What Is A Yuzu Sauce And How Do You Use It?

Yuzu — it's a star ingredient in Japanese cuisine, where it enhances a wide range of dishes with its bold, signature sharpness. This vibrant citrus fruit is a hybrid of the lemon and the mandarin, and it boasts a punchy floral tang that fits beautifully into both sweet and savory recipes. A popular way to enjoy the unique taste of this fruit is in the form of a premade sauce. And, there's quite an array of yuzu sauce products on the market, with each serving a slightly different purpose.

One of the most popular forms of yuzu sauce is yuzu kosho. This is a fermented, paste-like condiment that's made with chili peppers, salt, yuzu zest, and yuzu juice. It offers a wonderful balance of heat, tartness, and freshness, and will add a serious dose of flavor to your dish. Smoother, runnier yuzu sauce products are another widely available option. These are typically made by combining yuzu juice with vinegar, sweeteners, thickeners, and sometimes other citrus juices. These versions often function like a dressing, perfect for drizzling over food right before serving. Additionally, you'll find yuzu-based chili sauces, which offer an irresistibly tangy hit of fieriness. There are yuzu ponzu sauces, too. This is an umami-rich Japanese dipping sauce made by steeping kombu seaweed and dried mushrooms or bonito flakes in yuzu juice, soy sauce, and mirin.

So, you're probably wondering how these zesty sauces can fit into your everyday cooking. Thankfully, we're about to provide some valuable inspo. Whether you're a yuzu connoisseur or trying a sauce for the first time, there are plenty of ways to put it to good use. 

One of the most simple and effective ways to use yuzu sauce is crafting a citrusy salad dressing. Whichever type of yuzu sauce you go for here, it's sure to add the most wonderful zingy brightness, resulting in a dressing that can transform a basic salad into something that's bursting with flavor. 

To make a fiery, four-ingredient yuzu vinaigrette, combine yuzu chili sauce with olive oil, lemon juice, and Dijon mustard. This perfectly balanced mixture will taste just as incredible drizzled over a bowlful of leafy greens as it will paired with grilled meats or vegetables. There's also the option to craft a creamier dressing, perhaps this time opting for the punchiness of yuzu kosho. Stir it into a rich base of Greek yogurt and mayonnaise, accompanied by some garlic powder, fresh yuzu or lemon zest, and finely chopped herbs, to create a decadent ranch-style dressing with a zesty twist.

If you're bored of using the same old marinades for your proteins, it might be time to throw some yuzu sauce into the mix. The highly concentrated, zesty heat of yuzu kosho makes an incredible addition to a marinade, offering a unique flavor profile that'll make your final dish truly memorable.

Try pairing the yuzu kosho with some complementary aromatics, such as minced garlic and ginger. A splash of soy sauce will also work beautifully, balancing the sharpness with its umami-richness. And, mirin or rice vinegar is an ideal add-in for amping up the tang. The staple Japanese seasoning, shichimi togarashi, would be another excellent addition to the marinade. This spice blend is made with sansho peppercorns, orange peel, sesame seeds, nori, and chili powder, and it offers a distinctly zesty, spicy, and nutty taste that'll fit in seamlessly alongside the yuzu kosho. 

Once your yuzu marinade has been mixed up, add it to a sealable food bag along with your protein of choice. It'll taste fantastic with salmon, chicken, tofu, or steak. Leaving everything to marinade for at least an hour is recommended, but to really let those delicious flavors infuse, consider leaving the bag in the fridge overnight. Then, your protein is ready for grilling, pan-frying, or oven-baking as desired.

When it comes to crafting the perfect boozy sip, yuzu can be a game-changing ingredient. Whilst this fruity flavor is most commonly added in the form of fresh yuzu juice, yuzu sauce also has its place in countless cocktail recipes. Yuzu kosho is typically the variety of choice, prized for the intense hit of warm, citrusy goodness it can provide, but feel free to experiment with dressing-style sauces too.

A great way to get your yuzu kosho cocktail-ready is by transforming it into a sweet simple syrup. Start by combining granulated sugar and water in a saucepan, stirring the ingredients over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved. Then, you can add a dollop of the yuzu kosho. Stir well, and let the mixture cool before adding it to your drink of choice. Yuzu's citrusy profile will pair brilliantly with a range of spirits, including warm, spicy rums, refreshing gins, and crisp vodkas. It'll also work especially well alongside something sweet and fruity that can balance its tartness, such as mango, pineapple, or orange. Or, you could try incorporating an aromatic element, such as lemongrass or ginger.

To make a yuzu-spiked version of the classic Tom Collins cocktail, try simply subbing the usual simple syrup for your yuzu-infused version, combining this with gin, club soda, and lemon or grapefruit juice. Or, try adding neat yuzu kosho to a tropical daiquiri by shaking it up with some rum, mango juice, and lime juice.

