8 Easy Hoisin Sauce Substitutes from Your Pantry

Ran out of hoisin sauce halfway through a stir-fry? It happens.

The good news is you can get very close to that sweet, salty, tangy flavor using ingredients you probably already have at home.

Hoisin sauce, sometimes called Chinese barbecue sauce in the West, is a staple in many Asian-style dishes. It’s often used to marinate and glaze meat, and it’s great for adding depth to vegetables, noodles, and stir-fries.

Traditionally, hoisin has Cantonese roots and is usually made with fermented soybeans, vinegar, garlic, fennel, and red chiles. Interestingly, the word hoisin literally means “seafood” in Chinese, even though the sauce itself typically doesn’t contain any seafood at all.

So if you’re cooking an Asian-inspired dish and realize there’s no hoisin in the pantry, don’t panic. Try one of these 8 homemade hoisin-style substitutes instead.

What Hoisin Sauce Tastes Like

Before you start mixing, it helps to know what you’re aiming for:

• • Sweet – usually from sugar or molasses

  • Salty and savory – from fermented soybeans and soy sauce

  • Slightly tangy – from vinegar

  • A little spicy and warm – from chili and Chinese five spice powder

Most of the substitutes below aim to hit these same notes, even if the ingredients look a bit different.

1. Black Bean & Brown Sugar Hoisin

This version is thick, dark, and very close in taste to store-bought hoisin. It’s great for stir-fries, glazes, and dipping sauces.

You’ll need:

• • 4 prunes

  • 1/3 cup dark brown sugar

  • 3 tbsp Chinese black bean sauce

  • 2 tbsp soy sauce

  • 2 tbsp water

  • 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar

  • 1/2 tsp Chinese five spice powder

  • 1/2 tsp sesame oil

How to make it:

1. 1. Add all the ingredients to a blender or food processor.
   2. Blend until smooth and thick.
   3. Use it just like hoisin sauce in meat, vegetable, or stir-fry dishes.

2. Garlic Teriyaki Bean Sauce

This one leans on teriyaki sauce for sweetness and kidney beans for body. It’s a good option if you don’t have black bean sauce on hand.

You’ll need:

• • 3/4 cup kidney beans, rinsed and drained

  • 2 garlic cloves

  • 3 tbsp molasses

  • 3 tbsp teriyaki sauce

  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar

  • 2 tsp Chinese five spice powder

How to make it:

1. Add everything to a blender.
2. Blend until smooth and thick.
3. Taste and adjust the sweetness or vinegar if needed, then use in place of hoisin.

3. Fruit-Forward Hoisin: Prunes or Plums

When you think of hoisin sauce, you might not think of dried fruit. But prunes and plums give a deep, jammy sweetness that works surprisingly well.

You can make either of these variations, depending on what you have:

Option A: Prune & Garlic Hoisin

Great for brushing over roasted meats or tossing with noodles.

You’ll need:

• • 3/4 cup pitted prunes

  • 2 cups water (for boiling)

  • 2 garlic cloves

  • 2 tbsp soy sauce

  • 1 1/2 tbsp dry sherry

How to make it:

1. 1. Boil the prunes in the water until they’re soft and tender.
   2. Drain (keep a little liquid aside in case you need to thin the sauce).
   3. Blend the softened prunes with garlic, soy sauce, and dry sherry until smooth.
   4. Add a splash of the cooking liquid if you want a thinner consistency.

Option B: Plum & Black Bean Hoisin

This one uses fresh plums and black bean garlic sauce for a bold, savory-sweet flavor.

You’ll need:

• • 2 large plums, chopped

  • 1/4 cup brown sugar

  • 3 tbsp black bean and garlic sauce

  • 2 tbsp soy sauce

  • 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar

  • 1 1/2 tsp sesame oil

  • 1/2 tsp Chinese five spice powder

  • 2 tbsp water

How to make it:

1. 1. Add the plums, brown sugar, and water to a small saucepan.
   2. Bring to a boil and cook until the plums are soft.
   3. Stir in the black bean and garlic sauce.
   4. Transfer everything to a blender, add the remaining ingredients, and blend until smooth.

4. Barbecue Sauce & Molasses

This is one of the quickest hoisin substitutes and works especially well with meat dishes.

