Osaka Spicy Umami Sauce is bold, quick to make, and packed with deep flavor. Elevate your sushi night with this easy sauce recipe that transforms every bite into something unforgettable.
This Umami Sauce will transform your meals! Inspired by the umami sauce used at the restaurant I worked at to make sushi, this umami sauce is so delicious and surprisingly easy to make! As I describe in my free motivational guide to explore your potential in the kitchen, Make Cooking Fun!, going out to eat can inspire you to try new creations! Before making this sauce, I had sushi for dinner, and I was so excited to make some pressed sushi the next day! This umami sauce is primarily used for pressed sushi, but you can use it for any type of sushi, making it awesome for lunch or dinner. You could also pair it with Japanese sides. I’ll give you some more serving ideas later on in this post!
The umami sauce was one of my favourite delicacies when I was working at the restaurant. Now that I don’t work there anymore, I can safely admit that I’d lick SO MUCH of it! It’s seriously THAT GOOD! If making sushi has been on your bucket list, then I encourage you to try it out along with this sauce to go with it as part of your Live to Cook one-month challenge! You can get started on your cooking journey free today by signing up to my email newsletter, plus you’ll receive all of my new recipes delivered straight to your inbox!
Check out the video to see how we make the umami sauce and how we pair it with pressed sushi! It would mean a lot if you could please subscribe to my YouTube channel if you’re not already, and don’t forget to press the bell button so you’re notified when all of my video recipes are live! Let’s get mixing!
Why You’ll Love This Umami Sauce!
Easy and quick to make: This no-cook sauce is really fast to mix everything together once you’ve prepped your teriyaki reduction (more information on how to do this later on in this post!). That’s the only step!
Creamy: Rich and luscious, this sauce is absolutely irresistible!
Flavorful: So much is going on here, making it the perfect complement to your meal!
What Does Umami Mean?
Umami is one of the tastes - including sweet, sour, salt, and bitter. Umami is a deep and savory flavor that increases saliva production, and it can last longer on the tongue compared to other tastes. In culinary uses, umami adds that extra punch that enhances the flavor of a dish. The term originated from Japanese, meaning “pleasant savory taste,” and it’s associated with foods such as Parmesan cheese, soy sauce, miso, cured meats, mushrooms, seaweed, and anchovies.
What Does Umami Sauce Taste Like?
It’s rich, savory, and slightly sweet with controlled heat.
The mayonnaise gives it body and creaminess. The miso brings deep umami and a subtle fermented saltiness. The teriyaki reduction adds gloss and balanced sweetness while seasoning the sauce. Sriracha layers in heat while the garlic sharpens the edge. The dash of lime juice lightens the sauce and keeps it from feeling heavy.
Once torched it develops light caramelization on top while staying creamy underneath. You get sweet, salty, creamy, spicy and smoky in one bite — built to complement the salmon, not compete with it. It’s bold yet balanced.
The FULL PRINTABLE recipe card has all ingredients and their quantities, which can be found by scrolling to the bottom of this post or by pressing the “Jump to Recipe” button.You will also be able to use the recipe card to scale the ingredients based on how many portions of hot honey you’re looking to make. By default, this will make about 1 cup.
Mayonnaise: You can use store-bought mayo or if you’re very ambitious, make your own! If you’re going to use a store-bought mayo, then the best choice (if you have it already!) would be Kewpie, which is Japanese mayo. I like this mayo because it’s got a bit of a lighter taste and mouthfeel. No problem at all if you don’t have it, however! As you can see in the picture, I definitely did not make the umami sauce here.
Teriyaki reduction: This is thickened teriyaki sauce. We’ll go over how to do this below.
White miso paste: This is where most of the flavor will come from!
Sriracha: I recommend you add less initially and add more if desired.
Garlic clove: Use a microplane to grate it.
Lime or lemon juice: You can use freshly squeezed juice or from a bottle.
Umami sauce is a creamy, savoury Japanese-inspired condiment. This Osaka-style version blends teriyaki and a thickened teriyaki reduction with mayonnaise, white miso, a little sriracha, grated garlic and a squeeze of lime — rich and deeply savoury, with just a touch of sweet and spice.
What does umami sauce taste like?▼
Creamy and bold: savoury and a little sweet from the teriyaki, deep and slightly funky from the white miso, with a gentle warmth from the sriracha. The garlic and lime keep it bright so it never feels heavy.
What do you use umami sauce on?▼
It's a do-everything finishing sauce — drizzle it over rice bowls, noodles and sushi, spoon it onto grilled chicken, salmon or vegetables, or use it as a dip for fries and dumplings or a spread on burgers and sandwiches.
Let me know what you think of this recipe in the comments! If you’ve tried this recipe, be sure to post it on social media and tag it with #cookingwithanadi and mention me @cooking.with.anadi. Thank you!
Recipe by Anadi Misra
Elevate Your Sushi Game With Osaka Spicy Umami Sauce Recipe
Osaka Spicy Umami Sauce is bold, quick to make, and packed with deep flavor. Elevate your sushi night with this easy sauce recipe that transforms every bite into something unforgettable.
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