I am so excited to share this Benihana mustard sauce recipe. It comes out with all of the exact same flavors we get in a traditional hibachi restaurant. There's nothing better than a delicious dipping sauce that your kids will love and have them asking for more!
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Why this mustard sauce is so amazing
I love a good dinner out at Japanese steakhouses or hibachi restaurants, but I don't love the price tag. I also really like cooking and enjoy cracking the code on some really great copycat recipes.
This amazing copycat sauce brings the hibachi restaurant home and it couldn't be easier! I like to have my 10 year old son make this sauce for us. It's a great way to let your kids get involved and learn how to measure ingredients.
What is hibachi mustard sauce good for?
This dipping sauce is best for hibachi style chicken or a simple hibachi steak. The cream sauce is packed with flavor, so you don't need much. I love an easy recipe and hibachi chicken is perfect for a weeknight meal.
Japanese steakhouses are also known for their ginger sauces which are meant for veggies and shrimp.
Copycat mustard sauce ingredients
One reason I love this sauce is that we already have all of the simple ingredients in our pantry. Check it out:
- sesame seeds
- mustard powder
- garlic powder
- ½ cup soy sauce
- 1 cup heavy cream
- hot water
Ingredient substitutions found below.
Helpful supplies for making the mustard sauce
The best way to mix up this sauce is in a blender. If you have a smoothie blender, that will work great to blend the ingredients and keep the clean up super easy!
If you don't have a small smoothie blender you can also use: a mini food processor, small mixing bowl, or an emersion blender (aka stick blender).
You'll also need a small saucepan for toasting the sesame seeds and a small bowl or jar to transfer the sauce into for serving.
How to make copycat mustard sauce
- Toast the sesame seeds: place a small saucepan over medium heat and toast the sesame seeds for 2-3 minutes. Make sure to move them around so they don't stick to the pan or burn.
- Combine the toasted sesame seeds, mustard powder, hot water, soy sauce, and garlic powder in a blender. Blend on high speed for 1 minutes until all of the ingredients are well combined and the sauce is completely smooth.
- In the saucepan used to toast the sesame seeds, gently warm the heavy cream. Don't let it bubble or burn. It just needs to be warmed up. Add the ingredients from the blender to the warm cream and stir until its combined. Transfer to a serving dish and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Recipe modifications and substitutions
I have researched several versions of this sauce before I landed on my own recipe. I found that the ratio of cream to soy sauce to be off in most recipes out there. This recipe has just the right balance of salt and flavor in my opinion. However, taste is extremely subjective. If you want to turn up the salty factor, by all means add more soy sauce.
Let's go through the main ingredients and look for alternate options:
Soy sauce: I like the flavor of a good dark soy sauce, but I use a gluten free option. You can also use tamari sauce or coconut aminos if you want.
Mustard powder: the flavor we get from dry mustard is great and I always have it in the pantry. You can also use jarred Asian mustard found in the Asian section of your grocery store if you want a more intense flavor.
Heavy cream: I prefer the thickness we get from cream, but you can certainly use half n half or whole milk instead if you want it thinner.
Saving leftover hibachi mustard sauce
Ha! If there is any leftover sauce of course. Seriously though, my favorite vessel for saving leftover sauce is to use a small mason jar. Another option is a small glass snap-ware airtight container. I like these because the tight fitting lids will not allow any of this delicious sauce to escape... or make a mess.
Save the leftover dipping sauce in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Be sure to shake the mason jar and stir it well when you are ready to use it again.
Printable Benihana Mustard Sauce Recipe Card
Benihana Mustard Sauce Recipe
Equipment
- 1 small sauce pan
- 1 blender
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon sesame seeds
- ½ cup soy sauce
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 teaspoon mustard powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder or granulated garlic
- 1 tablespoon hot water
Instructions
- Set a small sauce pan over medium heat. Add the sesame seeds to the dry pan and toast for 3-5 minutes. Stir and move around the sesame seeds in the pan frequently as they can easily burn. After the sesame seeds have a golden brown color, pour them into the bowl of a mini food processor or small blender.
- Set the sauce pan back over low heat and add the heavy cream. Slowly, let the cream warm over but don't let it bubble.
- While the cream warms on the stove, mix the rest of the sauce in your blender or food processor. To the sesame seeds, add the soy sauce, mustard powder, garlic powder, and water. Blend the mixture until it is completely smooth.
- Combine the soy sauce mixture with the warmed cream and transfer to a serving dish.
- Garnish with sesame seeds if desired.
Nutrition
When you make this Benihana magic mustard sauce and share pics on social media, be sure to tag me @Fancy_Apron 🙂
Lisa says
As a long time Benihana fan, i can tell you this recipe lives up to the original. Excellent sauce. Thank you so much!
Alexis says
Thank you so much, Lisa! Nothing makes me happier than when someone comes back to tell me they enjoyed a recipe!