Hoisin sauce has quickly become one of my favorite homemade sauces. Whenever I find myself at a loss for dinner ideas, I just combine whatever ingredients I have in the fridge with this homemade hoisin sauce, and voila! I enjoy a seriously delicious meal in no time.
Unlike its store-bought counterpart, which tends to be overly salty, overly sweet, and disappointingly thick, this hoisin sauce recipe tastes sweet, salty, spicy, and downright delicious. Use the umami-rich sauce on chicken, salmon, ribs, tofu and vegetables.
Since perfecting this recipe, we’ve explored countless ways to use it. To date, we’ve generously coated and grilled salmon, tossed it with tofu, and tossed it on tender baked ribs (don’t miss the Hoisin Sticky Ribs – link coming soon!). We’re also excited to try it with lettuce wraps; Keep following!
Hoisin sauce is commonly used in Chinese cuisine and is often used as a condiment or added to stir-fries, marinades, glazes and dipping sauces. It adds a wonderful richness to dishes. It is also especially known for its role in Peking duck, barbecue and as a dipping sauce for spring rolls.
Related: Garlic ginger stir-fry sauce
Making hoisin sauce at home
Not only is our homemade version better than what can be found in most US grocery stores, It’s also quick to prepare from (mostly) common pantry ingredients.Includes light soy sauce, garlic, ginger, molasses, maple syrup, peanut butter and rice wine vinegar.
If you were to look in our pantry, we usually have most, if not all, of these ingredients already on hand. In addition to the above ingredients, we add two less common ingredients:
- Gochujang: Traditional hoisin sauce combines fermented beans. So, we included gochujang (a spicy Korean condiment with fermented rice and soybeans). You can substitute miso paste and if you want to add some spices, add a dash or two of hot sauce or chili paste like sambal olek. I can usually find Gochujang in the international aisle of my grocery store. It is also sold online or in Asian markets.
- Five Chinese spices: A fragrant combination of star anise, fennel seeds, Szechuan peppercorns, cloves and cinnamon. It is usually found in the spice aisle of larger grocery stores. It is also a great substitute for cinnamon in your baking recipes.
It takes about 15 minutes to make hoisin sauce at home. You will need a small pot and a spoon or whisk. To make it, saute fresh garlic, ginger, and scallions until soft, then stir in everything else on your ingredient list. The peanut butter melts into the sauce, and the garlic and ginger perfume the sauce nicely. It has a strong taste.
We include cornstarch in our recipe, which helps thicken the sauce. You can stick with our suggested amount or add more for a thicker sauce. (As written, the hoisin is slightly thinner than you might find store-bought.)
And that’s it, homemade hoisin sauce is ready for your next meal. It makes weeknight dinners a breeze. Whenever I have something like chicken or tofu in the fridge with no plans of what to do with it, I reach for this sauce. Throw everything you have in the fridge into some sauce and bake. easy!
We developed this hoisin sauce recipe with Chef Richard Hattaway, and I’m so excited to share it with you. This sauce is a game changer for quick and delicious meals, and we can’t wait to share it with you. Try it out, and share your creations using it in the comments. We love to hear what you think.
Hoisin sauce (better than in the store)
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One taste of this homemade hoisin sauce, and you’ll never feel the need to buy it from the store again. You are welcome to adjust the level of spices, saltiness and sweetness to your taste. I like the little bit of heat the gochujang adds, but you can substitute miso paste if you prefer. Increase the cornstarch for a thicker sauce. I like to keep it on the thinner side, which makes it more spicy when tossed into stir-fries or tossed on ribs.
Makes 1 cup
you will need
1 tablespoon roasted sesame oil
2 garlic cloves, finely minced or grated
One 1-inch piece of fresh ginger, finely ground or grated
2 green onions, white and light green parts only, finely minced
5 tablespoons (70 grams) light tamari or light soy sauce, and more to taste
5 tablespoons (85 grams) of pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons (28 grams) of molasses
1 tablespoon (20 grams) of peanut butter, try homemade peanut butter
1 ½ teaspoons Gochujang, see notes
1 teaspoon of rice wine vinegar
¼ teaspoon Five Spice, see notes
¼ teaspoon cornstarch
directions
1Heat sesame oil in a small pot over medium heat. Mix in the garlic, ginger and green onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Set the pot aside to cool.
2Mix in soy sauce, maple syrup, molasses, peanut butter, gochujang, rice wine vinegar and Chinese five spice. Return the pot to medium heat, and while stirring, slowly bring to a boil. Taste the sauce and adjust with 1/2 tablespoon to 1 tablespoon soy sauce if it needs it.
3Make a cornstarch solution by mixing 1/2 teaspoon of cornstarch with 2 teaspoons of water. Whisk the solution into the sauce. While boiling, the sauce will thicken. Once it has thickened, remove from the heat and cool.
Adam and Joan’s tips
- Gochujang and Substitute: Traditional hoisin sauce combines fermented beans. We included Gochujang (spicy Korean seasoning with fermented rice and soybeans). Substitute miso paste and if you want to add some spice, add a dash or two of hot sauce or a chili paste like sambal olek.
- The five Chinese spices: A fragrant combination of star anise, fennel seeds, Szechuan peppercorns, cloves and cinnamon. It is usually found in the spice aisle of larger grocery stores.
- Storage and introduction: Refrigerate homemade hoisin sauce for up to a month. When she sits, she may part. We store our sauce in an airtight glass jar, which allows us to shake it to combine before using it. The sauce also freezes well – keep it in the freezer for up to three months.
- Most gochujang sold is vegan, but be sure to check the packaging.
- For gluten-free hoisin sauce, make sure all products are labeled gluten-free (especially soy or tamari sauce).
- Nutrition facts: The nutrition facts listed below are estimates. We used the USDA database to calculate approximate values.
If you make this recipe, snap a photo and tag it #inspiredtaste — we love seeing your creations on Instagram and Facebook! Find us: @inspiredtaste
nutrition per serving
portion size
2 spoons
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calories
86
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total fat
2.8 grams
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Saturated fat
0.5 grams
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Cholesterol
0 mg
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sodium
290 mg
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carbohydrate
14.8 grams
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fiber
0.3 grams
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Total sugars
12.3 grams
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protein
1.3 grams
