Spicy Hoisin BBQ Sauce

Name: Spicy Hoisin BBQ Sauce
Yield: Makes about 1 cup (235 ml)
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon (15 ml) sesame oil; 2 cloves garlic, minced or grated; 1 knob fresh ginger, 1 inch (2.5 cm), grated; 5 tablespoons (75 ml) soy sauce; 5 tablespoons (75 ml) maple syrup; 2 tablespoons (40 g) molasses; 1 tablespoon (16 g) peanut butter (substitute [15 g] tahini or [15 g] sesame butter, or [16 g] other toasted nut butters); 1 tablespoon (16 g) peanut butter (substitute [15 g] tahini or [15 g] sesame butter, or [16 g] other toasted nut butters); 1 tablespoon (16 g) peanut butter (substitute [15 g] tahini or [15 g] sesame butter, or [16 g] other toasted nut butters); 1½ teaspoons doubanjiang (spicy chili bean paste); 1 teaspoon seasoned rice vinegar; 1 teaspoon Chinese Eight-Spice Powder Rub; ¼ teaspoon cornstarch; 2 tablespoons (28 ml) room-temperature water; 1 to 2 fresh Thai chilis, minced, or 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes; 1 to 2 fresh Thai chilis, minced, or 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Preparation info

Makes about
1
cup

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Chinese-American Barbecue

By Winnie Yee

Published 2026

About

Hoisin sauce is a staple in every Chinese household and is readily available in almost all American markets (even Target carries it!). It is regarded as the OG of Chinese BBQ sauce. It’s inexpensive and accessible, so why would you make this from scratch? Well, for me it was for personal reasons. My son is allergic to peanuts, and I had to find out the hard way that some brands of hoisin use peanut butter while others use sesame butter. In any case, that led me down a rabbit hole that resul

Ingredients

Asia
China
Sauce
Vegan

Ingredients

Method