Potently flavorful and fragrant, this is a central ingredient in many Chinese dishes and will work absolute MIRACLES for the foods you add it to! Made from scratch with an unrivaled depth of flavor that will “wow” your taste buds, look no further for the BEST hoisin sauce recipe!
What is Hoisin Sauce?
Hoisin sauce is a thick, dark, fragrant and flavorful sauce that is commonly used as a dipping sauce, a glaze for meats and added to stir fries. It balances both sweet, tangy and salty flavors and contributes an intense umami element to whatever food it’s added to.
Although the name hoisin is Chinese for “seafood” it does not contain any seafood, rather the name likely refers to the fact that the sauce is a common accompaniment for seafood.
How To Use Hoisin Sauce
It’s pretty much an all-purpose condiment, it’s so delicious on so many things. Â Here are just a few ways to use it:
- In stir-fries and on noodles
- Slathered on chicken, pork, ribs, duck or tofu and baked or grilled
- Added to veggies
- In marinades, vinaigrettes and barbecue sauces
- A general substitute for ketchup
- A new twist for meatloaf
- Slathered on burgers
- For pulled pork or pulled chicken
- Added to soup broths for a great flavor
- The base sauce for Chinese-style pizza
- Added to mayo for a Chinese twist
- As a dipping sauce for Chinese dumplings, egg rolls, wontons, chicken nuggets, etc.
This sauce is just plain incredible!
In this traditional recipe we’re adding a few prunes for sweetness and texture.  However, this is not the same thing as plum sauce. Check out our authentic Chinese Plum Sauce recipe.
Key Ingredients in Hoisin SauceÂ
As with most things, store-bought hoisin sauce doesn’t even begin to compare to homemade. The flavor and potency of this authentic homemade hoisin sauce will absolutely wow your taste buds!
You’ll find a lot of recipes online for hoisin sauce calling for things like peanut butter and molasses – neither of those belong in hoisin sauce and do not remotely resemble the right flavor. Leave those two items on the shelf and instead grab the two key ingredients you’ll need to make the real deal: Chinese Five Spice and Black Bean Sauce (click links for recipes to make your own).
You can find Chinese five spice in the spice section of most grocery stores. The black bean sauce may be a little more challenging to find. However in both cases we HIGHLY recommend making your own anyway in order to achieve the absolute BEST flavor results.
Black bean sauce is a key ingredient to the best Chinese food, so you’ll want the ingredients on hand to make that anyway.
So now all you have to do is combine the Chinese five spice powder with the black bean sauce and a few other ingredients and you’ve got the best homemade hoisin sauce ever! Check out our reader’s reviews in the comments below.
Can I Make Sugar Free Hoisin Sauce?
Yes! While there still be a little bit of sugar from the prunes, you can make this sauce low sugar by using a brown sugar alternative like Sukrin Gold.
Hoisin Sauce Recipe
Let’s get started!
There are just two steps to make this sauce:
- Place all the ingredients in a blender
- Puree until smooth.
That’s all there’s to it!
Pour the sauce into a glass jar with a lid and store it in the refrigerator where it will keep for about a week. You can also freeze it for up to a few months.
Enjoy!
For more phenomenal Asian condiments, be sure to try our:
- Sweet and Sour Sauce
- Yum Yum Sauce
- Plum SauceÂ
- Teriyaki Sauce
- Eel Sauce
- Kecap Manis
- Sweet Chili Sauce
- Ponzu Sauce
- Char Siu Sauce
- Ginger Sauce
BEST Authentic Hoisin Sauce
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup dark brown sugar
- or alternative brown sugar (for low sugar option)
- 2 tablespoons water
- 3 tablespoons Homemade Chinese Black Bean Sauce
- or use store-bought Chinese Black Bean Sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 4 prunes
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/2 teaspoon Homemade Chinese Five Spice Powder (strongly recommended)
- or use store-bought five spice powder
- pinch of red pepper flakes or dash of sriracha sauce , optional for some heat
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. Store in the fridge in a non-reactive airtight container. Chill overnight or preferable 24 hours before using. Will keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Nutrition
Originally published on The Daring Gourmet on April 26, 2016
Gigi says
I’ve been making this sauce for years! It’s the best gluten free recipe I’ve ever found!
Kimberly Killebrew says
Thank you so much, Gigi, I’m happy it’s become a regular!
Phil says
made your hoison,black bean and sweet and sour sauces. without doubt the best I have tasted and Gluten Free
Many Thanks
Kimberly Killebrew says
That’s wonderful, Phil, I’m so glad you made all three of them and even happier that you enjoyed them – thank you! :)
Perry Mason says
Great recipe, so delicious, far beyond store bought, thank you.
