This Chinese garlic sauce is a version of the Chinese brown sauce you’ve likely had at your favorite Chinese restaurant or for takeout. It’s a savory sauce with a touch sweetness that you’re most likely to find on a stir fry but it’s also amazing as a dipping sauce.
What is Chinese Garlic Sauce?
Chinese Garlic Sauce, sometimes called stir fry sauce or just plain brown sauce, is a staple in Chinese-American kitchens. It adds deep umami flavors to many dishes but can also be used as a dipping sauce.
This sauce is well-balanced with the main flavor being savory, but it also incorporates sweet and spicy flavors (if you choose to use the crushed red pepper flakes).
Gather This
All of these ingredients work together to build the defining flavors of this chinese garlic sauce. A full list of ingredients with measurements for this recipe is available in the printable recipe card below.
- Vegetable oil or canola oil – These are the standard oils used for this recipe but you can use any neutral oil like avocado oil, olive oil, or coconut oil.
- Fresh garlic – Make sure to finely mince or press the garlic so it mixes well into the sauce. Garlic powder can be used in a pinch
- Fresh ginger – Grating works best for ginger in this recipe but you can chop it finely, too.
- Low sodium soy sauce – This ingredient adds so much umami flavor.
- Low sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth – Chicken stock or vegetable stock add depth to the sauce. Use vegetable if you want this to be a vegan stir fry sauce.
- Chinese rice wine or rice vinegar – Rice wine or rice wine vinegar add acidity to balance the sauce. You can also use shaoxing wine.
- Light brown sugar – Instead of using honey to make it a bit sweet, use brown sugar. If you want deeper sweet flavor use dark brown sugar. Some people swap this for pure maple syrup.
- Sesame oil – This oil helps develop the tamari flavor profile.
- Water – Water helps to build the right consistency.
- Cornstarch – Cornstarch thickens the sauce. You can also use arrowroot powder instead of corn starch.
Let’s Make It!
This chinese garlic sauce is really quite simple to make. Check the section below for instructions on how to make a stir fry!
- Sauté garlic, ginger and crushed red peppers. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. When hot, add the garlic, ginger and crushed red peppers. Cook until fragrant, but before browning.
- Add wet ingredients. Stir in the soy sauce, broth, wine, sugar and sesame oil until sugar dissolves. Reduce to low heat.
- Cornstarch slurry. In a small bowl, whisk together the water and cornstarch, add to the garlic sauce, whisking over low heat until it starts to bubble and turns glossy.
- Remove from heat. Remove from the heat and use in a stir fry or as a dipping sauce.
How to Make Stir Fry
If you are using this brown sauce to make stir fry, here are basic instructions. You’ll need a few cups of chopped or shredded veggies and a couple cups of protein (shrimp, scallops, chicken, pork, cubed beef or tofu) — any type you like!
- Cook protein. In a large skillet or wok, add a tablespoon of neutral oil over medium heat. Cook the protein until it is fully cooked. Remove and set aside.
- Add veggies. Add another tablespoon of neutral oil to the skillet and add the vegetables, cooking for a few minutes, depending on cut, size and nature. Cook until still snappy.
- Return protein to pan. Add the protein back to the skillet along with stir fry sauce, tossing to coat.
- Serve over stir fry noodles, white rice, or fried rice. Make this a lower carb dish by using fried cauliflower rice.
5S Philosophy 👩🏻
- Seasonings – For a hot garlic sauce with more spicy flavor, double the crushed red pepper flakes or add 1-2 teaspoons of sriracha hot sauce or Chinese chili oil. You can also add red chili flakes, chili peppers, or your other favorite spicy ingredients.
- Swaps – If you like a sweeter sauce, omit the crushed red pepper flakes and double the brown sugar. You can also try using a little bit of maple syrup.
- Sauces – Try adding oyster sauce or hoisin sauce, or swapping either for some of the soy sauce.
- Senses – The slightly thick sauce is a blend of garlic, broth, sugar, and oils with garlic and ginger — and just enough cornstarch to give it the right consistency. It’s as aromatic as it is flavorful, and it coats your proteins and vegetables perfectly in any stir fry recipe.
Perfect Companions
You can serve chinese garlic sauce as a sauce on a main dish or as a dipping sauce.
- Stir fry – Finish any stir fry with this classic sauce. You can use on a beef stir fry, vegetable stir fry or chicken stir fry.
- Veggies – This sauce taste great on most vegetables, but we especially love using it on mushrooms, snap peas, snow peas, a broccoli stir fry or any other stir fry vegetables.
- Dipping sauce – Serve this sauce in a small bowl alongside crab rangoon, egg rolls, dumplings, or other appetizers.
- Spread – Spread this sauce on buns before adding grilled burgers or chicken for Asian-style sandwiches.
- Marinade – Marinate beef, pork, or chicken before roasting or grilling.
- Drizzle– Drizzle on all sorts of Asian dishes from ramen eggs to Asian spicy green beans.
Storage and Freezing
We like storing this in a glass jar like a mason jar, but any airtight container will work.
How to Store
Store this easy stir fry sauce for 4-5 days in the fridge in an airtight container with a lid or ziploc bag.
Can I Freeze Chinese Garlic Sauce?
Freeze this stir fry sauce recipe for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container, freezer bag, or ice cube tray.
Common Questions About Chinese Garlic Sauce
Chinese garlic sauce is not particularly high in calories but if you’re looking to lower the calorie count you can reduce the sugar or use a sugar alternative.
The term “healthy” can mean a lot of things to different people depending on their dietary needs. However, garlic itself is extremely healthy, offering the benefits of lowering blood pressure and cholesterol as well as blood glucose. It’s heart healthy and can also help with blood circulation.
Chinese garlic sauce typically clocks in at around the mid-teens (eg, 15 or so) in terms of carbs for around a cup of it but sauce recipes vary. If you’re concerned about carbs as someone on a keto lifestyle or with diabetes, consider replacing the brown sugar with your favorite alternative to make a lower carb sauce.
Other Asian-inspired Sauces
If you’d like to try some other sauces with Asian flair, these are some of our favorites.
Chinese Garlic Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil
- 2-3 tablespoons fresh garlic minced or pressed
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger grated or minced
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
- 1/3 cup rice wine
- 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 heaping tablespoons cornstarch
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. When hot, add the garlic, ginger and crushed red peppers. Cook until fragrant, but before browning.
- Stir in the soy sauce, broth, wine, sugar and sesame oil until sugar dissolves. Reduce to low heat.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the water and cornstarch, add to the garlic sauce, whisking over low heat until it starts to bubble and turns glossy.
- Remove from the heat and use in a stir fry or as a dipping sauce.
- If you’ve tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings.
Nutrition
Your Chinese sauce is soo good. I have got all the ingredients with me and I am going to make them tonight and use it as stir fry sauce.
This sauce sounds super flavorful. Will be great for a veggie stir fry.
I absolutely LOVE this on fried wontons, and I have always wanted to make my own. Thanks so much!
We are huge fans of stir fry for dinner. This brown sauce sounds marvelous and I will definitely be using it often in my house.
so good! used it for a noodle, veggie and prawn stir fry last night! Great flavour and super easy!
What kind of vinegar can I use for a substitute for rice vinegar? I am wanting to make this tonight and don’t have rice vinegar???
I’d just go with a white vinegar. Hope I made it in time! I had surgery this week and not working so many hours 🙂
Nice
Seemed very salty with that much soy sauce..
Easy and tasy
Thanks so much- exactly the way we like it!