It’s hard to beat the two-ingredient spicy mayo that you get in American sushi restaurants, but we like our slightly amped up recipe even better. It’s great for sushi and poke bowls, sure. But it also makes a fabulous dip, sandwich spread, and salad dressing.
Why we love this recipe (and you do, too)
Sushi is basically the best thing in the world, and spicy sushi is even better. The secret to sushi restaurants' simple but simply epic sauce is Kewpie mayonnaise. Once you know that, you're pretty much golden.
We've got the formula for regular (and totally amazing) spicy sauce right here below.
And we've also got our VERY favorite, even BETTER sauce, which adds a couple of extra ingredients to boost the flavor and umami to the next level.
What you'll need
You only need a few simple ingredients to make either the basic sauce or our even better spicy mayo sauce. You'll need:
- Kewpie mayonnaise
- Sriracha hot sauce
- Reduced-sodium soy sauce
- A minced shallot
How to make it
You've got two choices for excellent spicy mayo sauce. You can watch the simple process for both in action in the video that accompanies this post.
For basic sauce, you will stir together Kewpie mayo and sriracha. That's it!
For even better sauce, you'll add some lower-sodium soy sauce and a bit of minced shallot to the mix.
Either way, you can't go wrong.
What is Kewpie mayo?
Good question. Easy answer. Kewpie is a Japanese brand of mayonnaise that’s creamier, tangier, and more umami-fied than American mayo. It’s made with egg yolks instead of whole eggs, has a thinner consistency that makes it popular as a salad dressing base, and, not gonna lie, it has a little MSG in it. (Psst…so do a lot of the things you probably eat, just sayin.) That combination of characteristics is one of the reasons you love this sauce so much, and why it’s not the same if you make it at home with regular mayo.
The good news is that Kewpie is pretty easy to get these days, whether via Amazon, your local east Asian specialty market, or even regular grocery and big box store.
So that shouldn’t stop you from making this creamy chili sauce at home. Nor, really, should anything else. I’ll leave you to it.
Can you use regular mayo in this recipe?
Far be it from me to discourage you from making this recipe under any circumstances. If regular mayo is absolutely your only choice, then use that.
But Japanese mayo really is different, so the flavor profile won't be the same as what you expect from sushi restaurants if you don't use it. I'd really encourage seeking it out if you're at all inclined.
How long does spicy mayo last?
You can keep it in a tightly sealed container in a nice cold fridge for up to a week. To be honest, I have a hard time not eating it all within a few days, since it's great on virtually everything. But maybe that's just me.
How to use it
Here are a few of our favorite ways to use this sauce:
- Salmon roll with avocado
- Tuna and salmon poke bowls
- Soft shell crab salad
- Soft shell crab sandwiches (just drizzle it right on)
- Add it to these 20-minute sushi bowls
- Dip charred shishito peppers right into a small bowl of it
- Or use it as a salad dressing
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An Even Better Spicy Mayo Recipe
It's hard to beat the good old two-ingredient spicy mayo that you get at sushi restaurants, but we like this slightly amped up version even better. Don't substitute regular mayo for the Kewpie mayo except in an emergency. It's...kinda everything.
Ingredients
- ½ cup Kewpie mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon Sriracha, plus more to taste
- 1 tablespoon lower sodium tamari (or other good soy sauce)
- ½ shallot, minced
Instructions
- Stir all ingredients together and serve as a sauce or salad dressing.
- Store leftovers tightly sealed in the fridge for up to a week.
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Nutrition Information:
Serving Size:
1 tablespoonAmount Per Serving: Calories: 97Total Fat: 10.3gCarbohydrates: 0.8gFiber: 0.1gProtein: 0.3g
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awesome! I have yet to buy MSG for the house. I am assuming there is a healthy level to consume. just like sugar. sugar is a concentrated ingredient, but is also found naturally occurring in food and it's also terrible for you if you consume a lot.
we have been making spicy aquafaba mayo (thought it would be gross as hell, but I actually like it better). I am guessing if we get some MSG we can up our game. the shallots sound amazing too.
thanks!