Made popular by Asian takeout, this Chinese brown sauce is an addictive and flavorful sauce perfect for stir fry entrees and noodles. Also known as Chinese garlic sauce or stir fry sauce, this simple base recipe can be made in less than 5 minutes! Incorporate additional aromatics of your choice and pull together your own homemade stir fry sauce instead of the bottled stuff!
What is Chinese Brown Sauce?
Chinese brown sauce is that glossy and semi viscous sauce slathered over most North American Chinese takeout. It’s arguably one of the most recognized sauces and ubiquitous in almost every menu item of noodles, rice or stir frys. It’s not hard to see why, it gives a lovely sweet and savoury note and a succulent mouth feel.
A “Mother” Sauce
One important thing to note is that brown sauce is just a general term for that “sauce” in takeout Chinese dishes. There are many variations simply because it’s a base “mother sauce” adapted by cooks to highlight key flavours in the dishes it’s used in. Brown sauce is crucial in tying all the ingredients in a dish together. So, if you’re looking to recreate Chinese takeout flavors at home, learning how to make brown sauce is a must!
What are the Basic Ingredients?
Despite all the variations, there are 6 common ingredients in most brown sauce versions:
Soy sauce
This is the key ingredient to the brown sauce. Stick to light soy sauce which goes with most ingredients without overpowering them.
Rice Wine or Shaoxing Wine
This gives more depth and acidity to the brown sauce.
Oyster Sauce
This gives a rich umami flavour to the sauce. I personally believe this gives the addictive quality of Chinese takeout!
Sugar
This is to balance out the sauce which would otherwise be predominantly salty.
Broth
This is to add more flavour depth to the sauce. Chicken or beef broth can be used depending on the dish you’re pairing this sauce with.
Cornstarch Slurry
This is a mixture of cornstarch and water and is the sauce thickener. The ratio is 1 part cornstarch to 2 part water. This creates the beloved thick consistency of the brown sauce we all know and love 🙂
Variations and Add-Ons
Chinese brown sauce is a versatile basic sauce open to a variety of add-ons and variations. I often throw together a clear-out-my-fridge stir fry using the base sauce along with a couple of additional flavorings. Very rarely do I stick to only the base ingredients.
- Garlic – minced
- Ginger – minced or sliced
- Dark soy sauce – for a richer flavour in beef dishes
- Sesame oil – added at the very end of cooking
- Green onions – finely chopped
- White pepper – ground for a little peppery kick
- Green chillis – minced for spiciness lovers
- Red pepper flakes – add a bit of spice!
- Sesame seeds – for texture
Expert Tips
Use these tips below to make Chinese brown sauce at home easily with options based on your personal preferences.
Dark soy sauce (vs. light soy) makes it a deeper flavour and a darker color
Dark soy sauce can be used in place of or in addition to light soy sauce in this brown sauce recipe. Just bear in mind that dark soy sauce (a.k.a mushroom flavour soy sauce) has a deeper flavour and will overpower more delicate ingredients like fish or seafood. It should be used for richer dishes like beef, sausage or lamb. Most famously is Chinese beef and broccoli!
Choose the “right” broth based on your dish
Any broth can be used for this sauce but choose the one most suitable for your dish. Chicken broth goes well with pork, chicken or fish. Beef broth for beef and other richer proteins. Use a vegetable broth for vegan or vegetarian dishes like bok choy or tofu. You might also need to salt to taste or add a bit more soy sauce if your broth is unsalted.
Use a cornstarch slurry to control sauce thickness
Your brown sauce should coat a spoon when finished simmering. See pictures. Always simmer your brown sauce in low heat before adding the cornstarch slurry. To control the sauce consistency, add the slurry a bit at a time every 30 seconds to temper the thickness (depending on how high your heat is). The longer you cook the slurry the thicker it will get as it reduces. Once cooled, the sauce will also thicken a bit more. If your sauce is too thick, add additional broth or water to thin out.
Make the sauce last and in the same stir fry pan
For a quick stir fry, make the brown sauce AFTER stir frying your main ingredients and in the SAME pan or wok. This incorporates the flavours already developed and adds depth to your dish. Once the sauce is cooked, add back your stir fry ingredients into the wok and toss/coat everything together for about a minute.
