Easy Homemade Hoisin Sauce

Perry Santanachote
Perry Santanachote
Perry is a food writer, photographer, and recipe developer based in New York City. She cooks every day, and somehow eats even more often. Her recipes have been published in Eating Well, Fine Cooking, Food & Wine, The Kitchn, Thrillist, and Tone It Up. Perry grew up in Denver, Colorado and was raised by two grandmothers who taught her the importance of cooking with all five senses and never adhering to a diet with a name. She has a degree in anthropology and a slightly more practical master’s degree in journalism.
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published Aug 6, 2022
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A photo of a small glass ramekin with hoisin sauce, surrounded by small pieces of fried chicken with a hand dipping a piece of chicken into the sauce
Credit: Perry Santanachote

Hoisin sauce is the thick & rich fermented soybean-based Chinese condiment. It's funky, sweet, and savory with strong hits of fermented bean paste and sesame.

Makes1 cup

Prep5 minutes

Cook3 minutes

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A photo of a small glass ramekin with hoisin sauce, surrounded by small pieces of fried chicken with a hand dipping a piece of chicken into the sauce
Credit: Perry Santanachote

Hoisin sauce is a Chinese condiment that’s sweet with strong salty and umami notes. It also has a thick, sticky consistency, although some versions can be thinner than others. The great thing about making your own is that you can control how thick or thin your hoisin sauce is. You can also adjust the sweetness to your liking. 

You should be able to find all the ingredients to make your own hoisin sauce at a well-stocked Asian grocer or even some natural grocery stores. The trickiest ingredient to find might be duo jiao, which are salted and pickled chopped Chinese chilies. It can be found with jarred condiments in some Asian grocery stores. If you can’t find it, substitute jarred Calabrian chilies, red pepper flakes, or cayenne.

What Is Hoisin Sauce?

Hoisin sauce kind of looks like a darker and denser American barbecue sauce but tastes way more intense. This flavorful sauce is made from the following ingredients: 

Credit: Perry Santanachote

What Does Hoisin Sauce Taste Like?

Hoisin does not hold back. It tastes funky, sweet, and savory with strong hits of fermented bean paste and sesame.

How to Use Hoisin Sauce

Hoisin sauce can be used in the liquid part of a stir-fried noodle dish or as a dipping sauce for spring rolls. It’s also excellent as a condiment for Peking duck, cha siu (barbecued pork), and pork ribs. Try it out with these recipes.

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Hoisin Sauce Recipe

Hoisin sauce is the thick & rich fermented soybean-based Chinese condiment. It's funky, sweet, and savory with strong hits of fermented bean paste and sesame.

Prep time 5 minutes

Cook time 3 minutes

Makes 1 cup

Nutritional Info

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Mince 1 large garlic clove and place in a small saucepan. Add 1/2 cup packed brown sugar, 1/3 cup fermented soybean paste or dark aged miso, 4 teaspoons black sesame paste or tahini, 4 teaspoons rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon duo jiao, and 1/2 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder.

  2. Place 1/3 cup water and 2 teaspoons cornstarch in a small bowl and whisk until the cornstarch is dissolved. Add to the saucepan whisk to combine. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved, 2 to 3 minutes.

  3. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let cool for 15 minutes. Transfer the sauce to a blender or food processor fitted with the blade attachment and process until smooth, about 1 minute. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 months. Let the sauce come to room temperature before using.

Filed in:
chinese
asian
Seasonings
pantry
Side Dish
quick