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Cantonese · Chinese

Black bean sauce

Non-vegetarian

豉汁 · chǐ zhī

Salty fermented black beans fried with garlic and ginger, splashed with Shaoxing wine and simmered in stock until glossy — the Cantonese sauce for steamed ribs, fish and stir-fries.

Black bean sauce is a Cantonese sauce from China, ready in about 14 minutes and made with fermented black beans (douchi) and garlic. It serves 4 and is rated easy to cook.

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Prep
8 min
Cook
6 min
Total
14 min
Serves
4
Level
Easy
Calories
113

Ingredients

4 servings (sauce for 4 portions of stir-fry)

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oil in a wok (opens in a new tab) over medium heat and fry the black beans, garlic (opens in a new tab), ginger and chilli until fragrant, about 1 minute.

    Ingredients tossed in a hot wok
    How it looks · Photo: Aesthos AR. Photography on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Splash in the Shaoxing wine (opens in a new tab) around the edge of the wok (opens in a new tab) and let it sizzle away for a few seconds.

    • 1 min
    • high heat

  3. Step 3

    Add the stock, soy sauce (opens in a new tab), oyster sauce (opens in a new tab) and sugar (opens in a new tab) and bring to a simmer.

    • 2 min
    • medium heat
    A curry simmering in a pot
    How it looks · Photo: Bachir Mamud on Pexels

  4. Step 4

    Stir the cornstarch (opens in a new tab) into the water, pour into the wok (opens in a new tab) and stir until the sauce turns glossy and thick enough to coat a spoon.

    • 1 min
    • medium heat

About this dish

Origin
Guangdong, China · Commonly attributedAlso popular in Hong Kong, United KingdomMore food from China
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Sauces
Cooking method
Stir-fried, Simmered
Taste
umami, salty, garlicky, savoury
Diet
Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Keto-style · Low-carb
All labelsNon-vegetarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · Pork-free · Beef-free · Keto-style · Low-carb · DASH-style
With the listed swaps: PescatarianWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Everyday · One-pan
Cook more with
Fermented black beans (douchi) · Garlic · Fresh ginger · Shaoxing wine · Soy sauce · Oyster sauce
Techniques
Stir-frying · Simmering

Allergens

  • May contain: Crustaceansfrom oyster sauce
  • Contains: Molluscsfrom oyster sauce
  • Contains: Wheatfrom shaoxing wine, soy sauce, oyster sauce
  • Contains: Glutenfrom shaoxing wine, soy sauce, oyster sauce
  • Contains: Soyfrom fermented black beans (douchi), soy sauce, oyster sauce
  • May contain: Celeryfrom chicken stock

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

113 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 70 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 10%
  • Carbohydrate 24%
  • Fat 66%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g
Energy113 kcal162 kcal
Protein2.7 g3.9 g
Carbohydrate6.5 g9.3 g
Net carbohydrate6 g8.5 g
Sugars1.8 g2.5 g
Added sugars——
Fibre0.6 g0.8 g
Fat7.8 g11.2 g
Saturated fat0.7 g1 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol1 mg1 mg
Sodium415 mg592 mg
Salt equivalent1 g1.5 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
111 mg
Calcium
19 mg
Iron
0.6 mg
Magnesium
13 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
0 µg
Vitamin C
1 mg
Vitamin D
0 µg
Vitamin B12
0 µg
Folate (DFE)
7 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: fresh red chilli.
  • Fermented black beans (douchi): Boiled salted mature soybeans (FDC 174299) used as a stand-in; douchi is saltier, so sodium is underestimated.
  • Shaoxing wine: Sake (FDC 167723) used as a stand-in for Chinese rice cooking wine.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Rinse the beans briefly — some brands are very salty — but don't soak them or they lose their funk.

Common mistakes

  • Adding extra salt before tasting — the fermented beans, soy and oyster sauce are all salty.

Serve with

  • Toss with stir-fried beef and peppers, clams or tofu.
  • Pour over steamed spare ribs or fish.

Storage

  • Refrigerate for up to 5 days.

Reheating

  • Reheat in the wok with a splash of water.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

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Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in step 1

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