Learn this specialty hoisin sauce recipe for a great tasting addition to your dish. This homemade hoisin sauce is set as a flexible recipe so you can feel free to customize. Learn the basics of these ingredients and share your photos with us on social media!

How To Make Hoisin Sauce

Hoisin sauce is a asain condiment made from fermented soybean paste. Hoisin sauce are commonly paired with spices and other flavors. This Asian sauce adds flavor to dishes, including sweet, tangy, and spicy elements. Hoisin sauce is not made with any animal products and is suitable for vegans and vegetarians. However, Hoisin sauce is excellent with Peking duck, a Cantonese dish. Hoisin is typically made with soybeans, but you can look for a soy-free version. 

Ginger sauce is also a typical sauce found in Chinese cooking. Its main ingredients are, you guessed it, ginger and sugar. 

What Are Hoisin Sauce Alternatives?

Make Hoisin sauce by using soybean paste (called shoga) that comes in a bottle. You can also find Hoisin sauce in Chinese markets or Asian specialty stores. Use Hoisin sauce in stir-fries, noodle dishes, soups, fried rice, stir-fried vegetables, and noodle dishes. You can use it to enhance flavor in savory dishes like rice, curry, and chili. You can also use it to cut up larger pieces of fish or seafood and stir-fry them with vegetables, tofu, and other ingredients for a delicious appetizer. In a food processor, you can make a soy-free version by grinding tofu with a high-speed food grinder, soy milk, or powdered soy flour. Hoisin sauce comes in two forms: vinegar-based and sweet-spicy sour. The vinegar-based is often used in Asian cooking.

Hoisin Sauce vs. Teriyaki

Hoisin sauce and teriyaki are very similar in flavor and consistency, although there are slight differences. They are based on sweet soy sauce or a mixture of sweet soy sauce and mirin, a Japanese rice wine. Teriyaki, which originated in Japan, is cooked on low heat and is soy-free. Hoisin sauce, however, is cooked on low heat for hours with a variety of vegetables or meat, and often rice, and is soy-free. If you want to use hoisin sauce, soy sauce is preferred, using corn sauce or oyster sauce.

How Should I Store Hoisin Sauce?

Hoisin sauce can be kept for up to one week refrigerated. After that, it will become thinner. If you’re looking to cook with it, you should cook your item on lower heat and make sure you follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

What’s The Difference Between Hoisin Sauce and Oyster Sauce?

Unlike oyster sauce, hoisin sauce is made with a different soybean. It is, therefore, a bit different from its soy-based counterpart. When you make hoisin sauce at home, look for a brand that lists soybean as an ingredient since that is the one soybean that makes the difference in flavor. If you make a homemade sauce, skip the oyster sauce and substitute a vegan tahini or soy sauce instead. If you have access to canned goods, you can buy canned sweetened hoisin.

You may need to add a little oil or a few other ingredients to adjust the consistency, but you can use this sauce in various ways. You can use it as a dip with chips or crackers, serve it as a sauce with rice or pasta, or add it to a stir-fry or a stir-fry sauce.