For those of you who know what this is, you already know the wonders it does for your Asian-inspired dishes. You’ll also be happy to know how incredibly quick and easy it is to make yourself (all of 15 minutes). PLUS, it tastes even better than store-bought stuff AND you know exactly what’s in it…and what isn’t!
For those of you who have no idea what this stuff is, you’ve now discovered a grand secret to making some of the best Chinese food on the planet!
So let’s get right down to it.
What is Black Bean Sauce?
Let’s begin with the central ingredient: Fermented black beans. No, they’re not your typical black beans, aka turtle beans, that you find in dishes like Black Beans & Rice or in South American cuisine. (Yes, I have seen several well-intentioned recipes online calling for regular black beans.) No, these black beans are actually black soybeans. These fermented black soybeans, called douchi in Chinese, are created through a process of boiling the beans, then inoculating them with a special mold spore (commonly aspergillus oryzae) as they dry in the sun. Then they’re typically either stored dry or in brine. This same mold variety is used in miso and soy sauce which are also both fermented products.
You can find fermented black beans in well-stocked Asian grocery stores or you can buy them online.
Because of their strong flavor, fermented black beans are frequently paired with other strong flavors like, most commonly garlic and also chilies for heat. Fermented black beans are most widely used to make Black Bean Sauce, also referred to as Black Bean Paste and Black Bean & Garlic Sauce. Black bean sauce is an important and popular ingredient in Chinese cuisine, particularly Cantonese and Sichuan cooking. It’s as common as an everyday condiment as ketchup is here.
Sharp, pungent, salty and spicy with a hint of sweet, black bean sauce contributes a flavor to Chinese food like no other. And a little goes a very long way, so use sparingly.
So now that we’ve established what black bean paste is, the next question arises:
How Do You Use Black Bean Sauce?
The sky is the limit!
Some popular ways of using it include:
- Stir-fries
- Fried rice
- Eggs and omelettes
- Chinese long beans or green beans
- Fish, scallops, clams and shrimp
- Chinese noodle dishes
- Chicken dishes
- Beef dishes
- Asian eggplant dishes
- Slathered on pork spareribs and then steamed, grilled or roasted
- On vegetables such as bok choy or broccoli
- Asian wraps
- Asian-style coleslaw
I love including it in the base for most any stir-fry. Just select your protein, throw in some veggies, and stir in the black bean sauce.
Black bean sauce is used any time you want to add a unique and powerfully delicious flavor boost to your dishes along with a punch of umami.
Here are just a few recipes that you can take to the next level by adding 2-3 teaspoons of this black bean sauce:
Beef Stir Fry with Snow Peas and Mushrooms
Ready to make some Chinese Black Bean Sauce?
Let’s get started!
Making your own Chinese black bean paste takes all of 10 minutes. As long as you have the fermented black beans, the rest of the ingredients are common staples and easy to find. I got my fermented black beans from Hoosier Hill Farm.
Huge quantity and a good price. They’ll keep for a long time, several months, and you can also freeze them in ziplock bags and they’ll last even longer.
Place the fermented black beans in a small bowl, cover with water and soak for an hour or so. Then rinse and drain them.
Mash the beans up with a fork and set them aside.
Finely mince the garlic, ginger and green onions.
Heat the oil in a small sauce pan over medium-high heat and cook the garlic and ginger for a minute or two until softened and very fragrant. Add the green onions and cook for another minute.
Add the mashed fermented black beans and cook for another minute.
Add the remaining ingredients, except for the cornstarch, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until the liquid has been reduced by half.
Stir in the cornstarch mixture and simmer for another minute or until thickened.
Let the Chinese Black Bean Paste (or Chinese Black Bean Sauce) cool and then store it in the fridge in an airtight container, preferably a glass jar. Will keep for up to 2 weeks.
- 3 tablespoons fermented black beans, soaked in water about an hour then rinsed and drained (if you prefer a stronger and saltier flavor, use more beans)
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 2 tablespoons finely minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons finely minced ginger
- 2 green onions, finely chopped
- ½ cup vegetable or chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon rice vinegar
- ½ to 1 teaspoon hot red pepper sauce or sambal oelek, for heat (optional)
- 1½ teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon water
- Mash soaked and drained fermented black beans with a fork and set aside.
- Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for a minute or two until softened and very fragrant. Add the green onions and cook for another minute. Add the mashed beans and cook for another minute.
- Add all remaining ingredients, except for the cornstarch mixture, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer uncovered for 10-12 minutes or until the liquid is reduced by half. Stir in the cornstarch mixture and simmer for another minute or until thickened.
- Let the black bean sauce cool and store in an airtight container (preferably glass). Will keep for up to 2 weeks.
Hi Kim…your black bean sauce pulls my full attention. I like it bit hot spicy. You know, I even make my own fermented bean homemade since I can’t find locally in my place. thx for sharing, definitely will try your recipe.
I’ll try too
This is really awesome! I’ll be buying some fermented black beans!
I’m so impressed Kimberly! This is one of those sauces that I hate buying at the store (due to ingredients) but then it seems so out of reach to make at home. I may just have to finally invest in some fermented black beans to trial! I just have to wait until I have freezer space.
Me too! I am so excited for my fermented black beans to arrive so I can make this – YUM!!!
This looks so good! Can’t wait to try some!
I love the deep, umami flavor of fermented foods and black bean sauce is one of my favs! I’ll have to try this homemade version, I bet it’s better than anything pre-made at the grocery store!
I love love love this! Fermented black beans? Sign me up!
This is awesome–I am completely intrigued! I am so going to try this!
I had no idea that it was soybeans in fermented black bean sauce. That explains so much!
The black bean paste is perfect in all those Asian dishes… and I want them allllllllllll! Funny bean paste story — one time I was in Malaysia for a summer in college. Some friends picked up some “sweet rolls” for breakfast thinking they were stuffed with chocolate. Nope. Bean paste! I happened to love them, but it was quite a shock for those who bit in thinking it was chocolate 🙂
I actually never knew that black bean sauce was fermented black soy beans! Thanks for educating me! Now I wanna make Stirfry!
No wonder some of my homemade Chinese takeout recipes always taste like something is missing. I’ve been using regular old black beans for my paste! So happy to have found this post!
I bet these add amazing flavor! I’ve always wanted to try fermented beans, but haven’t really come across them before,
I had no idea that it only took 15 minutes to make! I’ve had it in Chinese food before but I’ve never made it at home!
I’m ready to make it! Thanks for the recipe. Asian flavors and recipes are some of my very favorites and it’s nice to be able to make them at home!
This recipe is awesome! Can’t wait to try it out!
Wow! I had no idea this sauce was made with fermented beans! You just totally inspired me to give this recipe a try. I used to LOVE beef & black bean sauce back in the day when I was still a meat eater but I’ll just sub the meat with something else! I’m super excited about this!!
Bean paste is everything. Love it, and totally dig that you made your own. We love stir fry here, it’s my daughter’s favourite so I make it a couple of times a week.
I have enjoyed black bean sauce in the past. This recipe looks like it would go great when I am cooking an Asian dish.
I don’t cook Asian dishes all that often, but my kids really like them. I am feeling like I should give this a try. I like the idea of making my own black bean sauce!
I’ve seen tons of recipes calling for this black bean sauce and was never able to find it around here. Great to have found a recipe for it, I’ve never thought I could make it myself. Now I just have to find the fermented black soy beans.
I love making things myself and this is just great! I have done the same when making red bean paste for confectioners’ (it is cheaper to do it yourself!)
Ok this is so much easier than I thought it would be! Love how easy it is to make PLUS the fact that you know whats in your food is always an added bonus.
Always love when someone shows us how to make something we would typically purchase at home. Awesome!
This is all new to me. We enjoy a lot of the dishes at our local Chinese restaurant, but don’t do much Chinese cooking at home. My husband is always looking to get more fermented foods into our diet, so I’ll have to pass this recipe on to him. Sounds like it provides some awesome flavor to the dishes.
I love sauces like this that are so versatile!
