Simple homemade Chinese-style black bean sauce made with fermented black beans (douchi). The beans need only a short 30–60 minute soak before they’re ready to become a quick, rich, umami stir-fry sauce.
“The amount of pepper surprised me but it really works to give the sauce a perfume and bite. I did replace the sugar with Kecap Manis.”
– Jon
Nicky’s Notes
I enjoy making stir-fry sauces because they’re typically straightforward: a few splashes from bottles, plus garlic and ginger. Black bean sauce intrigued me because it uses fermented black soybeans — douchi — which are salted and fermented, not the same as canned or plain dried black beans.
I didn’t want to ferment beans myself, which can take months, but luckily you can buy ready fermented black beans in packets. They’re long-lasting and simple to prepare for a quick, flavourful sauce.
Table of Contents
- Nicky’s Notes
- 📋 Ingredients
- 🧑🍳 Abbreviated Recipe
- Pro Tip
- 🍽️ How to use it
- 📺 Watch how to make it
- Black Bean Sauce Recipe
- 🥫 More sauce recipes
📋 Ingredients
Most ingredients are easy to find in a mid-size supermarket; the fermented black beans are the specialty item. Pick them up from an Asian grocery or order online. You only need a small amount to make a jar of sauce, so a small packet is usually enough.
Store opened packets in a sealed container in the fridge; they keep for a long time.
- 4 tbsp fermented black beans
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp rapeseed (or neutral) oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp minced ginger
- 2 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine (or dry sherry)
- 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tsp rice vinegar
- 2 tsp granulated or caster sugar
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 180 ml (3/4 cup) chicken or vegetable stock
- Cornflour (1 tbsp) mixed with 3 tbsp cold water to make a slurry
🧑🍳 Abbreviated Recipe
Full recipe with detailed steps is in the recipe card below.
Soak the fermented black beans in cold water for 30–60 minutes, then drain and rinse. Mash about three-quarters of the beans into a rough paste and leave some whole for texture. Heat the sesame and rapeseed oil, fry garlic, ginger and the mashed beans for a minute until fragrant. Add rice wine, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, pepper and stock. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the cornflour slurry until the sauce thickens, then remove from the heat.
Pro Tip
- The sauce is naturally salty from the fermented beans and soy. When combined with meat and vegetables in a stir-fry it balances out. If you prefer, use reduced-sodium stock.
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🍽️ How to use it
- Stir-fry with chicken, tofu or vegetables.
- Use with beef and vegetables for a classic beef in black bean sauce stir-fry.
If you’re not using the sauce immediately, cool it, transfer to a sealed jar and refrigerate for up to two weeks.
📺 Watch how to make it
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Black Bean Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp fermented black beans
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- 1 tbsp minced ginger
- 2 tbsp Shaoxing Chinese rice wine (or dry sherry)
- 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tsp rice vinegar
- 2 tsp granulated or caster sugar
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 180 ml (3/4 cup) chicken or vegetable stock
- Cornflour cornstarch slurry – 1 tbsp cornflour mixed with 3 tbsp cold water
Instructions
- Start by soaking the fermented black beans in cold water for 30–60 minutes. Drain and rinse.
- Mash most of the beans roughly with the back of a fork, leaving some whole for texture.
- Heat the sesame and rapeseed oil in a small saucepan over medium heat.
- Add the garlic, ginger and black beans and fry for about one minute until fragrant, stirring often.
- Add the rice wine, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, pepper and stock. Stir, bring to the boil then simmer for 5 minutes to reduce slightly.
- Stir in the cornflour slurry to thicken the sauce, then remove from the heat.
- Use immediately or cool, cover and refrigerate for up to two weeks.
Notes
Nutritional information is approximate, per serving, based on this recipe making 4 servings.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.
This black bean sauce recipe was first published in July 2023 and has been updated since with improvements and housekeeping edits.
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Some links in posts may be affiliate links — if you buy a product I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Nutrition information is approximate and can vary depending on ingredients and portion sizes.