A batch of steaming gyozas or dumplings simply wouldn't be complete without a dipping sauce, and yuzu ponzu makes for a fantastic choice. It provides the perfect contrast of citrusy brightness and rich, savory depth, while being light enough to coat your bite-sized, filled goodies without being too overpowering. Yuzu ponzu will taste especially great with shrimp or fish-filled dumplings or gyozas, but can work just as well with meat and veggie varieties.

The most convenient option here is to grab a store-bought bottle of yuzu ponzu. You'll find this in many Asian supermarkets, or you can purchase it from a specialty online store. But, making your own version from scratch is the best way to maximize this sauce's freshness and flavor. First, you'll add a piece of kombu (a type of dried kelp) and some bonito flakes to a sterilized jar. Follow this with equal parts yuzu juice and soy sauce, plus a dash of mirin. Pop the lid on, shake well, and leave the jar to chill in the fridge for 24 hours. Then, you can strain out the solids, preserving the infused liquid, which can be used right away. This tangy sauce will keep well in the fridge for up to a year.

We know that seafood and citrus are a match made in heaven, and yuzu is no exception. Pretty much any variety of yuzu sauce can be used to elevate everything from scallops and oysters to salmon and shrimp, with the fruit's floral notes complementing the delicate briny taste of the fish or shellfish wonderfully.

For a wonderfully sophisticated way to serve oyster, try stirring together yuzu kosho, rice vinegar, minced shallots, and olive oil. This creates a gloriously zesty drizzle that can be spooned right over the shellfish. Or, grab a smooth, dressing-style yuzu sauce, and simply drizzle this over freshly baked or pan-fried fish before serving. It'll taste fantastic with salmon, as well as oily fish like mackerel or sardines, and white fish such as cod or tilapia. 

If you have some yuzu ponzu to hand, this is perfect for dipping seafood into, especially grilled shrimp or crispy calamari. It's ideal for pairing with sushi, too. Try drizzling it over tuna sashimi or serving it with maki rolls. And, there's of course the option to incorporate yuzu sauce into a marinade, perhaps for salmon or shrimp. Both yuzu ponzu and the more intense yuzu kosho are great choices here.

Rich, creamy, and indulgent, butter provides the perfect canvas for blending with other spicy, zesty, and aromatic ingredients. Mixing butter with garlic and herbs is probably the most common approach here, but if you love combining indulgent textures with bold flavors, a yuzu-infused butter is a must-try.

Step one is softening your butter. Depending on the temperature of your kitchen, you can likely do this by leaving the block out on the countertop for 30 minutes or so. But if you need to speed things up, you can microwave the butter in short bursts until a workable consistency is achieved. Add the softened butter to a bowl with a generous spoonful of yuzu kosho. Honey is another great add-in, bringing a subtle floral sweetness to the butter, and garlic is always a good idea. If you're after a fierier finish, feel free to add some gochujang paste or chili powder, too. Sprinkle over some salt, and stir everything together until well combined. Now, your yuzu butter is ready to use.

Yuzu butter can serve as a moreish dip for crispy appetizers, such as hush puppies, jalapeño poppers, or deep-fried shrimp. You can melt it over meat, fish, and grilled veggies, stir it through mashed potatoes or pasta, and even spread it onto a freshly baked scone. So, it's definitely worth having a batch stored in your fridge at all times!

To give a basic bowlful of noodles a serious flavor boost, yuzu sauce is the way to go. Whether you're serving the noodles hot or cold, the yuzu will add a refreshing brightness to the comforting base, and it'll pair seamlessly with a range of other Asian-inspired ingredients.

Build a refreshing noodle salad by combining cooked and drained soba noodles with crunchy sliced veggies such as carrot, cucumber, and radish, plus a zingy yuzu dressing. A blend of yuzu kosho, sesame oil, olive oil, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic would taste incredible. Yuzu kosho also pairs well with miso paste, if you're after even more umami depth, as well as chilli oil, which is great for turning up the heat. If a warm rice noodle bowl is more your vibe, perhaps served with bok choy and topped with a fried egg, you can absolutely use a yuzu kosho-based dressing here, too. Or, try drizzling a bottled yuzu sauce or yuzu-infused hot sauce over the top before serving, or tossing it through the noodle base. Yuzu ponzu would also be ideal for coating the noodles or stirring into a hearty bowl of ramen.

Packed with herbaceous flavor, pesto sauce is typically made by blitzing toasted pine nuts in a food processor with fresh basil, garlic, lemon juice, Parmesan cheese, and olive oil. However, to create a mixture with a little more zip, it's easy to switch out some of the classic components and bring the fresh, spicy sharpness of yuzu kosho into the mix. If you want to retain the nutty, basil-forward flavor of traditional pesto, you can simply remove the Parmesan cheese from the pesto blend and introduce soy sauce and yuzu kosho in its place. Or, for a more fragrant, Asian-inspired take on the classic version, ditch the basil and reach for cilantro. This can then be blended with fresh lemongrass, garlic, ginger, olive oil, and the all-important yuzu kosho, to make a seriously punchy sauce.

