← Back to all sauces
Sauce recipe

Black Bean Garlic Sauce

Salty, savoury Cantonese black bean sauce made from fermented black beans, garlic and ginger. For stir-fries, ribs and steamed fish.

Black Bean Garlic Sauce
The ratio
  • 2 partsFermented black beans
  • 2 partsGarlic + ginger
  • 1 partOyster sauce
  • 1 partShaoxing wine
What you need
  • 1/3 cup (40g) fermented black beans
  • 2 tbsp neutral oil
  • 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp finely grated ginger
  • 1 long red chilli, finely chopped, optional
  • 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine
  • 2 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tsp caster sugar
  • 1/4 cup (60ml) water
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
Makes
About 200ml, enough for 3-4 stir-fries
Ready in
10
Keeps
3 weeks in the fridge
How to make it
  1. Rinse the black beans in a sieve for a few seconds to remove some salt, then drain and chop roughly, leaving some whole.
  2. Heat the oil in a small pan over medium-low heat. Fry the garlic, ginger and chilli for 1-2 minutes until fragrant but not brown.
  3. Add the black beans and fry for another minute.
  4. Add the Shaoxing wine, let it bubble, then stir in the oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar and water. Simmer for 2-3 minutes until slightly thick.
  5. Take off the heat, stir in the sesame oil and cool. Store in a clean jar.
About this sauce

Black bean garlic sauce is the deep, salty, savoury sauce behind beef in black bean sauce, steamed pork ribs at yum cha and black bean pipis. It's made from fermented black beans (douchi), which are soybeans salted and fermented until soft, black and intensely savoury. Unlike the sweet, nutty kung pao sauce, it's all salt, garlic and funk.

Making your own takes ten minutes and tastes much fresher than the jar. Rinse the beans, chop them roughly so some stay whole, and fry them gently with plenty of garlic and ginger before adding Shaoxing wine and oyster sauce. Keep it in a jar and use a spoonful whenever a stir-fry needs depth.

What to put it on

Beef and capsicum stir-fry, pork ribs, steamed fish, pipis and clams, eggplant and green beans.

Use 2 tablespoons in beef in black bean sauce or rub it onto steamed pork ribs. It's also good spooned over Cantonese steamed fish. Read about Shaoxing wine and oyster sauce.

Uses this sauce

Recipes that call for this sauce. Make a batch and cook one of these.

Pairs well with

Dishes this sauce suits. These recipes make their own glaze or dressing, so you can swap this sauce in.