Homemade black bean sauce is a staple in many Chinese home kitchens and is one of the easiest sauces to make at home. It’s not as scary as it sounds. You probably already have all the ingredients in your kitchen! Black bean sauce is essentially fermented black beans that are diluted with water and mixed with other seasonings like garlic, ginger, and vinegar for balance. The result is a complex blend of flavors that work beautifully as an addition to fried or steamed dishes.
If you’ve ever had black bean chicken or green beans with black beans in a restaurant before, you’ve tasted the magic of this simple recipe. It’s part of the secret to getting super-tender veggies so they taste almost like they’re melting in your mouth.
You can find fermented black beans at your local Asian food store or online. You can either buy them canned in liquid form or dried and resealable. But do you know you can also make black bean sauce at your own home?
Why You Should Make Your Own Black Bean Sauce
One word: MSG. Many commercially prepared black bean sauces contain high levels of sodium and preservatives. It’s often found in Chinese black bean sauce, and many people are sensitive to it. So, if you’re sensitive to MSG or trying to avoid too much sodium, homemade black bean sauce is the way to go. And it’s super easy to make at home.
How To Make Black Bean Sauce
You’ll need:
- 8 ounces of dried fermented black beans
- 6 tablespoons of oil
- ½ tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns
- 2-4 dried red chili peppers
- 2 tablespoons of fresh garlic (minced)
- 2 tablespoons of fresh ginger(minced)
- 2 green onions (chopped)
- 1 tablespoon sweet onions
- ½ teaspoon of white vinegar
- 4 tablespoons of dark brown sugar
- 4 tablespoons of Shaoxing cooking wine
- 4 tablespoons of light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon of roasted peanut (chopped)
- ½ tablespoon of white roasted sesame seeds
- A few drops of sesame oil (optional)
First, grind the fermented black bean with a grander. Then add cooking oil to a nonstick, stir fry the Sichuan peppercorns, green onion, minced ginger, and minced garlic in a saucepan until fragrant or they turn to a light brown shade, and mix them well. Add the black bean and stir again until they are fully coated with the sauce. Dry frying the black beans with oil and salt helps to deepen their flavor. Add all the sauce above and stir often until the black beans are fully coated.
Now, let the black bean sauce mixture boil until you get your desired consistent texture. Fold in the chopped roasted peanut and sesame seeds in.
Lastly, transfer them to a bowl and sprinkle a few drops of sesame oil on top of the black bean sauce.
You are ready to add it to your favorite Chinese dishes! You can drizzle it on top of steamed veggies, use it as a stir-fry sauce, or add it to a bowl of rice.
Storage
You can keep this homemade black bean sauce in air-tight bags in the fridge for up to one month or you can freeze it in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces of dried fermented black beans
- 6 tablespoons of oil
- ½ tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns
- 2-4 dried red chili peppers
- 2 tablespoons fresh garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh ginger minced
- 2 green onions chopped
- 1 tablespoon sweet onions
- ½ teaspoon white vinegar
- 4 tablespoons dark brown sugar
- 4 tablespoons Shaoxing cooking wine
- 4 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon roasted peanut chopped
- ½ tablespoon white roasted sesame seeds
- A few drops of sesame oil optional
Instructions
- First, grind the fermented black bean with a grander or mash it with a fork, and set it aside.
- Then add cooking oil to a nonstick, stir fry the Sichuan peppercorns and dried red chili. Discard once cooked.
- Add the green onion, minced ginger, and minced garlic in a saucepan until fragrant or until they turn to a light brown shade, and mix them well.
- Add the black bean and stir again. Then add all the sauce above and stir often until the black beans are fully coated.
- Now, let the black bean sauce mixture boil until you get your desired consistent texture.
- Fold in the chopped roasted peanuts and sesame seeds.
- Lastly, transfer them to a bowl and sprinkle a few drops of sesame oil on top of the black bean sauce.
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