depth.

What fruit is in ponzu? ›

Ponzu is made by simmering mirin, rice vinegar, katsuobushi flakes (from tuna), and seaweed (kombu) over medium heat. The liquid is then cooled, strained to remove the katsuobushi flakes, and finally the juice of one or more of the following citrus fruits is added: yuzu, sudachi, daidai, kabosu, or lemon.

What do you eat with ponzu sauce? ›

Here's some ideas of how to use Ponzu:
  1. Shake with oil for a salad dressing.
  2. A dipping sauce for tempura, dumplings and spring rolls.
  3. Use it to replace salt, vinegar and lemon on battered fish and chips.
  4. Mix with softened butter to top grilled fish, scallops or prawns.
  5. As a marinade for fish, meat and vegetables.
Nov 2, 2023

How is ponzu different from soy sauce? ›

Ponzu: A Japanese citrus-based sauce, ponzu includes a mix of citrus juice (like yuzu, lemon, and lime), rice vinegar, mirin, soy sauce, bonito flakes, and kombu seaweed. Soy Sauce: Made primarily from fermented soybeans and wheat, soy sauce (or shoyu in Japanese) offers a strong umami and salty taste.

Is ponzu sauce the same as hoisin sauce? ›

Sweet and savory hoisin sauce is a go-to ingredient in Chinese cuisine, particularly in the Province of Guangdong. Japanese ponzu sauce is delectably tart, made with soy sauce, vinegar and the juice of citrus fruits native to Asia, including yuzu.

What does ponzu sauce taste like? ›

What does Ponzu taste like? Kikkoman ponzu sauce is a blend of naturally brewed soy sauce, lemon, vinegar and sugar. It has a lovely balanced sweet, sour and salty flavour. It's suitable for vegetarians and vegans and is fat-free.

Does ponzu sauce have dairy? ›

Making homemade ponzu sauce provides you with the opportunity to customize it to your own specific needs. It's easily adaptable to be vegan/vegetarian and gluten-free. It's also naturally dairy-free.

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