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    Home » Japanese Food

    15 January 2021

    Unagi Sauce (Homemade Eel Sauce Recipe)

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    This homemade Unagi Sauce or Eel Sauce is sticky, sweet, savory, and flavorful! Popular in Japanese cuisine, it’s traditionally used on grilled eel (unagi), barbeque dishes and sushi rolls. Unagi sauce is made by simmering 4 simple ingredients to a sugary, salty reduction that’s perfect atop your favorite dish.

    This homemade Unagi Sauce or Eel Sauce is sticky, sweet, savory, and flavorful! Popular in Japanese cuisine, it’s traditionally used on grilled eel (unagi), barbeque dishes and sushi rolls. Unagi sauce is made by simmering 4 simple ingredients to a sugary, salty reduction that’s perfect atop your favorite dish.

    Unagi sauce is often served at restaurants that feature Asian cuisine, and particularly Japanese restaurants. You may even have seen little packets of it in your takeout. It’s thick, sweet, salty, and packed with umami – that unique fifth category of taste in food.

    This sauce is available in the Asian cuisine aisle of most grocery stores. But once you’ve tried this easy and delicious homemade alternative, you won’t believe how such a complex medley of flavors is made from just 4 ingredients.

    What is Unagi Sauce (Eel sauce)?

    Unagi Sauce, also known as Unagi no Tare (うなぎのたれ in Japanese) or eel sauce, is a thickened golden brown soy sauce made with caramelized sugar. It’s traditionally served with grilled eel, but these days, it’s popularly served with all kinds of sushi. If you’re feeling adventurous, try using this delicious sauce on BBQ chicken for a flavor fusion that’s out of this world.

    Ingredients and Substitutes

    Unagi sauce ingredients on the counter.
    • Soy Sauce: I used low-sodium soy sauce in this recipe. You can sub regular soy sauce.
    • Sugar: Adds a nice and sweet flavor. It also helps to thicken the sauce.
    • Mirin:  It’s a popular condiment in Japanese cuisine. Mirin adds a sweet and tangy flavor to the sauce. you can sub in dry sherry or sweet marsala wine.
    • Sake: Another popular ingredient in Japanese cuisine. You can substitute Chinese cooking wine.

    How to Make Unagi Sauce at Home

    Unagi sauce recipe: step 1 and 2 photos.

    1. Add the mirin, sugar, and sake to a saucepan over medium heat.

    2. Add soy sauce to the saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring to ensure the sugar dissolves.

    Unagi Sauce recipe: step 3 and 4 photos.

    3. Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes until the sauce thickens. Stir occasionally.

    4. Remove from heat and let it cool. Serve and enjoy!

    Pro Tips

    • Make sure NOT to over-thicken the sauce as it will become thicker as it cools.
    • Let the sauce cool to room temperature before storing it in an airtight container. It’ll last up to 5 days in the refrigerator.

    Ways to use Unagi Sauce

    Closeup of drizzling unagi sauce onto grilled salmon.

    There are so many delicious ways to enjoy unagi sauce. It’s an extremely versatile sauce that can even be used in many ways:

    • Dipping or Drizzling Sauce: Drizzle it over grilled eel, fried chicken, sushi or other BBQ dishes. You will find that unagi sauce is a welcome addition to BBQ dishes and is delicious with grilled meats and grilled mushrooms.
    • As a Marinade: Use it to marinate the meat before cooking.
    • As a Stir-fry Sauce: Sauté the food with unagi sauce. You can use it with traditional Asian meals or branch out and incorporate it into non-Asian meals too.

    Vegans and vegetarians will love tofu smothered in this sticky-sweet sauce. Of course, unagi sauce is simply delicious with sushi and can add unbelievable flavor to rice balls.

    What Does Unagi Sauce Taste Like?

    This sauce is often compared to BBQ sauce because of its flavor profile – sweet, savory and full-bodied. Unagi sauce has that unique umami taste that’s typical of soy sauces. Imagine a thick, caramelized soy sauce and that’s unagi sauce for you.

    What are Substitutes for Unagi Eel Sauce?

    If you can’t find eel sauce (or the ingredients to make it), you may be wondering about substitutions. Teriyaki sauce can be used in a pinch, since it has a similar flavor to unagi sauce and it is often more readily available.

    This homemade Unagi Sauce or Eel Sauce is sticky, sweet, savory, and flavorful! Popular in Japanese cuisine, it’s traditionally used on grilled eel (unagi), barbeque dishes and sushi rolls. Unagi sauce is made by simmering 4 simple ingredients to a sugary, salty reduction that’s perfect atop your favorite dish.

    Is Unagi Sushi sauce made of eel?

    Unagi sauce is commonly referred to as eel sauce because of its traditional use – being drizzled over grilled eel or used in meals that feature grilled eel. The sauce itself is made with just 4 ingredients (and NO eel!): soy sauce, sake, sugar and mirin. That’s it!

    Is Unagi sauce the same as eel sauce?

    Yes! These terms are interchangeable. Unagi sauce is commonly referred to as eel sauce because of its traditional usage – being served with grilled eel or with meals that feature grilled eel.

    How Long Does Homemade Eel Sauce Last?

    While store-bought eel sauce can last for months due to the presence of preservatives, your homemade eel sauce should be used within 5 days. If you’ve made too much, you can freeze the sauce and use it for future meals.

    Where Can I Buy Unagi Sauce?

    Homemade eel sauce has the advantage of being freshly made and can be customized to your flavor preferences. Still, you may wish to purchase readymade eel sauce because it’s far more convenient and will last longer.

