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Japanese

Tonkatsu sauce

Non-vegetarian

とんかつソース · tonkatsu sōsu

A quick home blend of ketchup, Worcestershire and oyster sauce that mimics the thick, fruity-tangy brown sauce served with Japanese breaded pork cutlets.

Tonkatsu sauce is a Japanese sauce, ready in about 5 minutes and made with tomato ketchup and worcestershire sauce. It serves 5 and is rated beginner to cook.

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Prep
5 min
Cook
0 min
Total
5 min
Serves
5
Level
Beginner
Calories
34

Ingredients

5 servings of 25 ml

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Whisk (opens in a new tab) the ketchup (opens in a new tab), Worcestershire, oyster sauce (opens in a new tab), sugar (opens in a new tab) and soy sauce (opens in a new tab) until the sugar dissolves.

    Eggs being whisked in a bowl
    How it looks · Photo: Kampus Production on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Stir in the grated apple (opens in a new tab) if using. Taste: add more sugar (opens in a new tab) for sweetness or Worcestershire for tang.

    • 2 min

  3. Step 3

    Rest for 10 minutes if you can so the flavours meld, then serve at room temperature.

    • 1 min

About this dish

Origin
Japan · Well documentedJapanese yōshoku condiment descended from British Worcestershire sauce; this is a home shortcut rather than the bottled original.More food from Japan
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Sauces · Condiments, chutneys & relishes
Cooking method
No-cook
Taste
tangy, sweet, umami, fruity
Diet
Pescatarian · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Low-carb
All labelsPescatarian · Non-vegetarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · Low-fat · DASH-style
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Budget-friendly · Child-friendly · Make-ahead
Cook more with
Tomato ketchup · Worcestershire sauce · Oyster sauce · Sugar · Soy sauce

Allergens

  • Contains: Fishfrom worcestershire sauce
  • May contain: Crustaceansfrom oyster sauce
  • Contains: Molluscsfrom oyster sauce
  • Contains: Wheatfrom oyster sauce, soy sauce
  • Contains: Glutenfrom worcestershire sauce, oyster sauce, soy sauce
  • Contains: Soyfrom oyster sauce, soy sauce
  • May contain: Mustardfrom tomato ketchup
  • May contain: Celeryfrom tomato ketchup, worcestershire sauce
  • May contain: Sulphitesfrom worcestershire sauce

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

34 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 30 g · recipe makes 5

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 3%
  • Carbohydrate 97%
  • Fat 0%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g
Energy34 kcal112 kcal
Protein0.3 g0.9 g
Carbohydrate8.6 g28.8 g
Net carbohydrate8.6 g28.6 g
Sugars6.4 g21.5 g
Added sugars——
Fibre0.1 g0.2 g
Fat0 g0.1 g
Saturated fat0 g0 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol0 mg0 mg
Sodium413 mg1377 mg
Salt equivalent1 g3.4 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
125 mg
Calcium
14 mg
Iron
0.6 mg
Magnesium
4 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
4 µg
Vitamin C
2 mg
Vitamin D
0 µg
Vitamin B12
0 µg
Folate (DFE)
3 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: apple.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Simmer for 3–4 minutes for a thicker, glossier sauce.

Common mistakes

  • Skipping the oyster sauce or apple — the sauce tastes like plain ketchup rather than the fruity, savoury original.

Serve with

  • Over tonkatsu, chicken katsu, korokke croquettes or in a katsu sando.
  • Drizzle on okonomiyaki with mayonnaise.

Storage

  • Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Goes with

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Customise in Sauce & Drizzle

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

  • Apple, finely grated (optional)20 g
Used in step 2

Make it milder, swap ingredients for your diet, change the batch size or thickness — the original stays as it is.

Customise in Sauce & Drizzle

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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