Mary Ellen says
Woǹderful! How about a peanut sauce?
Thank you.
Joan M MILLER says
Can this sauce be canned? If so, what canning procedure and for how long?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Joan, this recipe hasn’t been tested for canning so I can’t recommend it for that purpose.
Stephanie says
I live in Turkey and Chinese ingredients are hard to find, but very expensive if you can get them. Made this and tasted delicious. I couldn’t find prunes so used dates instead, but am so happy with the results. Thank you
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you, Stephanie, I’m so happy you enjoyed it! :)
Mme de Fleuris says
How lucky l was for having fou d The Daring Gourmet! I had prepared the usual recipe with peanuts and peanut butter and, evidently had little to do with the one you can taste in a good chinese dinner. I was trying to find other ways to prepare and then your recipe came along. Now l have to adjust a bit the proportions and will have it! Just one question, pls, in the small town l live in France there’s just one Chinese food/supplies shop and the fermented black beans are too salty, they are contained in soja oil. Can l rinse them or they would lose their punch? I don’like buying in the internet, l’m a firm supporter of local commerce and real shops and well, this is what l have here! Merci Beaucoup!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you! :) Yes, you can rinse them if you like, that’s no problem. Happy cooking!
Vince Stapleton says
Outrageous!
Have always wanted to make my own Hoisin sauce and this recipe is a winner! Mine came out a bit thin so next time I will eliminate the two tablespoons of water.
Anonymous says
I decided to try this since I had all the ingredients needed. Wow! So very good! Thank you for the recipe!
Mun says
May I know why prunes are added?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Mun, for flavor and texture.
Geert says
What prunes exactly did you use?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Geert, prunes are dried plums and they’re usually made from the Italian variety (very fleshy) of plums.
Tony says
This recipe was spot-on; tasted authentic and way better than store-bought. I’ve tried dozens of online hoisin recipes and no others even came close.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you so much, Tony, I’m absolutely thrilled to hear that!
SuperD says
Another Outstanding recipe!! Thank you
Ken Butler says
The directions call for Chinese Five Spice Powder and Chinese Five Spice. The second Chinese Five Spice should read, Fermented Black Bean Paste. I haven’t tried the recipe yet, but I look forward to it.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Ken, I’m not sure I understand. The recipe calls for Chinese five spice and black bean sauce. I provide two options for each – the link to the recipes to make them yourself, and links to examples of where you can purchase them online.
homemom4 says
I think Ken means there is a typo at the top of the directions and while it correctly links to the black bean paste, it actually says “chinese five spice”.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Oh gotcha. When you both referred to the “directions” I thought you meant the recipe. I see what you’re referring to in the blog post and updated it. Thank you.
Tricia Bush says
can this sauce freeze?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Tricia, you can but cornstarch does not freeze well, it breaks down when thawed, so you may need to reheat it and re-thicken with cornstarch. That’s if you’re using it for a dipping sauce and need it to be a thicker consistency. If you’re just adding it to your cooking you probably don’t need to worry about re-thicken it.
Keith Meredith says
Haven’t tried it yet but plan to – but where is the cornstarch? Can’t see any mention in the recipe…
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Keith, this isn’t a cooked sauce and there is no cornstarch in it.
Jon says
I’m confused, on this comment you tell Kimberly that the sauce won’t freeze well because of cornstarch.. then say to Keith that there is no cornstarch? So then it should freeze alright..? Thanks.. it sounds great!
Kimberly Killebrew says
Oh dear, clearly I was confused too, lol! I was getting this mixed up with the Black Bean Sauce that incorporates this hoisin sauce and DOES use cornstarch. That is correct, Jon, this hoisin sauce does not have any cornstarch in it and yes, it can be frozen!
K says
Thank you! We made this with black bean and garlic sauce ( because I had it) and it is wonderful!
Barbara A Chen says
You just saved me. Not because I followed the recipe but because I was able to convert it to low carb easily and the flavor is still spot on!!! We are trying to reduce carbs and my son can’t resist using hoisin like it’s ketchup, so this is amazing! Thank you so much for the ONLY authentic hoisin recipe on the internet!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Barbara, I’m glad you were able to adjust it to your needs and that it’s a family hit, thank you!
Anonymous says
Hey! Out of interest what changes did you make to make it low carb?
Ceredwyn says
Hi there, what did you use instead of sugar to make it low carb and still sweet? Thanks.
Ann says
I’d use erythritol or monk fruit sweetener. Since brown sugar in this recipe helps thicken, using guar gum will do the same without adding significant carbs. I prefer it over xanthan gum which I find has an unpleasant mouthfeel. Hope that helps!