    Look for unagi sauce in the Asian aisle of your supermarket. You may also have better luck looking in the condiment aisle of an Asian supermarket. It can also be found online at retailers like Walmart and Amazon.

    Best Unagi Sauce Brands

    There are a number of brands of unagi sauce available in the U.S. Here are some of the most commonly available brands:

    • Kikkoman
    • Lee Kum Kee
    • Otajoy Unagi Eel Sauce
    • JFC Sushi Unagi Sauce
    • Suzukatsu Sushi Unagi Sauce

    Kikkoman Unagi Sushi Sauce is highly regarded as one of the best brands that you can buy. This sauce is made with the highest quality ingredients and contains no artificial flavoring or coloring.

    If You Like This Recipe Try These Out

    Unagi Sushi Rolls are filled with bbq eel, crunchy cucumber, then rolled in nori seaweed sheet and sushi rice! I like to drizzle it with delicious unagi sauce for an extra flavor. This eel sushi is a popular Japanese sushi item and one of my favorite sushi rolls. In this homemade recipe, you will learn how to make sushi rice, how to prepare the unagi, and how to roll the sushi!
    Unagi Roll
    This Caterpillar Roll recipe is made with delicious unagi and crunchy cucumber rolled in seaweed sheet and sushi rice, with an avocado topping. You can customize the roll with other delicious fillings. It’s so easy to make and I’ll share with you the secrets on how to make an avocado wrapper! #CaterpillarRoll #CaterpillarSushiRoll #CaterpillarMakiRoll
    Caterpillar Roll
    Masago is the roe of capelin, a fish in the smelt family. It’s a popular ingredient in Japanese cuisine because of its distinct taste. Masago eggs are very small, and often used as a topping in a variety of sushi recipes. In this post you’ll learn everything about masago and how to make masago sushi rolls. #masago #MasagoSushi
    Masago
    Uni is the Japanese word for the edible part of the sea urchin. It’s a stable in many Japanese restaurants and often used in nigiri sushi, sashimi, or served with salad and pasta. #uniSushi #SeaUrchinSushi #UniSashimi #WhatIsUni
    Uni Sushi

    If you tried this recipe, let me know how your Unagi Sauce turns out in the comments below!

    This homemade Unagi Sauce or Eel Sauce is sticky, sweet, savory, and flavorful! Popular in Japanese cuisine, it’s traditionally used on grilled eel (unagi), barbeque dishes and sushi rolls. Unagi sauce is made by simmering 4 simple ingredients to a sugary, salty reduction that’s perfect atop your favorite dish.

    Unagi Sauce Recipe

    This homemade Unagi Sauce or Eel Sauce is sticky, sweet, savory, and flavorful! Popular in Japanese cuisine, it’s traditionally used on grilled eel (unagi), barbeque dishes and sushi rolls. Unagi sauce is made by simmering 4 simple ingredients to a sugary, salty reduction that’s perfect atop your favorite dish.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Servings: 16 tablespoons
    Author: Izzy
    Calories: 33kcal

    Ingredients 

    • 1/2 cup soy sauce
    • 5 tablespoons sugar
    • 1/2 cup mirin
    • 3 tablespoons sake

    Instructions 

    • Place a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the mirin, sugar, and sake. Mix well.
    • Add soy sauce to the saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally to ensure the sugar dissolves.
    • Once boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes until you see many bubbles on the surface. Stir occaionally.
    • Remove from heat and let it cool. Use as directed in the post. Enjoy!

    Notes

    • The sauce will thicken more as it cools.
    • Store the unagi sauce in an airtight container and it’ll last up to 5 days in the refrigerator.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 33kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 461mg | Potassium: 15mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Calcium: 1mg | Iron: 1mg
    Author: Izzy
    Course: Condiment
    Cuisine: Japanese
    Keyword: Eel sauce, Unagi Sauce
    Tried this recipe?Follow or tag us on Pinterest @izzycooking
    This homemade Unagi Sauce or Eel Sauce is sticky, sweet, savory, and flavorful! Popular in Japanese cuisine, it’s traditionally used on grilled eel (unagi), barbeque dishes and sushi rolls. Unagi sauce is made by simmering 4 simple ingredients to a sugary, salty reduction that’s perfect atop your favorite dish.

    15 January 2021, by Izzy 3 Comments Filed Under: condiment, Cooking Basics, Japanese Food, Recipes

    About Izzy

    I'm Izzy, a food lover and photographer. Here you’ll find a collection of simple recipes that are perfect for busy people. My blog aims to help you make and enjoy delicious and healthy food at home.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Carole says

      December 17, 2021 at 12:04 pm

      5 stars
      Thank you so much for the recipe! I made a double recipe and put it in a plastic squirt bottle. Loving it on sushi stacks. I cant use the bottled stuff as I am celiac, so this is amazing to have control over what it in it. I use GF soy.

      Reply
      • Izzy says

        December 18, 2021 at 9:14 am

        Hi Carole, glad that you like the recipe. Thanks for letting me know. Izzy

        Reply
    2. Sara says

      June 26, 2023 at 5:55 pm

      5 stars
      This is so delicious! I was tired of paying what I consider inflated prices for extra unagi sauce when I get sushi. I also eat a lot of grilled salmon and was constantly on the hunt for this sauce on the shelves at supermarkets. When I stumbled upon your recipe, I ran to get the ingredients and whipped up a batch. I also put mine in a squirt bottle and use it as a dip, a marinade, and a drizzle. Thank you for sharing this!

      Reply

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