Ever wonder how to make the Tempura Dipping Sauce that are served at restaurants? With just a few simple ingredients, you can be making it at home in no time!
Tempura sauce, also known as tentsuyu, is what is served alongside all kinds of tempura. It only takes a couple of minutes and you can whip this up faster than you’ll have your tempura ready.

I serve mine with my Shrimp Tempura and Mixed Tempura. It’s a little sweet, a little salty, and packed with umami, perfectly complimenting crispy tempura.
Ingredients You’ll Need

- hondashi — it’s also known as bonito soup stock, a ready-made powdered dashi.
- sugar
- mirin — not sure what mirin is? Check out my what is mirin post!
- soy sauce — low sodium
How to Make Tempura Dipping Sauce


- Add the hondashi, sugar, and a cup of water to a sauce pan. Bring it to a boil, stirring occasionally.
- Remove the saucepan from heat and add the mirin and soy sauce. Stir to combine.
- Let cool a bit before serving.
Recipe Tips and Notes
- If making ahead of time or if there’s extra, you can store it in the fridge for up to 1-2 weeks. I recommend pouring what you need into a bowl so you don’t get tempura pieces in the batch to prolong the life of the tentsuyu.
- You can use homemade dashi for this but I usually use the hondashi to speed things up.

Tempura Dipping Sauce
Instructions
- Add the hondashi, sugar, and a cup of water to a sauce pan. Bring it to a boil, stirring occasionally.
- Remove the saucepan from heat and add the mirin and soy sauce. Stir to combine.
- Let cool a bit before serving.
More Japanese Recipes
- Japanese Fried Rice (Yakimeshi)
- Japanese Egg Salad Sandwich
- Japanese Corn Rice
- Agedashi Tofu
- Curry Udon
- Tempura Udon
- Soboro Don (Ground Chicken Bowl)
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