I’ve made this black bean sauce twice already and it is THE best I’ve ever had! I’ve been adding it to some favorite Chinese dishes I’ve been making for several years. I hadn’t thought they could be improved on that much until I added this sauce to them – WOW! This will be a regular go-to sauce for me, thanks so much for sharing!
I’m so happy to hear that, Candace, thank you! We love this sauce too and I agree, it really adds an amazing flavor dimension.
This stuff is amazing! Made it twice already and it’s just incredible tasting, thank you!
That’s awesome, Nate, thanks so much!
Hi Kimberly, I am new to yr site I NO LONGER can find the store brought sauce, sense yr recipe is so easy and ingredients easy to find I want to try and make it. Also I found one simular sauce I Liked very much that had pineapple in it could you tell how to add a sweetness to yr bean sauce with the pineapple in it? Looking forward to hear your take on this.
Hi and welcome! Unlike teriyaki sauce (which I have seen made with pineapple juice), black bean sauce has very little sweetness to it, just a teaspoon of sugar. I suppose if you really want some pineapple flavor in it you could substitute some of the vegetable/chicken broth for pineapple juice.
Hands down the best black bean sauce I’ve had. Never buying it again. Thanks for such a great recipe!
I’m thrilled to hear that, Greg, thank you!
“Let the black bean sauce cool and store in an airtight container (preferably glass)
for at least 2 weeks.” Should that be up to two weeks?
Hi James, sorry for the confusion. Meaning, it will keep for at least 2 weeks.
Can you freeze the finished product?
Hi Lori, most things with cornstarch don’t freeze well, it’s a texture thing. What you can do though is make the sauce and leave the cornstarch out, then freeze it. Then when you need the sauce you can reheat it and add the cornstarch at that point.
Would it alter the flavor too much to use a Three Year Barley Miso in place of the fermented black beans?
Hi E.T., I’ve never tried the barley miso before so I’m not really sure. Still, in a pinch, if that’s all you have I’m sure it will add enough of that fermented pungent flavor that it will still yield a perfectly enjoyable black bean sauce.
Is that sauce better if I keep it in the fridge longer? Or can I eat it straightaway? And if I keep it in the fridge, for how long (max.) should I do it? There are so many different options, some recipes say that it can be kept in the fridge for several months! I am rather sceptical about that…
Hi Ewa, you can eat it immediately, the flavors are strong and vibrant right after you make it. I give 2 weeks as the general guideline just to be safe, but I’m sure it will keep even longer than that.
Can’t wait to try this but wondering when you would add the orange zest…
Hi Sharon, thanks for asking and I’ve added this to the recipe note: Add the orange zest along with the broth and then proceed with the simmering.
Thanks! Can’t wait to get through my store bought and mix up a batch.
I love blackbean sauce and stumbled across this recipe a few weeks back whilst looking for something else.
I came back to it today and made a batch. Had it for dinner tonight, stir fried with green pepper, mangetout, baby corn and mushrooms.
It was absolutely stunning. Brilliant recipe and highly recommended.
Thank you, Neil, I’m so glad you liked it! Coincidentally, I’m making a stir fry this very afternoon using this black bean sauce 🙂 It really does liven things up, we love it. Thanks again! Best, Kimberly
Sounds superb.cannot wait to try it out.i have previously used black bean sauce paste ready made purchased from a local chinese store..but this would be terrific making the paste myself.thank you so much
Thanks, Keresi! Yes, I think you’ll agree that the store-bought paste doesn’t even begin to compare in flavor to this homemade version. Happy cooking!
I made this first and then used it to make your homemade hoisin sauce. Both are absolutely incredible. THE BEST recipes I’ve found for black bean sauce and hoisin sauce. To everyone, MAKE THIS and you’ll be happy you did.
Awesome, David, I’m so glad you made and enjoyed them both, thanks for the feedback!
thanks so much for sharing the recipe – it’s easy to follow and it tates amazing. I only made half the quantity as I only needed a small amount and it was delicious. I have put the remaning beans in the freezer for future use 🙂
Fantastic, Lisa, thanks so much for the feedback!
Made this for dinner over rice noodles and stir fry veggies. Delicious! Only change was I blended it so it was smooth. Wife loved it too.
Fantastic, Brent, thank you!