You’ll need:

• • 3/4 cup barbecue sauce

  • 3 tbsp molasses

  • 1 tbsp soy sauce

  • 1/2 tbsp Chinese five spice powder

How to make it:

1. 1. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl until smooth.
   2. If it’s too thick, add a little water until you get the consistency you want.
   3. Use as a glaze, dipping sauce, or stir-fry sauce.

5. Soy Sauce & Peanut Butter

Peanut butter might not scream “hoisin,” but combined with soy sauce and a few pantry staples, it makes a rich, flavorful sauce that’s perfect for noodles, dipping, or drizzling over veggies.

You’ll need:

• • 4 tbsp soy sauce

  • 2 tbsp creamy peanut butter

  • 2 tsp hot pepper sauce

  • 2 tsp sesame oil

  • 2 tsp white vinegar

  • 1/2 tbsp brown sugar

  • 1/2 tbsp honey

  • 1/8 tsp black pepper

  • 1/8 tsp garlic powder

How to make it:

1. 1. Add everything to a bowl.
   2. Stir until it forms a smooth paste.
   3. Thin with a teaspoon or two of water if you’d like more of a pourable sauce.

6. Garlic, Miso & Mustard Raisin Sauce

This one is a bit different and uses raisins for sweetness, plus miso and mustard for depth and tang. It’s great if you want a complex, savory sauce.

You’ll need:

• • 1 cup raisins, soaked in water for about 1 hour

  • 2 garlic cloves

  • 1 1/4 cups water

  • 1 tbsp sesame oil

  • 1 tsp miso paste

  • 1 tsp mustard paste

  • 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

How to make it:

1. 1. Drain the soaked raisins.
   2. Add the raisins and all the other ingredients to a blender.
   3. Blend until smooth.
   4. Use as a hoisin-style sauce for marinades, glazes, or stir-fries.

7. Ginger & Plum Jam Hoisin

No fresh plums? Plum jam works just fine and makes this recipe very quick to put together.

You’ll need:

• • 2 tbsp plum jam

  • 2 garlic cloves

  • 1 inch piece of fresh ginger, grated

  • 1 tbsp teriyaki sauce

  • 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

How to make it:

1. 1. Add all the ingredients to a blender or small food processor.
   2. Blend until smooth.
   3. Taste and add a splash of soy sauce if you want it saltier.

8. Molasses & Sriracha Hoisin

If you like your hoisin sauce on the spicy side, this sweet-and-hot version is for you.

You’ll need:

• • 1/4 cup soy sauce

  • 2 tbsp molasses

  • 1 garlic clove

  • 1 tbsp peanut butter

  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar

  • 1 tbsp sesame oil

  • 1 tbsp Sriracha sauce

  • 1 tbsp water

  • 1/2 tsp Chinese five spice powder

How to make it:

1. 1. Add all ingredients to a saucepan.
   2. Heat over medium, stirring often, until everything is well combined and slightly thickened.
   3. Let the sauce cool before using.

Store-Bought Alternatives for Hoisin Sauce

Some days you just don’t feel like blending your own sauce. Depending on what you’re cooking, a few ready-made sauces can stand in for hoisin:

• • Oyster sauce – Great for seafood dishes and stir-fries. It has a savory, slightly sweet, “oceany” flavor.

  • Soy sauce or tamari – Good for adding saltiness and depth to vegetables and stir-fries. Add a little sugar or honey if you want some sweetness.

  • Barbecue sauce – Works well with grilled or roasted meat. For a more “Asian” twist, stir in a pinch of Chinese five spice powder and a splash of soy sauce.

  • Duck sauce or orange sauce – Nice as a dipping sauce or for glazing, especially with chicken or fried appetizers.

Final Tips & Storage

Making your own hoisin-style sauce is easier than it looks. You can always tweak the recipes:

• • Add more sugar or molasses if you like it sweeter.

  • Increase the vinegar for more tang.

  • Add extra chili or Sriracha if you prefer heat.

Store any leftover sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The exact shelf life depends on the recipe, but in general, homemade hoisin-style sauces will keep for at least a couple of weeks. If it smells off or looks strange, it’s safer to make a fresh batch.

With a few pantry ingredients and a blender, you’ll never have to skip hoisin sauce again.

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