Eel Sauce Recipe

Japanese cuisine is so flavorful because of its vibrant flavor sauces. Eel sauce is one of the delicious sauces of Japan. Sushi is incomplete without the eel sauce. Japanese people call eel sauce unagi sauce.

It is a sweet and savory sauce that complements the taste of sushi. Not only sushi, eel sauce can elevate a wide range of comfort dishes. You need to drizzle some eel sauce on the top to make them flavorful and appealing. Yes, it is that simple to enhance taste and appearance with this interesting sauce.

Moreover, it is difficult to find such an easy and quick sauce recipe. Give us 5 minutes. We will make you understand the eel sauce recipe. Then, you can make eel sauce at home in only 10 minutes.

Why You Must Try This Recipe at Home?

You can easily buy the eel sauce from the market. However, we recommend preparing the sauce at home. Because it is very easy to make at home. Besides, only 3 ingredients are required to prepare this simple sauce. Then, why will you spend money on store-bought sauce?

Homemade eel sauce is easy, affordable, and far more flavorful than store-bought eel sauce. Additionally, you have a chance to customize the taste of the sauce in the homemade version. It is not possible with store-bought sauce.

Hence, you should prefer the homemade eel sauce over the store-bought sauce. This article is for you, where you will get the easiest recipe with special tips and serving suggestions for the perfect eel sauce.  

Ingredients and Substitutions You Need for This Recipe

The eel sauce ingredients are simple. You need only 3 common ingredients to make the Eel sauce at home. Here, we have attached a table of ingredients with their amounts and substitutions.

Ingredient	Amount	Substitutions/Notes
Soy sauce	½ cup	You can use low-sodium soy sauce for a lighter flavor (Lee Kum Kee Less Sodium Soy Sauce, San-J Tamari Lite)
Mirin	½ cup	Sweet Japanese rice wine (sweet cooking wine)
Sugar	3 tablespoons	Adjust to your taste (you can use honey for a sugar-free version).
Sake (Optional)	2 tablespoons	For enhancing the depth of flavor

• Soy sauce provides the salty, umami base that defines the eel sauce’s savory flavor.
• Mirin adds sweetness and a mild tang that balances the saltiness.
• Sugar enhances sweetness and helps the sauce thicken into a glossy glaze.
• Sake deepens the flavor and adds a subtle richness and aroma.

How to Make Eel Sauce: Easy 5 Steps

The making process of Japanese eel sauce is so simple and rapid. We have divided the whole process into 5 easy steps for your easy understanding. Just follow our steps to get the best eel sauce in the world.

Step 1: Collect and Measure All the Required Ingredients

Initially, check the easy ingredient list.

• Collect soy sauce, Mirin, sugar, and sake before starting the preparation process.
• Soy sauce and sugar usually remain in everyone’s kitchen. Mirin is a secret ingredient in this sauce recipe. You can easily get Mirin from the local market. Therefore, when you think about preparing eel sauce at home, you should immediately collect Mirin. Then, you can start the process.
• Sake is an optional ingredient. If you want deep flavor, professionals suggest using sake. Therefore, you also need to collect the sake before starting your preparation.
• After collecting all the steps, measure them precisely using specific measuring cups and spoons.
• Place the measured ingredients in specific bowls. 

Step 2: Prepare the Sauce Base

After collecting and measuring the ingredients, it’s time to prepare the sauce base.

• Take a saucepan and add the soy sauce, Mirin, sugar, and sake to the saucepan.
• Place the saucepan over medium heat.
• Stir nicely and bring to a gentle boil.
• The eel sauce base is ready.

Step 3: Simmer the Sauce

After a boil, you need to simmer the sauce base.

• Reduce the heat and simmer the sauce base for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Then, you will get a honey-like texture to the sauce.
• Don’t make the sauce too thick.
• 10 to 15 minutes of simmering is enough.

Note: Remember to stir the sauce occasionally during the simmering step. 

Step 4: Cool the Sauce

Remove the saucepan from the heat and let it cool at room temperature. After cooling, the texture will be thicker. Around 30 minutes of cooling should be sufficient here.  

Step 5: Serve or Store

The eel sauce for sushi is ready to serve.

• Drizzle some sauce on the top of the sushi and enjoy finger-licking sushi at home.
• You can also store the sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. 

Special Tips for the Perfect Eel Sauce

Adjust Sweetness

Experts recommend adjusting the sweetness according to your preferences. If you don’t like sweet much, you can signify the savory flavor by reducing the sugar. It will help to get your own eel sauce, which will be far more appropriate for you than store-bought sauce.

Consistency Adjustment

The eel sauce should be thick enough to coat food but thin enough to be pourable. After huge experiments, experts have come to a solution that 10 – 15 minutes of simmering is enough to get the perfect consistency.

But, if you prefer the eel sauce thick, you can simmer for around 3 more minutes. You should keep in mind that after cooling, you will get thicker sauce. Therefore, 15 minutes of simmering is suggested. Yet, for a thicker consistency, you can go for simmering longer. 

Use High-Quality Ingredients

High-quality ingredients provide superior quality eel sauce. Professionals advise using the authentic soy sauce and Mirin to get the best flavor. Use made-in-Japan products for authentic flavors. 

Serving Suggestions

Eel sauce is the best for sushi. However, you can pair this sauce with grilled meat, fish, seafood, etc. Here, we have described 5 of the best serving ideas with eel sauce.

1. Drizzle eel sauce on the top of the sushi rolls to have the best sushi.
2. Add eel sauce to the rice bowl to enjoy a delicious meal.
3. Eel sauce is a perfect pair with stir-fried vegetables.
4. Spread eel sauce on grilled salmon, eel, or shrimp to enjoy fish at dinner.
5. Eel sauce with baked or fried tofu is a masterpiece for vegetarians.

Final Thought

Preparing the eel sauce recipe can take 10 minutes at the most. You can make an amazing sauce to elevate normal dishes within just 10 minutes. So, don’t miss this versatile and flavorful Japanese sauce.

Homemade eel sauce allows you to customize the sweetness and consistency. Additionally, it is a great way to enjoy 5-star-like sushi at home cost-effectively. After learning this easy recipe, host a party to impress your friends with your cooking skills.

FAQs

Does Eel Sauce Contain Actual Eel?

From the name, people may think eel sauce is made of eel. But it creates a pseudo-image. Despite its name, eel sauce does not contain eel or seafood. Traditionally, it is a vegetarian-friendly sauce. Eel sauce is made from soy sauce, Mirin, sugar, and sake.

Grilled eel with eel sauce creates a great taste. Therefore, the name comes from its original use, not from its ingredients. 

Can I Make Eel Sauce Without Mirin or Sake?

Yes, you can make eel sauce without Mirin or sake. Mirin is a Japanese sweet wine. You can easily make this by mixing rice vinegar and sugar. On the other hand, sake is optional here. If you want a deeper flavor, you can add sake. Apple juice can be an easily available substitute for sake.

Using the alternatives may make the taste of eel sauce less complex. Thus, you need to adjust the sugar to maintain the right sweetness.  

How Long Does Homemade Eel Sauce Last?

The ingredients of eel sauce are not perishable. Therefore, you can store this sauce. Homemade eel sauce can last for up to two weeks. But you have to store the sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Always cool it completely at room temperature before refrigerating the sauce. You can easily reheat the sauce before using it again.