How to Make Delicious Homemade Black Bean Sauce From Scratch

This is one of the most useful Chinese sauces because it goes well with almost anything. You can stir-fry, bake, grill, or steam with it.

If you like Chinese food, you should keep a jar of ready-made black bean sauce in your fridge. Here are the reasons:

Black bean sauce is a key ingredient in many Chinese dishes. It provides a rich, savory umami flavor that greatly enhances stir-fries, braises, and more. While you can purchase premade black bean sauce, the homemade version tastes far superior. Read on to learn how easy it is to make your own delicious black bean sauce right in your kitchen.

What is Black Bean Sauce?

Black bean sauce originates from fermented or salted black beans, also known as douchi or doubanjiang. To make black bean sauce the fermented black beans are combined with aromatics and seasonings like garlic, ginger soy sauce, broth, and sugar.

The fermented beans provide a wonderfully complex savory flavor. When freshly made into a sauce, this combines with the garlic, ginger and soy to create a well-balanced condiment that adds rich umami depth to any dish it seasons.

Benefits of Homemade Black Bean Sauce

Here are some of the benefits of making your own black bean sauce rather than buying premade:

Control the quality – You can select top-notch fermented black beans as the base
Customize the flavor – Adjust ingredients to suit your taste preferences.
Avoid additives – No need for MSG, preservatives, thickeners, etc.
Cost savings – Homemade sauce is much cheaper per ounce.
Freshly made – More flavorful than store-bought sauce that has been sitting on the shelf.
Versatility – Make sauce tailored for different uses like dipping sauce, marinades, etc.

With just a few basic ingredients and techniques, you can easily whip up small-batch black bean sauce that outshines any store-bought bottle.

Ingredients Needed

Here is what you need on hand to make homemade black bean sauce:

Fermented black beans – Sold in sealed packages, not cans. Check for additives.
Soy sauce – Use Chinese dark soy sauce for best flavor,
Garlic and ginger – Fresh is best but jars work too. Minced or grated.
Broth – Chicken, beef or veggie work. Use water to make vegetarian/vegan.
Sugar – White granulated, brown, or rock sugar provide sweetness.
Rice wine – Chinese rice wine lends subtle fermented notes. Can omit.
Sesame oil – A few drops enrich flavor.

That’s the basic lineup for ingredients! Now let’s go over the easy process.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Follow these simple steps to make your own black bean sauce at home:

Prep the aromatics

Peel and mince or grate a few cloves of garlic and a 1-inch knob of ginger.
Optional: Thinly slice 1 green onion.

Toast the fermented black beans

Heat a wok or skillet over medium high heat.
Add 2 tablespoons fermented black beans.
Stir constantly for 2-3 minutes until beans are toasted and fragrant.

Add aromatics and seasonings

Add minced garlic, ginger and green onion. Stir-fry for 30 seconds.
Pour in 1/4 cup soy sauce, 2 tablespoons broth, and 1 tablespoon sugar.
Add 2 teaspoons rice wine if using.

Reduce to desired consistency

Bring mixture to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium or medium low.
Cook for 2-5 minutes, until sauce reaches desired consistency.
Add sesame oil and adjust seasonings as needed.

That’s all it takes! You now have fresh, aromatic black bean sauce ready to use.

Tips for Making Great Homemade Sauce

Follow these tips for the best results when making your own black bean sauce:

Simmer longer for thicker, more concentrated sauce.
Add more sugar for sweeter sauce or soy for saltier.
Sesame oil adds wonderful flavor but use a light hand as it’s strong.
Small batches mean you can tweak each one to your perfect taste.
Play with additions like fresh ginger, chili, orange zest, etc.
Store in the fridge up to 4-6 months. Freeze for longer storage.
Shake or stir before using as contents may separate.
Add directly to dishes or use as a marinade, dipping sauce, etc.

With practice, you’ll learn how to craft custom black bean sauce to match every use or dish.

Recipe Ideas Using Homemade Black Bean Sauce

Your homemade sauce can elegantly enhance the flavor of many Chinese recipes. Here are just a few delicious ways to use it:

Black bean chicken – Sauté chicken breasts with garlic, veggies then add sauce.
Black bean shrimp – Stir-fry shrimp in the sauce with snow peas and serve over rice.
Black bean tofu – Toss cubed tofu with sauce, fry until browned, and sprinkle with scallions.
Noodle bowls – Add 1-2 tbsp sauce to noodle soups or pan fried noodles.
Steamed fish – Drizzle sauce over steamed white fish like cod or bass.
Beef and broccoli – Add sauce to typical beef and broccoli stir fry.
Dumpling dipper – Thin with water for dipping potstickers or dim sum.