Much like the Italian-inspired version, yuzu pesto has a whole host of applications. You can stir it through pasta or rice, drizzle it over grilled meats, seafood, and veggies, or use it as a marinade. It's also great for adding flavor to soups and stews, or spooning over fried eggs.

A staple in Asian cuisine, fried rice is a wonderfully hearty dish that offers an easy way to enjoy a medley of satisfying savory ingredients. It's often flavored with ingredients like soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sesame oil, but yuzu sauce can take this dish to new levels of deliciousness.

With fried rice being brilliantly versatile, there are a few different approaches you can take here. The first is using a smooth, dressing-style yuzu sauce. To incorporate this, start by sauteing your veggies (such as peas, carrots, and onion) and proteins (think ham, shrimp, or tofu) in a neutral oil. If you're adding eggs, you can softly scramble these in the pan first, then set them aside whilst you cook the other elements. Next, add the cooked rice (and return the scrambled egg), along with a generous glug of the yuzu sauce. Keep stirring everything for a few minutes until the rice is heated through and starting to crisp up. 

Alternatively, you could reach for yuzu kosho. This can be stirred into the rice as is, or mixed with soy sauce to create a more pourable, well-rounded mixture. And, yuzu ponzu works great here too. Add this alongside the usual soy sauce and oyster sauce for the ultimate balance of sweet, salty, and tangy flavors.

Jazz up a simple creamy mayo with the citrusy magic of yuzu sauce. Making this versatile concoction can be as simple as stirring yuzu sauce into pre-made mayo, but there's also room to experiment with other add-ins, or craft the mayo base from scratch.

The easiest approach is spooning some store-bought mayo into a bowl, grabbing some yuzu kosho, and whisking the two together. With this method, it's easy to adjust the amount of yuzu to suit your taste. And, you could absolutely combine this with a splash of fresh yuzu juice or yuzu extract if desired. Opting for Kewpie mayo as your base is also a great idea. This Japanese condiment has a richer texture than regular mayo since its made with egg yolks only, rather than the whole egg. 

Another wonderfully fresh and wholesome option is to whip up a from-scratch yuzu mayo. First, whisk together egg yolks, mustard, lemon juice, sugar, and salt. Then gradually pour in the oil, whisking as you go. Once you have a lovely thick mayo base, stir in some yuzu kosho and fresh yuzu juice. If you fancy jazzing up your zesty mayo even further, consider incorporating a salty or nutty element, such as soy sauce or sesame oil. 

We generally see chicken katsu served with a sweet and tangy tonkatsu sauce, but this isn't the only way to enjoy it. Yet again, yuzu sauce is ready and waiting to elevate this crispy, golden delight. 

If you've got a bottle of smooth, dressing-style yuzu sauce, there's very little effort required to give your dish the yuzu upgrade. Simply add the sliced chicken katsu to a plate with your choice of sides (such as sticky rice and pickled veggies), and drizzle the sauce over the breaded meat. This will provide a tangier, brighter alternative to the classic tonkatsu sauce. Yuzu mayo would also make a great accompaniment to the chicken, whether that's dolloped on top or served on the side as a dip.

When making chicken katsu from scratch, another way to incorporate yuzu is to stir a spoonful of yuzu kosho into the beaten egg that you'll use for dredging. This will infuse the meat with heaps of zingy flavor, which will get locked in by those crispy panko breadcrumbs. Yuzu ponzu can totally fit in your katsu dish, too. Try mixing this with some daikon oroshi — a spicy, refreshing condiment made from grated daikon radish. This bold combo makes for an epic katsu drizzle.

This elegant party staple is often enhanced with something zesty or tangy, such as lemon juice or mustard. But add some yuzu sauce to your next batch of deviled eggs, and you'll never look back.

To prep the eggs, boil them for around 10 minutes to achieve a fully solid yolk. Once they've cooled in a bowl of ice water for a few minutes, peel the eggs and slice them in half lengthways. Scoop out the yolks and transfer them to a mixing bowl. Now, it's time to spruce them up with the yuzu sauce. Mash some Kewpie mayonnaise, yuzu kosho, and a pinch of salt into the egg yolks until you have a smooth, creamy mixture. If you'd like, you could also add some minced onion for a richer aromatic flavor. And, other types of yuzu sauce, such as yuzu chili sauce, can be used in place of the yuzu kosho. Pipe or spoon the prepared filling back into the hollowed-out egg whites, and, to continue the Japanese-inspired theme, go ahead and garnish your deviled eggs with a scattering of furikake seasoning or toasted sesame seeds.