7 Best Sushi Sauces to Elevate Your Meal

Enhance homemade sushi with delicious topping sauces like mango, eel, spicy mayo, beetroot, wasabi, sweet chili, and Masago for flavor, texture, and visual appeal.

sushi toppings sauce

Sushi is probably one of the best foods to be created, and it is becoming more common for people to make it at home. Many are trying new ways to enjoy the dish, from fried sushi to baked sushi casseroles.

One of the underrated aspects of sushi that enhances its flavor is the topping sauces. Here are some of the most delicious topping sauces to take your sushi to the next level. 

Delicious sushi topping sauces to elevate your dish include mango sauce, eel (unagi) sauce, spicy mayo sauce, beetroot sauce, wasabi sauce, sweet chili sauce, and Masago sauce. They add flavor and texture and make your sushi aesthetically appealing using simple ingredients. 

Sushi topping sauce makes your sushi better. It can be used in more than one way and for different types of food, and you will get restaurant-worthy sushi at home! 

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What Sauce Goes On Top Of Sushi? 

Making sushi at home is fun, but how do you make it taste like the ones you purchase at Asian restaurants? Whether you are experimenting with making homemade sushi or buying basic sushi to keep things affordable, there are sauces you can use to enhance the flavor and take your sushi to the next level. 

The best thing about these sushi topping sauces is that you can make them at home or buy them ready-made from stores. You need a small amount at a time, so they will last for several uses.

These sauces will make your sushi look visually pleasing and taste amazing, adding more texture to your palate. 

Mango Sushi Sauce

World Harbors Island Mango Sauce and Marinade, 16 Fl Oz (Pack of 6)

A mango sauce is a perfect way to add vibrant color to your regular sushi rolls. It goes deliciously alongside fruity sushi rolls but is the ideal contrasting flavor for veg and seafood sushi.

It is super simple to make at home and requires a ripe mango with other ingredients in your pantry. It is also a fun way to wow your guests with something unique. 

If you make sushi at home, you already have ingredients like rice vinegar. If you don’t, you can substitute with lime juice. This gives your mango sushi topping sauce that mixture of sweetness and tartness.

The best part? You can use this sauce as a topping and a dip. Just remember it is potent and different from most sushi sauces, so start with a little and add on as you require. 

Eel (Unagi) Sauce 

Kikkoman Unagi Sushi Sauce, 11.8 oz (Pack of 2)

If you can’t get enough of eel, why not make an eel sauce to devour with your sushi? If you are wondering, eel sauce doesn’t necessarily have eel. Traditionally, it used to, but now it is vegan-friendly. But if you want, you can follow a recipe that has come in.

Eel sauce includes a combination of soy sauce, sugar, and mirin. These are pretty standard ingredients used for sushi and sushi dips. 

It is not an extremely thick consistency sauce and can typically be drizzled over your sushi rolls or used as a dip. And if you are as obsessed as the rest of us, you can do both.

The mirin, sweet Japanese wine, balances the sugar with acidity, and the reason that eel sauce has a slight umami profile. Eel sauce goes with sushi, such as California rolls, fried tempura, tuna rolls, and even sushi bowls.  

Spicy Mayo Sauce 

Kikkoman Sriracha Mayo, 8.5 Ounce (Pack Of 1)

A spicy mayo sauce, also known as chili mayo and more commonly as dynamite sauce, is a standard topping sauce for many sushi types and is used in many restaurants. The spicy mayo is a basic, simple sauce, but when topped on sushi, it adds a burst of flavor and takes a regular sushi roll to the next level of tasty. 

The dynamite sauce can also be used inside the sushi rolls for creaminess. Drizzling on top of sushi makes it visually pleasing and improves the taste while adding texture. It is the easiest sauce and requires only mayonnaise and sriracha sauce.

Combining the tartness from the mayo with the chili and garlic flavor from the sriracha on your sushi will make your taste buds dance. 

Beetroot Sauce

Beetroot sauce is one of the unique sushi topping sauces you don’t want to miss. This goes best with vegetarian rolls, but you can pair it with any type you prefer.

Fried sushi is also an excellent option for pairing with beetroot sauce. It is bright and adds a beautiful vibrancy to make your sushi aesthetically appealing while adding a unique and exciting flavor. 

It is simple to make and requires blending some ready-to-use beetroot, straining it, and mixing it with a little bit of mayonnaise, olive oil, seasoning, and lime juice.

Beetroot also adds a health factor if you are trying to keep your dish healthy. It is not often found at many restaurants, thus super unique and exciting topped on your homemade sushi. 

Wasabi Sauce 

Kikkoman, Wasabi Sauce, 9.25oz Bottle (Pack of 2)

Wasabi paste is a standard item served with sushi. It is unique within itself and pretty addictive. But if you have yet to try wasabi sauce as a topping for your sushi, you are missing out big time. Once again, a sauce with a bright, vibrant color will make your sushi look professional and add a layer of exciting flavor to your dish. 

You will need fresh wasabi root to make this sauce, with an addition to other essential ingredients used for sushi dips like soy sauce, rice vinegar, and mirin.

The combination of the components will give you that kick you seek from wasabi, with a tang and sweetness. It is the perfect flavor profile to drizzle on your sushi rolls. And if you can’t get enough, use it as a dip! 

Sweet Chili Sauce

Mae Ploy, Chili Sauce Sweet, 25 Fl Oz

A sushi topping sauce you will likely find familiar in restaurants is sweet chili sauce. You can use a readymade sweet chili sauce or make your own at home. There is a reason why it is a loved flavor in many sushi types, especially fried sushi. And that is because it immensely enhances the flavor. 

You can take a basic sushi roll and drizzle some sweet chili sauce, and you will have something that looks and tastes like an advanced chef has made. 

Masago Sauce

Masago sauce will not only take your sushi to the next level but is a fantastic way to elevate your traditional spicy mayo sauce. It uses Masago roe, the eggs of the capelin fish.

Masago is often used as a sushi topping, and if you are a fan, going the extra mile to create a sauce will make you feel like a pro sushi chef after you taste it. 

It is traditionally made with Huy Fong Sriracha sauce and Kewpie mayonnaise. There’s lime to add a little bit of acidity and balance the flavors.

The best part about this sauce and the aspect that really takes things to the next level is the texture of the Masago in the sauce. It is like a party in your mouth combined with any sushi you serve under the sauce. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What Do You Put On Top of Sushi? 

If you are looking for fun ways to decorate your sushi, experiment with ingredients and flavors, and give your sushi more depth, try these fun ideas of things to add on top of sushi: 

  • Sauces 
  • Caviar 
  • Tobiko 
  • Sesame seeds 
  • Avocados 
  • Shrimp 
  • Thin slices of salmon or other fish 
  • Fried beetroot 
  • Chia seeds 
  • Sliced mango 
  • Sliced almond 
  • Crushed pecans 
  • Green onions 
  • Mint leaves 
  • Sliced cucumbers 

Conclusion 

Sauces and other toppings for sushi are a fun and unique way to elevate your dish while adding texture and flavor and making it visually pleasing.

Different sauces on your sushi will give you a new taste every time, and you can take a standard sushi roll and give it an oomph with one of the delicious sauces. 

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