Potently flavorful and fragrant, Hoisin sauce is a central ingredient in many Chinese dishes and will work absolute MIRACLES for the foods you add it to!Ā 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.Ā 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. Ā 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!
Key Ingredients in Hoisin SauceĀ
As with most things, store-bought hoisin sauce doesn’t even begin to compare to homemade.Ā The flavor and potency of this authentic homemade 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.Ā 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.Ā The black bean sauce may be a little more challenging to find.Ā 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!Ā Check out our reader’s reviews in the comments below.
Authentic Hoisin Sauce Recipe
Let’s get started!
There are just two steps:Ā 1) Place all the ingredients in a blender and 2) Puree until smooth.Ā Ā That’s it, you’re done!
NOTE: Ā We’re adding a few prunes for sweetness and texture. Ā However, this isĀ not the same thing as plum sauce.
Store the sauce in the fridge in a non-reactive airtight container.Ā It will keep for about a week.
Enjoy!
For more phenomenal Asian condiments, be sure to try our:
- Sweet and Sour Sauce
- Yum Yum Sauce
- Plum SauceĀ
- Teriyaki Sauce
- Kecap Manis
- Sweet Chili Sauce
- Ponzu Sauce
- Char Siu Sauce
- Ginger Sauce
BEST Authentic Hoisin Sauce
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 3 tablespoons Homemade Chinese Black Bean Sauce
- OR use store-bought Chinese Black Bean Sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 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
- If you prefer a little heat add some red chilies or sriracha to taste
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
Renee - Kudos Kitchen says
Thank you for this recipe. I’ve always purchased my hoisin sauce at the store, but I appreciate that now I can make it at home. Looks easy too. I’m excited to try it.
Lauren says
Making your own is always better than storebought in my opinion!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
Awesome! I’ve always wanted to make my own since I need it GF and soy-free!
Michelle says
Did you figure a way around the fermented black beans to make this soy-free?
Nutmeg Nanny says
I LOVE hoisin sauce but never thought to make it myself. I love that I finally know how :)
Lori @ RecipeGirl says
What a terrific idea! Add this to “things I never realized you could make yourself!” Good job :)
Karyn @ Pint Sized Baker says
I love that this sauce is so versatile. This sounds so easy to make as well.
Heather | All Roads Lead to the Kitchen says
We use hoisin all the time (I used it to flavor a pork butt for pulled pork sandwiches just today!) and are fortunate to have it readily available in our local stores. However, homemade is always best – and I will definitely be giving yours a try, it looks perfect!
Julie | This Gal Cooks says
The only think I don’t have for this recipe is the black bean paste but I think I have the ingredients to make it myself. Great recipe! I’m always finding recipes that need hoisin sauce but I rarely have it in my pantry.
Carrie @Frugal Foodie Mama says
I have never tried making my own hoisin sauce before! I actually have a jar of Chinese Five Spice in my cupboard right now (my house LOVES that stuff!). I think that all I need to pick up to make this is the black bean paste and prunes. Totally going to give this recipe a go soon! :)
Sarah Walker Caron (Sarah's Cucina Bella) says
Wow! I can’t believe how easy this is. YUM.
eat good 4 life says
This is great. I use hoisin sauce in my Asian cooking so knowing how to make my own is a huge plus. It is difficult to find ones without MSG sometimes. Great recipe!
Ann says
Soy sauce has naturally occurring msg in it.
Sheila @ Life, Love, and Good Food says
Great info – I had no idea what hoisin sauce was, only that it was tasty!
Kirsten/Comfortably Domestic says
Hooray! I love hoisin sauce, but it’s hard to find one that doesn’t contain fish oil. I can’t wait to make it at home.
Ashley @ Wishes & Dishes says
Yes! This is the one ingredient I am always lacking when I go to make something! Love this homemade version.
Candace Nielson says
I can’t even tell you how excited I am to see this!!!! I love ALL of your condiment recipes (and everything else!), and have made many of them including your teriyaki sauce and black bean sauce – both are A++! Absolutely cannot wait to try this hoisin sauce, thank you, thank you!