How would I use this in a stir fry? I’ve only ever made milder sauces, I got a feeling that if I just pour this over to coat it’d be way too salty… Am I right?
Hi Anne, I would make your mild stir fry sauce as usual and then add some of this to it for a wonderful flavor boost – start with a tablespoon or two and taste it, then add more accordingly.
Thanks for your reply! I just made this (although I replaced the rice wine/sherry by some white wine, because sherry or rice wine is more expensive and will probably end up down the drain) and I had a little taste, it’s absolutely delicious. Not what I was expecting after smelling the beans at all! It’s salty, slightly sour and the ginger/garlic come through nicely (and I usually don’t like ginger – go figure!). Excited to cook with it tonight! Will be making a beef stir fry with a simple sauce made of broth, soy sauce, rice vinegar and honey. Looking forward to it!
Wonderful, Anne, thank you and happy adventures in cooking with your new black bean sauce! 🙂
Hello Kimberly
My husband can’t eat garlic. Do you think it would be ok without garlic?
Hi Deborah, sure, simply omit it.
I was in Philadelphia this past weekend and ate at a Sichuan restaurant. I could not get enough of the little black beans! I asked what they were and now I’m hooked! So happy I’ll be able to make this at home!
Awesome, Emily! Fermented black beans pack a massive flavor punch and there’s just no substitute for them. Happy cooking! 🙂
Many people don’t READ information prior to just hitting recipes. You give good information that is, as far as I know, accurate. I traveled the orient many years ago when all of the foods were still authentic. By that I mean they had not been changed by foodies who don’t have a clue on what is authentic. They basically left grandma’s recipes behind. Your accurate explanation on fermented beans in lieu of “cajun black beans” caught my eye. Also, people who slather peanut butters and molasses all over their “Chinese” food are missing out. The only place I ever had peanuts on anything was Thailand, Cambodia, Viet Nam, and some in India. Never in Korea, Japan, or in Chinese foods. I started following your site for your input on Hoisen sauce, yours is the only accurate recipe so far.
I appreciate your insights, thank you. Thanks also for following, I’m thrilled to have you on board.
Hello Kimberley.
Made the Black Bean sauce today and followed it up making the Hoisin sauce , different class to shop bought , we have a Chinese supermarket close buy and I have some of there genuine black bean and hoisin but your recipe is far far better , looking forward to using it in some of your dishes now.
Keep up the good work.
Peter
Thanks so much, Peter!
Absolutely incredible stuff! I ordered the fermented black beans last week and made my first batch of this black bean sauce over the weekend. I made another batch yesterday. This sauce is so, so, SO GOOD!!! Ten times better than any of the storebought versions I’ve tried. This recipe is easy to make and I agree 100%, it totally transforms the food you add it to, absolutely delicious. I’ll be coming back to this recipe again and again, thank you!
Wonderful, Natalie, thanks so much! 🙂
I’ve tried several recipes and storebought versions and this is absolutely THE BEST black bean sauce! Don’t second guess making this, DO IT! Love all of your Chinese condiment recipes, Kimberly. They’ve become my standard go-to’s.
Thanks so much, Tanner! 🙂
Hi kim
I made this today and mine came out dark brown paste not so black like yours. I used same fermented black beans as yours.
My son has autism and hes picky about color of the food
He used to eat the store bought kind but
Now he is diagnosed im trying to make him gluten free
One and this was it. But color is off and he doesnwajt to try.
Any suggestions? Its very delicious
Hi Jasmine, there are only two ingredients in this that contribute to a dark color and that’s the fermented black beans and the soy sauce. So if you used the same fermented beans that I did, then it likely has to do with whatever soy sauce you used and some brands are darker than others.
I have been searching for a particular brand of black bean paste to not avail (this brand does not have MSG in it). Decided to do a search to DIY..well here you are. I cannot WAIT to try this!
Awesome, Marisa, please let us know what you think once you’ve tried it!
If Something just has to be bought from the store or online, why buy fermented beans n then prepare? Rather buy the hoisin sauce itself and modify to personal taste…
So maybe you could just think about adding ‘fermenting soy beans’ in the first place 😐