Chinese Cooking is known for its diverse flavors and aromatic dishes. Most of the dishes maintain a complex balance between sweet, salty, spicy, sour. In Chinese cooking, lots of extracts and sauces are used especially, Hoisin Sauce. If you are cooking a recipe that calls for Hoisin Sauce but you don’t have it, you can use Hoisin Sauce substitute. Substitutes work pretty well and give a similar taste to the main ingredient without ruining your recipe/dish.
You have to know about Hoisin Sauce before going to know about its substitute so that it would be easy for you to choose the best suitable substitute for your recipe.
Table of Contents
What is Hoisin Sauce?
Hoisin Sauce is a fragrant, pungent sauce mostly used in Asian cuisines such as vegetable stir-fries, marinades, and grilled dishes. This sauce is a key ingredient in many Chinese and Vietnamese cooking recipes. It is known as Chinese Barbecue sauce also. It is a condiment based on soybean paste with other flavors and spices.
Nutrient Profile of Hoisin Sauce:
- Calories: 35.2
- Carbs: 7.1g
- Fat: 0.5g
- Protein: 0.5g
Health Benefits of Hoisin Sauce:
- Hoisin Sauce is a good source of vitamin A and C.
- It has antioxidant properties.
- Hoisin Sauce is rich in Iron and Manganese.
- It is low in fat.
What can I Substitute for Hoisin Sauce?
Hoisin Sauce is a popular ingredient in Asian cuisines. If you run out of it or you forgot to purchase it, you need not worry. Every ingredient has its substitute similarly, Hoisin Sauce has its own substitute. We just have to explore those substitute that matches our recipe. We have a list of the best substitute for Hoisin Sauce right here for you. You can choose according to what you have in your pantry/kitchen.
1. Soy Sauce:
Naturally, fermented Soy sauce is thinner and saltier than Hoisin Sauce. It adds a lovely umami flavor to the recipe. You can add a pinch of sugar or honey to get a little sweet taste. You can improve its consistency by adding a spoonful of smooth peanut butter without losing the taste. You can replace Hoisin Sauce with Soy Sauce using it in 2:1.
2. Sweet Soy Sauce/Kecap Manis:
Sweet Soy Sauce is mostly used in Indonesian cuisines. It is even sweeter than Hoisin Sauce. Still, works perfectly as a Hoisin Sauce alternative. The sweetness of this Soy Sauce is not that much to ruin your recipe. You can replace it with Hoisin Sauce in a ratio of 1:1.
3. Fish Sauce:
Fish Sauce is similar to that Oyster Sauce to flavor stir-fries. It is quite salty and sharp in flavor but not sweet. You can use less amount in starting and after judging the taste you can add more if you need. It is a good sub for Hoisin Sauce.
4. Miso Paste:
Fermented soybean paste is a classic ingredient in Japanese Cuisine. It is not as sweet as Hoisin Sauce. Miso Paste is thicker, saltier, and stronger than Hoisin Sauce. You can add some honey or sugar during the cooking process if you want. You can start to add 1/4 of the recipe and add more if needed.
5. Garlic Teriyaki:
Hoisin Sauce contains a lot of flavors. You can try to replicate them by using Teriyaki Sauce as well as garlic. Teriyaki Sauce is often used with meat dishes such as glazed ribs, salmon, and sometimes in noodles. It lacks the pungent kick that Hoisin Sauce has. You can mix it with some rice or Red Wine Vinegar and garlic. Take 2 cloves of garlic, 3 tablespoons of vinegar, and 3 tablespoons of Teriyaki Sauce. Now, mix it all before using it. Once this is ready, you can take the same amount as you take Hoisin Sauce.
6. Barbecue Sauce:
If you want to add some sweetness to the Barbecue Sauce, Molasses would be a good option because it replicates the original taste of Hoisin. You can opt for Dark Brown Sugar but it lacks the thick consistency. Honey and maple syrup can also be used to add some sweetness. You can use an equal amount of Barbecue Sauce in place of Hoisin Sauce as an alternative.
7. Barbecue and Molasses:
This is the most opt substitute because everyone has Barbecue Sauce at home. You can replicate a similar flavor to the Hoisin Sauce by adding some Molasses and Soy Sauce. If you don’t have any Molasses, you can add some brown sugar instead. Barbecue Sauce can be used in fusion cuisines and some Korean dishes. You can take 3/4 cup of Barbecue with 1 tablespoon of Soy Sauce and 2 tablespoons of Molasses, and mix it all. Now, you can use it in place of Hoisin Sauce in the same amount.
8. Soy Sauce and Peanut Butter:
I hope you have heard the trick of using Peanut Butter and Soy Sauce in your pad thai or drunken noodles. You can use the same mixture to mimic the similar flavor of Hoisin Sauce in some dishes/recipes. If you want to balance the sweetness of peanut butter, you can add Soy Sauce, Sesame Oil, rice or white vinegar, and garlic. You should mix all this before using it in your recipe. We suggest starting with half of what the recipe calls for and adding more later if you need.
9. Black Bean Sauce:
Black Bean Sauce is now easily available in your nearby stores. Black Bean Sauce is made from the same base as Hoisin. If you have Black Bean Sauce in your pantry, add some sugar, Soy Sauce, and vinegar to make a stronger substitute for Hoisin Sauce. You can add Chinese 5 spices and some crushed fennel seeds for a more similar flavor. There is an option to boost the flavor profile of both Barbecue Sauce and Black Bean Sauce by adding some hot sauce.
10. Oyster Sauce:
If you are trying to make a similar substitute using seafood or vegetables. Oyster Sauce would be a perfect Hoisin Sauce replacement. The flavor of Oyster Sauce is different but the consistency is the same as the Hoisin Sauce. Oyster Sauce doesn’t have a strong flavor. You may try Fish Sauce instead if you want to. It is fermented for 2 years. Fish Sauce is stronger than Hoisin Sauce but thinner in terms of consistency.
11. Teriyaki Sauce:
Both Teriyaki and Hoisin Sauce look similar to each other. Teriyaki Sauce is a very popular Japanese Sauce. The main cause of its popularity is its sweet taste. Teriyaki works perfectly as marinades and a dipping sauce. Soy Sauce plays the main role in Hoisin but not in Teriyaki.
FAQ:-
What is the difference between Soy Sauce and Hoisin Sauce?
Hoisin Sauce is much thicker and sweeter than Soy Sauce. Soy Sauce is used to make Hoisin Sauce including some other ingredients that make it different in flavor.
Is Hoisin Sauce Salty?
Hoisin Sauce tastes salty and a little sweet. You may find its taste similar to American-style Barbecue Sauce. However, it is richer, salty, and slightly sweet which gives a distinct flavor. You may feel a bit of spicy kick to it.
Now, you know the best Hoisin Sauce Substitute. You can choose according to what you have in the kitchen or you can also buy from amazon. Please! comment down below your questions, and let us know how much informative is this article for you. 🙂
