shards, Try this super quick, homemade, and oh so much better than anything-you-can-buy-ponzu-sauce for oysters. Ready in as little as one minute and with just four ingredients.

The ingredients in this recipe are very similar to those used in the recipes for Morimoto inspired manila clams, quickest, coolest Japanese tofu salad, and the miso-mirin sauce for cod.

What is ponzu sauce?

Ponzu sauce is a Japanese citrus dipping sauce classically made with yuzu lemons.

Since those can be hard to find, most versions use lemons, as does this one.

Most versions will also add soy sauce for Ponzu shoyu, though the original Ponzu sauce does not have it.

When I worked in restaurants, we would top oysters with all sorts of gelées, goo, and other weird stuff. But I still think this simple ponzu sauce is one of the best sauces for raw oysters.

What is in super quick, homemade ponzu sauce?

Just 4 simples ingredients:

Bonito flakes – to create a dashi stock that can balance the acid from the lemon and saltiness from the soy sauce
Lemon juice – the tart acid that oysters love
Soy sauce – for umami and saltiness
Mirin – for sweetness and flavor

From left to right: soy sauce, lemon, mirin, and bonito flakes in a bowl.

Some recipes add a touch of rice vinegar for another dimension of acidity.

However, this recipe sticks to just lemon juice because oysters love the sharp, tart acidity of yellow lemons.

How is it super quick?

Most recipes also use a premade dashi broth from bonito flakes and kelp.

However, that would require an unfortunate extra step.

Dashi powder would be an ample substitute if you have it. However, dashi powders without MSG can be expensive and hard to find.

Instead, we’re going to make the dashi stock in the bowl with…the microwave.

Since it’s such a small amount, it’s not worth heating up a whole pot on the stove.

You could just as well buy ponzu sauce, but the store bought versions never taste quite “meaty” enough or they’re too sweet.

Ponzu sauce for oysters in a bowl with lemon

A microwaveable cereal bowl is all you need to make this sauce since it is just a small quantity.

How do you make super quick, homemade ponzu sauce?

Grab your bowl for the microwave (ahem).
Put in the soy sauce, water, and bonito flakes.
Depending on how powerful your microwave is, heat for 15-30 seconds just until it starts to steam. You don’t really need to boil it.
Add the lemon juice and let cool.
Eventually, you will fish out the bonito flakes, but let it steep together while you open the oysters.

Tips for opening oysters on the half shell

Perhaps the ponzu sauce won’t deter you from making this dish but opening oysters will.

Try out these tips to make oyster opening much easier:

Use a towel or layers of paper towel, so the oyster is easier to hold on to with one hand, with your oyster knife in the other
Position the knife at the hinge and push at a 45-degree angle down into the oyster, rather than into your other hand
It’s all in the flick of the wrist. Twist your wrist!
Once cracked open, gently run your oyster knife along to the top shell to loosen any stuck bits of oyster
Run the knife underneath the oyster to loosen the muscle, so these will be slurpable
Do everyone a favor and don’t rinse with tap water. Just flick out any excess bits of shell with your oyster knife.

Once the oysters are open, you can cover and refrigerate for consumption later that same day.

Dress the Oysters

Once the oysters have been opened, the ponzu sauce should be cool by now.

You can strain out the bonito flakes and top each oyster with about a teaspoon of sauce.

Spice it up if you like with a thin slice of jalapeno.

If you wanted to be fancy, a jalapeno granita would be impressive but not necessary.

Ponzu Sauce for Oysters on the Half Shell with Lemon Wedge

Dress oysters with the ponzu sauce just before serving, and add a fresh slice of jalapeno if you feel like spicing it up. These are so good, you’ll forget all about cocktail sauce.

What else can you do with Ponzu sauce?

Ponzu is an all purpose dipping sauce that can be used on a variety of dishes such as:

Ceviche
Tempura dipping sauce
Dipping sauce for shabu shabu/hot pot
Baked with fish
Dipping sauce for grilled meat or fish
Salad dressing over organic spring mix or thinly sliced cabbage
Dipping sauce for dumplings with shichimi togarashi pepper
Dipping sauce for sushi & sashimi
Drizzled over raw or pan-fried slices of tofu

Other classic pairings with oysters on the ½ shell

We, of course, know the usual suspects when it comes to dining on raw oysters. You have probably had any or all of the following?

Lemon + Tabasco Sauce
Cocktail sauce (Ketchup, horseradish, lemon juice)
Mignonette (Red wine vinegar, shallot)

Please add Ponzu sauce to this party!

Ponzu sauce captures the necessary citrus component to brighten up the saltwater in the oyster but also adds that unique umami, soy sauce factor that the above three sauces don’t.

Wine pairing: Orange wine

Because orange is the new red (for wine) that may just be the best fit for sushi. That little bit of soy from the ponzu sauce, minerality from the oyster, and heat from the jalapeno would not overpower the orange wine.

Otherwise, a sparkling rose or chablis would work nicely for its limestone notes.

Tips to make it better @home

Add a squeeze of hot sauce to make it spicier.
Open the oysters ahead of time, if you’re pressed for time. Just consume on the same day.
Do not rinse the oysters with water after opening. They’ll taste like tap water. Just use the oyster knife to flick away any bits of shell.
Try this as a dipping sauce for dumplings, grilled fish, sashimi, or even salad greens.
Pair with orange wine, sparkling rose, or Chablis wine.

More Easy Seafood Recipes

Quickie Miso-Mirin Manila Clams

Legit Hawaiian Poke – No Soy Sauce Necessary

Vietnamese “Fried” Fish with Tomato Sauce (Cá Chiên Sðt Cà)

Print Recipe

5 from 4 votes