Hoisin Sauce Recipe
Chinese food uses thick, fragrant hoisin sauce. It contains legumes, sugar, vinegar, garlic, fennel seeds, cinnamon, and star anise. The mildly sweet, salty, and tangy sauce is used to marinate and dip meats, vegetables, and noodles.
It’s also used to season Peking duck and Chinese stir-fries. Hoisin sauce can be found in most grocery stores, either in the Asian food area or with other condiments.
How to Make Hoisin Sauce
We all love Chinese takeout, and one of the most common condiments that comes with it is the beloved hoisin sauce. It’s a deliciously sweet and savory sauce that goes well with anything from stir-fried dishes to spring rolls.
While it’s easy to just grab a bottle of hoisin sauce from the store, making it at home is even better. It’s not as complicated as you might think, and the result is a fresh and flavorful sauce that can be tailored to your taste.
In this blog post, we’ll go over step-by-step instructions on how to make hoisin sauce at home, as well as answer some common questions about this tasty condiment.
Hoisin Sauce Ingredients
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons molasses
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Step by Step Instructions to Make Hoisin Sauce
In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, peanut butter, honey, molasses, rice vinegar, and sesame oil until smooth.
Add the minced garlic, Chinese five-spice powder, and black pepper to the bowl and stir until everything is well combined.
Transfer the mixture to a small saucepan and heat over low heat. Simmer the sauce for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it has thickened to your desired consistency. Keep in mind that the sauce will thicken further as it cools, so it’s better to err on the side of slightly thin than too thick.
Once the sauce has thickened, remove it from the heat and allow it to cool to room temperature. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
What Does Hoisin Sauce Taste Like
Hoisin sauce is sweet and spicy. It is dark brown and dense. Hoisin sauce is sweet, salty, faintly tangy, and umami-flavored. Sugar or honey adds richness, while soy sauce adds saltiness.
Rice vinegar adds tanginess, and fermented legumes or garlic add umami. Star anise, fennel seeds, and cinnamon can give hoisin sauce a fiery or earthy flavor.
Using Hoisin Sauce in Cooking
Hoisin sauce goes well with spring rolls, egg rolls, potstickers, and other dumplings.
Hoisin sauce can flavor beef, poultry, and pork stir-fries. Finish the stir-fry with a spoonful or two of hoisin sauce.
Hoisin sauce can glaze roasted or grilled poultry, pig, or beef. Before baking or grilling, brush the beef with a hoisin sauce.
Lo mein and chow mein often use hoisin sauce. Add two tablespoons of hoisin sauce to boiled noodles and mix well.
Traditional Peking duck condiment: Hoisin sauce. Roll roasted duck pieces in a pancake or tortilla with a thin layer of hoisin sauce.
What Are Some Substitutes for Hoisin Sauce
If you like hoisin sauce’s sweet and smoky taste, try barbecue sauce. Barbecue sauce is thinner and less complex than hoisin sauce, so you may need to add spices or ingredients to obtain the desired flavor.
- Soy sauce and brown sugar: Mix 1:1 soy sauce and brown sugar for a fast substitute. This is sweet and spicy like hoisin sauce.
- Miso paste: Salty, faintly sweet fermented soybean paste. It replaces hoisin sauce in marinades, salads, and dipping sauces. Mix miso puree with sugar or honey to sweeten.
- Plum sauce: Chinese plum sauce tastes like hoisin sauce. Most grocery stores have it in the Asian area, made from pureed plums, sugar, vinegar, and spices.
Storing Homemade Hoisin Sauce
Choose an appropriate container: Choose a glass or plastic container with an airtight lid that is large enough to hold all of the hoisin sauce without overflowing.
Allow the sauce to cool: Allow the hoisin sauce to cool to room temperature before storing it in the refrigerator. This will prevent condensation from forming inside the container and causing the sauce to spoil.
Label the container: Write the date that you made the hoisin sauce on the container with a permanent marker. This will help you keep track of how long the sauce has been stored and when it should be used by.
Store in the refrigerator: Place the container of hoisin sauce in the refrigerator and store it there until you are ready to use it. The sauce should keep for up to two weeks in the refrigerator.
Hoisin Sauce Faq’s
What’s the difference between oyster and hoisin sauce?
Oyster sauce and hoisin sauce are common Chinese condiments, but they taste and contain different ingredients. Simmered mussels make the oyster sauce. Stir-fry dishes use it for its rich, savory taste with a hint of sweetness.
Hoisin sauce contains soybeans, sugar, vinegar, garlic, and sometimes chili chilies. It’s sweeter and more complex than oyster sauce and is used to glaze or dip foods.
Is hoisin sauce similar to Worcestershire sauce?
Both hoisin and Worcestershire sauces are dark, savory sauces, but their flavors and ingredients vary. Worcestershire sauce contains vinegar, molasses, anchovies, garlic, and herbs.
Marinades, dressings, and drinks use it for its tangy, sweet, umami taste. Hoisin sauce contains soybeans, sugar, vinegar, garlic, and chili chilies. It’s sweeter and more complex than Worcestershire sauce and is used to glaze or dip foods.
How is hoisin sauce different from soy sauce?
Hoisin sauce and soy sauce are both Chinese and contain legumes, but they taste different. Fermented legumes, wheat, and salt make soy sauce. It seasonings and marinates meats, veggies, and rice with a salty, umami taste.
Hoisin sauce contains soybeans, sugar, vinegar, garlic, and chili chilies. As a meat glaze or dipping sauce, it is sweeter and more nuanced than soy sauce.
Amazing Hoisin Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons molasses
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1/4 teaspoon Chinese five spice powder
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, peanut butter, honey, molasses, rice vinegar, and sesame oil until smooth.
- Add the minced garlic, Chinese five spice powder, and black pepper to the bowl and stir until everything is well combined.
- Transfer the mixture to a small saucepan and heat over low heat. Simmer the sauce for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it has thickened to your desired consistency. Keep in mind that the sauce will thicken further as it cools, so it’s better to err on the side of slightly thin than too thick.
- Once the sauce has thickened, remove it from heat and allow it to cool to room temperature. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