For stir fry sauce, cook your aromatics first in heated oil
For best flavour, heat oil in your wok or pan on medium heat and fry your aromatics (i.e. garlic, ginger etc) for 30 – 60 seconds without browning them. This will infuse your oil and make an overall tastier sauce.
For braised dishes
If you’re making a braised dish, add all brown sauce ingredients EXCEPT the cornstarch slurry into your braising pot. Once your dish is cooked through, add the cornstarch slurry to thicken the braising liquid into a delicious sauce. My ground pork and zucchini recipe demonstrates this for an easy weeknight meal.
Time Saving Tips
If you’re in a real crunch and need to put together a sauce quickly, try these tips out to pull together your meal even quicker!
Use garlic and ginger powder
I would recommend using powdered garlic and ginger if there is no time to prep any aromatics. My recipe outlines both the “easy” and “gourmet” method options.
Mix all the ingredients in a jar beforehand
Mix up the broth, rice wine, soy sauce, oyster sauce and sugar into a jar and leave it in your fridge. If you’re doing the easy quick method, stir in the powdered garlic and ginger too. If you’re using fresh garlic and ginger, I would still recommend those steps on the day of cooking.
If your stir fry includes fresh garlic and ginger already, you can even omit the garlic altogether since it’s in your dish ingredients already!
How to Make Chinese Brown Sauce at Home – Step by Step Instructions
This is my version of a versatile brown sauce. I include garlic and ginger flavours because these aromatics are so essential to Chinese cooking.
Quick Method
This method skips the step of fresh aromatics and uses powdered garlic and ginger taking less than 5 minutes to prepare.
Step 1: Using the same cooking wok/pan (if applicable) add the broth, rice wine, soy sauce, oyster sauce, brown sugar, garlic powder and ginger powder. Stir and bring to a simmer.
Step 2: Reduce heat to low and add ½ the cornstarch slurry. Stir for 15-30 seconds
Step 3: Add remaining cornstarch slurry for thicker consistency if desired. The sauce should coat a spoon (see above)
Step 4: Stir in sesame oil (if using).
Gourmet Method
This method requires a little more time to make, including prepped aromatics and heated oil. This will produce a much tastier sauce with more depth.
Step 1: Using the same cooking wok/pan (if applicable), heat wok/pan on medium/high heat and add oil.
Step 2: Add minced garlic, grated ginger and fry for 30 secs to infuse the oil.
Step 3: Deglaze the pot by adding broth, rice wine, soy sauce, oyster sauce and brown sugar. Stir and bring to a simmer.
Step 4: Reduce heat to low and add ½ the cornstarch slurry. Stir for 15-30 seconds
Step 5: Add remaining cornstarch slurry for thicker consistency if desired.
Step 6: Stir in sesame oil (if using).
Serving Tips
Chinese brown sauce is best served hot and immediately after cooking. Toss it together with your stir fry dish, coat your noodles or pour it over steamed rice topped with a fried egg. This sauce is super versatile 🙂
Storing Tips
If making this sauce beforehand, let it cool completely and place leftovers in a sealed jar. Store sauce for up to 3 – 5 days. Reheat sauce in a saucepan by adding a bit of water and mixing to thin out.
Substitutions
Cornstarch
Any starch can work for this sauce. Use a 1 to 1 substitution for potato starch or arrowroot flour. Tapioca starch would produce a glossier look to your sauce and use twice the amount (2 to 1 substitution) as you would cornstarch.
Sugar
Brown sauce needs a sweet component (unless you’re not using oyster sauce and using hoisin instead). You can use brown or white sugar as well as honey or maple syrup. Most Chinese restaurants (and my parents) use white sugar in their sauces..
Rice Wine/Shaoxing Wine
If rice wine is not available, use a good quality dry sherry instead. Don’t use rice wine vinegar which isn’t the same as rice wine at all and will leave a sour note to the sauce. Japanese wines like sake and mirin will also change the flavours and I wouldn’t recommend it. If sherry isn’t available, I would leave the wine out altogether.
