How to Make Hoisin Sauce

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: June 7, 2020 Tested

Hoisin sauce is a thick, reddish-brown sauce. It is used in many Chinese dishes to give the food a red hue and a sweet and sour taste. While you can buy it in the supermarket, it’s also very easy to make at home. You can try an easy recipe that involves no cooking, a more traditional hoisin with sauteed garlic, or a gluten-free, paleo-friendly version, among others.

Ingredients

Easy 5-Minute Hoisin Sauce

Makes about 0.5 c (120 ml)

4 US tbsp (59 ml) soy sauce
2 US tbsp (30 g) creamy peanut butter (or black bean paste)
1 US tbsp (15 mL) molasses or honey
2 tsp (9.9 ml) seasoned rice vinegar
1 garlic clove, finely minced
2 tsp (9.9 ml) sesame seed oil
1 tsp (4.9 ml) Chinese hot sauce
0.125 tsp (625 mg) black pepper

Stovetop Hoisin with Sauteed Garlic

Makes about 1 c (240 ml)

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 US tbsp (30 ml) vegetable oil
0.33 c (78 ml) soy sauce
3 US tbsp (44 ml) honey
2 US tbsp (30 ml) distilled white vinegar
2 US tbsp (30 g) tahini paste
2 tsp (9.9 ml) Sriracha sauce
Kosher salt to taste
Black pepper to taste

Gluten-Free, Paleo-Friendly Hoisin

Makes about 1 c (240 ml)

Juice of 1 orange (approx. 4 US tbsp (59 ml))
2 US tbsp (30 g) almond butter or sunflower butter
1 tsp (5 g) grated garlic (about 1 large clove)
1 tbsp (15 g) grated ginger (roughly thumb-size knob of fresh ginger)
1 tsp (4.9 ml) apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
1 tsp (4.9 ml) honey
5 US tbsp (74 ml) gluten-free soy sauce
0.5 tsp (2.5 g) Chinese five spice powder
1 tsp (4.9 ml) sesame oil
0.5 tsp (2.5 g) chili flakes
1 tsp (5 g) tomato paste

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:
Easy 5-Minute Hoisin Sauce

1
Add all the ingredients to a small or medium mixing bowl. After you make your first batch, you can adjust the ingredient amounts to suit your taste. Substitute black bean paste for the peanut butter to suit any nut allergies or taste preferences. Include the following:^{[1]
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- 4 US tbsp (59 ml) soy sauce
- 2 US tbsp (30 g) creamy peanut butter (or black bean paste); many people say black bean paste provides a more authentic flavor, but peanut butter is often more readily available
- 1 US tbsp (15 mL) molasses or honey
- 2 tsp (9.9 ml) seasoned rice vinegar
- 1 garlic clove, finely minced
- 2 tsp (9.9 ml) sesame seed oil
- 1 tsp (4.9 ml) Chinese hot sauce
- 0.125 tsp (625 mg) black pepper
2
Whisk the ingredients together until they are well combined. Whisk vigorously for at least 30 seconds so that the peanut butter (or black bean paste) is incorporated fully with the other ingredients. The end result should be a consistently dark, glossy, semi-thick, and slightly chunky sauce.^{[2]
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- The sauce is ready to use at this point. Try it as a glaze on grilled chicken, pork, or beef, or add it to your favorite stir-fry. Some people even like using it on hot dogs!
3
Refrigerate leftover sauce in an airtight container for up to 1 week. If you don’t use the full 0.5 c (120 ml) of sauce right away, store it in the fridge to use throughout the week. A small glass jar with a screw-top lid makes an ideal storage container.^{[3]
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- When you pull the sauce from the fridge, leave it on the counter for 5-10 minutes (it's thicker when chilled) and then stir it up with a spoon before using it.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:
Stovetop Hoisin with Sauteed Garlic

1
Combine all the ingredients but the garlic, oil, salt, and pepper. Add them to a medium mixing bowl, then whisk them thoroughly to combine. Use the following amounts:^{[4]
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- 0.33 c (78 ml) soy sauce
- 3 US tbsp (44 ml) honey
- 2 US tbsp (30 ml) distilled white vinegar
- 2 US tbsp (30 g) tahini paste
- 2 tsp (9.9 ml) Sriracha sauce
2
Saute the garlic in the vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the 2 US tbsp (30 ml) of vegetable oil to a medium saucepan and heat it over medium heat. Finely chop 3 garlic cloves and add them to the saucepan. Stir them regularly for about 2 minutes, until they develop a golden brown color.^{[5]
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- Keep a close eye on the garlic while it cooks. It will go from golden brown to burned quickly!
3
Add the contents of the bowl to the saucepan and cook it for 5 minutes. Give the soy sauce mixture another good whisking, then pour it into the saucepan as soon as the garlic has turned golden brown. Whisk it frequently in the saucepan over the next 5 minutes or so. Remove the saucepan from the heat once the sauce has thickened to the consistency you prefer.^{[6]
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- If you accidentally allow the sauce to get too thick, whisk in 1 US tbsp (15 ml) of water at a time while the sauce is still on the heat, until it thins out enough to suit your preference.
4
Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste, then let it cool. Try Kosher salt and freshly-cracked black pepper for the best results. Once the sauce cools completely, you can use it as a marinade for pork chops or for any number of other recipes.^{[7]
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- If you’re using it for pork chops, add half of it to a zip-close bag with the pork to marinate in the fridge for at least 20 minutes, and use the rest as a finishing sauce after the pork is cooked.
5
Seal any unused sauce and refrigerate it for up to 1 week. Use a jar with a screw-top lid or similar airtight container for storage. Warm the sauce on the counter for 5-10 minutes (to thin it out a little) and stir it up a bit before using it.^{[8]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:
Gluten-Free, Paleo-Friendly Hoisin

1
Whisk all the ingredients together in a small saucepan. Combine them thoroughly with the whisk. Use the following ingredients/amounts:
- Juice of 1 orange (approx. 4 US tbsp (59 ml))
- 2 US tbsp (30 g) almond butter or sunflower butter
- 1 tsp (5 g) grated garlic (about 1 large clove)
- 1 US tbsp (15 g) grated ginger (roughly thumb-size knob of fresh ginger)
- 1 tsp (4.9 ml) apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
- 1 tsp (4.9 ml) honey
- 5 US tbsp (74 ml) gluten-free soy sauce (find it online or at specialty food stores)
- 0.5 tsp (2.5 g) Chinese five spice powder
- 1 tsp (4.9 ml) sesame oil
- 0.5 tsp (2.5 g) chili flakes
- 1 tsp (5 g) tomato paste
2
Bring the contents of the saucepan to a boil over medium heat. Whisk the mixture occasionally as it heats. It will likely take less than 5 minutes for the mixture to begin bubbling rapidly—that is, come to a boil.
3
Turn the heat to low and cook the sauce for 5 minutes. Reduce the heat so that the sauce simmers—that is, bubbles only occasionally and very gently. Whisk it at least twice per minute during the 5 minute cooking time. After 5 minutes, the sauce will be darker and thicker.
- If the sauce starts getting too thick for your liking before the 5 minutes is up, add 1 US tbsp (15 ml) of water at a time and whisk it in to thin the sauce.
4
Let the sauce cool, then use or refrigerate it. If you’re not using the sauce right away, pour it into an airtight container—for instance, a glass jar with a screw-top lid—and refrigerate it for up to 1 week.
- The sauce may last for up to 2 weeks in the fridge, but the flavor and texture may start to decline after 1 week.
- Give the refrigerated sauce 5-10 minutes on the countertop to warm up and thin out a bit, then stir it well before using it.