Homemade Ponzu Sauce
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read the full disclosure here.
Make your own delicious citrus Ponzu Sauce to use for dipping, drizzling, or as a sauce on Japanese or Asian foods.
We eat a lot of Asian food in our house. It’s really funny because as a kid I would never eat anything but a dish of pineapple and a wonton whenever we would go out for Chinese. It just wasn’t a type of food I enjoyed.
Now as an adult Asian food is probably the one food that I make more than any other. We make Korean BBQ Tofu several times a month. I also make a killer Tofu Katsu with homemade Tonkatsu Sauce.
I’m also no stranger to fake out take out and Beef and Broccoli is one of those dishes that I can make anytime. We also really enjoy this Easy Bourbon Chicken over top of rice. I also like to make my own Pork Egg Rolls as a side dish.
When I was looking through one of my Asian cookbooks I saw a recipe for Tofu with Ponzu sauce. I had never heard of Ponzu sauce and when I checked my local grocery store they didn’t carry it.
What is Ponzu Sauce?
Ponzu sauce is a classic Japanese citrus-based sauce that combines tangy, savory, and slightly sweet flavors. It’s typically made with ingredients like soy sauce, citrus juice, rice vinegar, and sometimes a small amount of dashi for an umami flavor.
I was a little disappointed I couldn’t find it but while looking through the cookbook I realized there was a recipe for Ponzu sauce in it! It also looked super easy to make and I had all the ingredients I needed.
The base of the sauce is citrus fruit and soy sauce. I used lemons and oranges because that was what I happened to have in my kitchen.
Can I use other citrus fruit?
Yes! You can use a single citrus fruit or a combination of citrus fruits. I recommend that if you use sour citrus fruits you add a teaspoon or two of sugar to your sauce. You can use any combination of lemons, limes, grapefruits, and oranges for this sauce.
Ingredients:
- soy sauce (I use the low sodium version)
- dashi (you can also use vegetable or mushroom broth)
- mirin (you can also use rice vinegar)
- citrus juice (I used lemon and orange but use whatever you have on hand)
- granulated sugar
To make the ponzu sauce combine the soy sauce, dashi, mirin, citrus juice, and granulated sugar in a bowl. Whisk to combine.
It’s super easy to whisk up a batch of this delicious sauce. I could not find dashi anywhere so I opted to use vegetable broth which worked well in this recipe.
How do I store Ponzu Sauce?
Store it in an air tight container in the refrigerator. It will keep for up to 2 weeks.
I used this Ponzu sauce in a recipe with tofu and again with a vegetable recipe. It can be used as a marinade for meat, drizzled on top of Japanese or other Asian dishes, or it’s great to use as a dip.
I really like how bright this sauce was. I often feel like Asian sauces are salt forward and have a lot of umami flavor but they don’t have a bright feel. This sauce had the brightness that I miss in other sauces.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup dashi or vegetable broth
- 1/4 cup fresh squeezed citrus juice
- 2 Tablespoon mirin
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk together.
- Cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