Oyster Sauce
Hoisin sauce can be used as a 1 to 1 substitution for oyster sauce. It will change the flavour and make the sauce sweeter. Oyster sauce has a more seafood umami flavour, is much saltier and derived with oyster extracts. Hoisin is based from soybean with flavours of sesame and is used more as a standalone dipping sauce. If using hoisin sauce, I would recommend removing the sugar from this recipe entirely and adding an extra tablespoon of soy sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
Stir the sauce more and see if the curdle starts to break up. Use a whisk if necessary. If after continuous stirring thick clumps remain, pour it out and start again. Cornstarch must be thoroughly mixed in water to form a slurry before adding to the simmering sauce mixture. If dry starch is added directly to hot liquid, clumps will start to form that are hard to break up.
Add water a little at a time to thin out the sauce. Reheating brown sauce will also thin it out. I would suggest warming it first before thinning it out more to avoid it getting too watery.
If you added all the slurry and the sauce is still too thin, mix another tablespoon of cornstarch in water. Add half the slurry to the sauce first and the rest bit by bit until desired consistency.
Hoisin sauce can be used as a 1 to 1 substitution for oyster sauce. It will change the flavour and make the sauce sweeter. I would recommend reducing half the sugar from this recipe and adding 1-2 extra teaspoons of soy sauce to balance out the flavour.
Cornstarch, arrowroot flour, potato starch and tapioca starch can all be used to make this sauce. See substitutions for ratios.
Light soy sauce is most commonly used. Dark soy sauce can be added or in place of the light soy sauce. Tamari or gluten free soy sauce can be used in place of light soy sauce for a gluten free option.
Chinese brown sauce base is water and cornstarch so it’s a low fat sauce. Reduce the amount of salt by using low sodium soy sauce.
Substitute the oyster sauce with more soy sauce or use hoisin instead.
Chinese Brown Sauce with Garlic (Authentic Stir Fry Sauce)
Equipment
- wok or pan
Ingredients
Method 1: Quick Option – Makes approximately 1 cup of sauce
- 1 cup unsalted chicken broth (beef or vegetable broth)
- 2 Tbsp. rice wine (Shaoxing wine)
- 2 Tbsp. light soy sauce (gluten free soy sauce or tamari) (see note 3)
- 2 tsp oyster sauce (or hoisin sauce) (see note 4)
- 1 Tbsp. brown sugar (see note 5)
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp ginger powder
- 2 Tbsp. cornstarch (divided) (mixed with 4 tbsp water to make a slurry) (see note 6)
- 1/2 tsp sesame oil (optional)
Method 2: Gourmet Option – Makes approximately 1 cup of sauce
- grapeseed oil for frying (or other neutral oil)
- 1 tsp fresh minced garlic (about 2 garlic cloves)
- 1/2 tsp ginger (grated or minced)
- 2 Tbsp. rice wine (Shaoxing wine)
- 1 cup unsalted chicken broth (beef or vegetable broth)
- 2 Tbsp. light soy sauce (gluten free soy sauce or tamari) (see note 3)
- 2 tsp oyster sauce (or hoisin sauce) (see note 4)
- 1 Tbsp. brown sugar (see note 5)
- 2 Tbsp. cornstarch (divided) (mixed with 4 tbsp water to make a slurry) (see note 6)
- 1/2 tsp sesame oil (optional)
Instructions
Method 1: Quick Option Instructions
- Heat broth till simmering on medium/high heat with the same wok/pan used for cooking your dish (if applicable)
- Add rice wine, soy sauce, oyster sauce, brown sugar, garlic powder, ginger powder and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer.
- Reduce heat to low, add half the cornstarch slurry and stir immediately. Stir for 15-30 seconds (see note 1)
- Add remaining cornstarch slurry if thicker consistency is desired (see note 2)
- Stir in sesame oil (if using)
Method 2: Gourmet Option Instructions
- Heat the same wok/pan used for cooking your dish (if applicable) on medium/high heat. Add the oil.
- Add minced garlic and grated ginger and fry till fragrant. Stir quickly to avoid browning, approx 30 secs
- Add rice wine, broth, soy sauce, oyster sauce, brown sugar and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer.
- Reduce heat to low, add half the cornstarch slurry and stir. Stir for 15-30 seconds (see note 1)
- Add remaining cornstarch slurry if thicker consistency is desired (see note 2)
- Stir in sesame oil (if using)
Britney
Thanks for this “brown sauce” recipe haha It tasted great with your other chow mein recipe!
Ellen
Hi Britney! Thanks so much for trying out this brown sauce. It’s definitely a base sauce that you can incorporate the unique flavours of any stir fry dish especially chow mein!