Let your homemade black bean sauce take any recipe from boring to bold and savory!

Enjoy the Rewards of Homemade

With a simple pantry of ingredients and basic technique, you can easily make your own fresh black bean sauce from scratch. Homemade allows you to customize and control the quality of this versatile Chinese staple ingredient. You’ll also save money compared to store-bought sauce. With a batch of your signature black bean sauce in the fridge, delicious umami flavor is always close at hand!

how to make black bean sauce

( Cut and prep the vegetables.

To make a quick dinner, my favorite method is to only use one type of vegetable. You can use two, but no more.

Asparagus – Chopped to 1-inch pieces
Bok choy: Tear off big leaves and cut them in half lengthwise. Cut the rest of the leaves in half or quarters.
Bamboo shoots – Sliced
Bell peppers – Sliced or chopped
Broccoli (fresh) – Divide to small florets; steam or blanch. (Read this post to find out how to quickly blanch broccoli in the same pan.)
For frozen broccoli, heat it in the microwave for two to four minutes, depending on how much you have. This will thaw it and make it warm, but not hot.
Peel and cut Brussels sprouts in half. For instructions on how to roast Brussels sprouts, see this post.
Cabbage (green and red) – Coarsely chopped
Take fresh cauliflower and cut it into small florets. Then steam, blanch, or roast them.
If you want to make stir-fry with frozen cauliflower, put it in the microwave for two to four minutes. If you want to roast it, read this post to learn how to do that.
If you use a julienne peeler, cut the carrot into pieces or strips. You can also cut it into chunks and roast them.
Celery – Sliced or diced
Eggplant – Sliced. (Read this post to find out how to get eggplant ready to cook so it gets crispy.) ).
Green peas (fresh or frozen)
Kale – Stalk chopped to small pieces, leaves coarsely chopped
Mustard greens – Chopped
Mushrooms – Sliced or quartered
Okra – Sliced
Onion – Sliced
Spinach – Roughly chopped for larger spinach. No need to chop baby spinach.
Snow pea
Zucchini – Seeded and sliced

(5) Make the stir fry, or use the stir fry sauce for baking, grilling, or steaming

Read this post to learn the basic steps of making Chinese stir fry.

To learn how to use Black Bean Sauce now, go to:

how to make black bean sauce

( Choose and cut the protein.

Beef (flank steak or short ribs): cut into thin slices (1/8 to 1/4 inch thick) or strips for stir-fry.
Chicken breast or thigh without skin or bones—cut into 1-inch cubes or 1/4-inch thick slices for stir fry Use whole pieces for grilling or baking.
If you want to make stir-fry, cut pork tenderloin or loin into thin slices that are 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. For baking, pan searing, or grilling, use bigger cuts like pork chops.
Shrimps – Peeled and deveined for stir fry or grilling.
Fish fillet – Grilled, baked, or steamed with the sauce.
Tofu (firm or extra firm)—Cubed into 1/2 to 2/3-inch pieces for braising or stir-frying

The EASIEST Black Bean Sauce in a jar – Chinese Sauce Basics

FAQ

What is black bean sauce made of?

What is black bean sauce made of? Homemade black bean sauce is full of only the good stuff, and our black bean sauce recipe has got no nasties. It features fermented black beans (which you can get from your Asian grocer), a whole lot of garlic, ginger, soy sauce and Chinese vinegar.

What is a good substitute for black bean sauce?

You’ll see bean sauce called for in many Asian recipes. It is often sold in the Asian foods section of the grocery store. But if you can’t find it, use hoisin sauce in its place. Hoisin is sweeter, so decrease the amount of sugar or honey in the recipe if there is any.

Is black bean sauce healthy for you?

Cooking with black bean sauce adds 65 calories and 6 g fat to each individual portion. Despite the fat, this remains a heart-healthy addition because it contains no cholesterol and no saturated fats.

Is Korean black bean sauce the same as Chinese black bean sauce?

In China, the sauce for zhajiangmian is made with yellow soybean paste, hoisin sauce or a sauce made from broad beans. However, the Korean version of the dish, jajangmyun, is crafted with a dark sauce made from a paste containing caramel and roasted soybeans. This paste is called chunking.