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This easy, 3-ingredient tonkatsu sauce (とんかつソース) is full of flavor and ready in just 1 minute! Ketchup, soy sauce, and Worcestershire sauce are all you need for a flavorful katsu sauce that’s a delicious copycat of Bulldog Tonkatsu sauce, also known as Bull-Dog sauce.
This easy tonkatsu or katsu sauce (とんかつソース) is made with just three ingredients and is ready in only a minute! It’s the perfect balance of sweet, salty, savory, and umami flavors that make this an excellent dipping sauce for pork cutlets, chicken katsu, and any other fried dishes.
What makes this the best tonkatsu sauce recipe is how balanced the flavors are without being overwhelmingly sweet. I found a few recipes online to be too sweet with too much ketchup. You’ll find this recipe is most similar to Bull-Dog tonkatsu sauce which has a savory, umami flavor with just a hint of sweetness.
This katsu sauce is simple and easy to prepare with just a few accessible ingredients that are available in any grocery store. The three ingredients you need are ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and soy sauce. Note: For a vegan or vegetarian-friendly version, opt for vegan Worcestershire sauce.
What is Tonkatsu (Katsu) Sauce?
Tonkatsu sauce, or katsu sauce for short, is a popular Japanese condiment that’s typically served with tonkatsu, chicken katsu, and any other fried cutlet.
It’s a thick, brown sauce that tastes savory, slightly tangy, and sweet, most closely resembling a Japanese-style barbecue sauce. It was first introduced in 1948 in Japan and is flavored with Worcestershire sauce, tomatoes, and various fruit and spices.
Katsu Sauce Ingredients
Three simple ingredients are all you need with two optional ingredients to level up your homemade katsu sauce.
- Ketchup – Ketchup adds a sweet, tomato base that adds both flavor and thickness to the sauce.
- Worcestershire sauce – Worcestershire sauce lends a smokey, savory, and slightly tangy taste to the sauce for depth of flavor.
- Soy sauce – Soy sauce adds the perfect amount of umami and salinity.
- Sugar – Sugar is optional and I recommend you start with less and add more to taste, especially if you’re looking for a Bulldog sauce copycat.
- Garlic and onion powder – Garlic and onion powder are also optional but great for adding more flavor, similar to that of Bulldog sauce.
How to Make Tonkatsu Sauce
Simply combine ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and soy sauce together in a bowl. Taste and add sugar and spices to your liking.
Bull-dog Sauce Copycat
When making a side-by-side comparison of Bull-Dog tonkatsu sauce and our homemade katsu sauce, you can see the color and consistency are very similar.
Tastewise, Bull-Dog sauce is not that sweet and has a savory, complex, umami flavor from its fruit and spice blend. Some recipes online are too heavy on the ketchup giving the sauce an overwhelming tomato taste that’s too sweet, which is why our recipe lists the sugar as optional and has less ketchup to avoid a strong tomato flavor.
To make a tonkatsu sauce recipe similar to Bull-Dog sauce, I recommend adding spices like garlic powder and onion powder for more flavor and starting with little to no sugar. You can always add some later and adjust to taste.
Although Bull-dog sauce has a pretty complex, umami flavor, I’d say our homemade version of tonkatsu sauce makes an excellent substitute considering it’s made with just a few ingredients. Feel free to experiment and add more flavors and let us know what works for you! Enjoy and happy cooking!
What to Serve with Tonkatsu Sauce
Tonkatsu sauce can be used as a dipping sauce or condiment for any of the following meals:
- Tonkatsu (fried Japanese pork cutlet)
- Chicken katsu
- Ebi fry (Japanese fried shrimp)
- Korokke (Japanese croquettes)
- Tempura
- Takoyaki
- Okonomiyaki
- Omurice
- Chicken tenders
- Furikake Fries
- Burgers
- Sandwiches
Katsu Sauce Tips
- Start with less sugar and adjust to taste. Ketchup is already sweet so you may or may not want more sweetness.
- For a bulldog sauce copycat, add spices like garlic and onion powder to add more flavor.
- For a vegan or vegetarian katsu sauce, opt for vegan Worcestershire sauce as regular Worcestershire sauce contains anchovies.
More recipes:
3-Ingredient Tonkatsu (Katsu) Sauce
Ingredients
- ¼ cup ketchup
- 2 ½ tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- ½ tablespoon sugar, (optional) adjust to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon garlic and onion powder, (optional)
Instructions
- Mix the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and soy sauce together. Taste and add sugar to your liking. Serve and enjoy!Note: For a Bull-dog sauce copycat, I recommend starting with less sugar and adding garlic and onion powder for more flavor.¼ cup ketchup, 2 ½ tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, ½ tablespoon sugar, ⅛ teaspoon garlic and onion powder
- Serve with our chicken katsu recipe.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Simply the best katsu sauce! The ratios were just right and the flavor was amazing. I put this on everything, including chicken, pork, and seafood. Delicious!
I made this sauce to go on tonkatsu and omitted the sugar. My kids loved it and so did my husband who’s Japanese. He said this was the best version of tonkatsu sauce and the other recipes I’ve tried were too sweet. I found a keeper!
Made this without the sugar and added the garlic/onion powder as suggested. My teenager (who “hates” barbecue sauce) absolutely loved it. Using it on ribs tonight! Easy and definitely a keeper!
This sauce was so simple to make and my husband really loved it with our fried pork chops this weekend.
This katsu sauce is a game-changer! It’s incredibly simple to make and added so much flavor to my katsu dish. Thank you for sharing this quick and delicious recipe!
This was so easy to make and tasted delicious over chicken. Saving recipe to make again in future.
I never knew how easy katsu sauce was to make. I served it with seared tuna and it was delicious!
Absolutely delicious! It is so rich and fantastic on everything – will have to keep it in the fridge at all times!
I can’t believe how easy and delicious this tonkatsu sauce is! I’ve always loved tonkatsu but never realized I could make the sauce at home with just a few simple ingredients.
I put this sauce on everything! With just the right amount of tang and sweetness, it’s perfect for any dish!
This sauce turned out tangy, slightly sweet, and thick. It adds a delicious flavor to my fried porkchop. I love it!
I made this sauce last night and it went perfectly with my chicken tenders! Thanks for sharing the recipe.
I didn’t have time to run to the store to buy bull-dog sauce so I made this instead. Amazing! My family said it was perfect!
I used honey instead of sugar and it turned out great! I served it with fried pork katsu over steamed rice. My new go-to recipe!
The flavor and the consistency of this sauce is perfect! I was looking for a sauce to serve with tempura and your recipe was so easy and quick to make. Definitely going to save this, thank you so much for sharing!
Great recipe with the perfect measurements. Ended up tasting just like bulldog sauce. I always make extra and keep it in the fridge. I’ve had it with tonkatsu and chicken tenders. Excellent!
I love this sauce! I am always looking for different sauces to try and thanks for the tip on using vegan Worcestershire sauce. The texture is what I love the most and you are right about just the right amount of sweetness!
This is definitely one of the easiest sauces I’ve ever made and it’s so tasty too! Great with katsu and fried shrimp.
Made this to go with katsu and gyoza and everyone loved it! Great recipe!
A few simple ingredients I had right in my refrigerator and I had the best katsu sauce ever!