Spice Free Gluten Free Eel Sauce
That deep, glossy drizzle you get at your favorite sushi spot is surprisingly simple to recreate at home, and this version keeps things completely free of chiles, pepper, or any other heat-forward additions. It's built on just four ingredients — tamari (which also keeps it gluten free), mirin, sake, and sugar — simmered down into a rich, caramel-edged sauce that clings beautifully to whatever it touches. The slow reduction is where the magic happens, concentrating the umami and sweetness into something that tastes far more complex than the ingredient list suggests. It's perfect for drizzling over rice bowls, grilled fish, roasted vegetables, or homemade sushi rolls without any worry about hidden spice blends sneaking in. Store-bought eel sauce can be a gamble when you're avoiding seasonings and additives, so having a clean, made-from-scratch batch in the fridge is genuinely useful. Let it cool fully before sealing it up — it thickens into that signature syrupy consistency on its own, no cornstarch required.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
- ½ cup tamari
- ½ cup mirin
- ¼ cup sake
- 3 tbsp granulated sugar
Instructions
- 1
Combine the tamari, mirin, sake, and sugar in a small saucepan. Whisk over medium heat until the sugar is fully dissolved, about 1–2 minutes.
- 2
Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has reduced by about one-third and coats the back of a spoon with a thin, glossy layer, 10–12 minutes. Watch closely toward the end — the sugar can scorch quickly.
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