Chinese Garlic Sauce (2024)

This Chinese Garlic Sauce is perfect for your stir-fry, dipping, even with veggies over rice or noodles. It’s so easy to make at home and better than takeout!

Broccoli with Garlic Sauce has always been one of our favorite Chinese takeout dishes. Now that we know how to make it at home we can control the quality of ingredients, especially the produce, organic veggies for all! We love using as a dipping sauce for ourSteamed Broccoli or in a veggie stir fry over rice or noodles.

WHAT DOES CHINESE GARLIC SAUCE TASTE LIKE?

It is sweet, salty, garlicky, a little bit of heat (or more if you add more crushed red peppers), and just so delicious. If you haven’t tried it, we highly recommend you do as soon as possible!

CHINESE GARLIC SAUCE RECIPE

• Olive Oil– This is optional, but it really helps release the flavor from the garlic and ginger. You could also use broth or water.
• Garlic– Fresh is highly recommended for this.
• Ginger– Fresh is highly recommended for this.
• Water– This is to help thin the sauce, you could also use broth if you prefer.
• Coconut Aminos – Instead of soy sauce we use coconut aminos which has less sodium.
• Rice Vinegar – You can use rice vinegar or rice wine vinegar.
• Cane Sugar – We use cane sugar to give this recipe the sweetness, you could also try coconut sugar.
• Cornstarch – Garlic Sauce is a little thicker than most sauces, so the cornstarch is what thickens this recipe.
• Sesame Oil – To keep this oil-free you can use some toasted sesame seeds.
• Red Pepper Flakes – There’s a little kick in garlic sauce from red pepper flakes, you can always add more if needed.

HOW TO MAKE CHINESE GARLIC SAUCE

Sauteé the garlic and ginger in a medium saucepan with the olive oil until fragrant, about 15-30 seconds.

Add the water, coconut aminos, rice vinegar, and sugar. Heat the mixture until boiling and then reduce the heat to medium-low.

Combine 1/8 cup of the mixture with cornstarch and then pour it into the sauce, also add in the sesame oil and crushed red pepper flakes.

Cook the sauce with the cornstarch mixture, stirring often until sauce thickens, once thickened it’s ready to serve.

Let the garlic sauce cool before refrigerating.

CAN I USE POWDERED GINGER AND GARLIC?

Fresh is best. We do not recommend trying this recipe with anything but fresh garlic and ginger. Freeze-dried that is chopped or minced may work, but we don’t know if that would change the flavor.

HOW LONG WILL THIS SAUCE LAST?

Chinese Garlic Sauce should last 3-4 days in the refrigerator.

MY SAUCE IS THICK AFTER REFRIGERATING, HOW DO I USE?

It will thicken in the refrigerator, just add it to a saucepan or your stir fry pan to heat up, you can add a little bit of water if needed to thin it out.

RECIPE NOTES:

• Add more red pepper flakes if you like it spicy, remember you can always add more but you can’t take it out.
• Coconut aminos is lower in sodium than soy sauce, it’s also soy free.
• If you don’t have coconut aminos you can use soy sauce. If you’re using soy sauce, use to taste as it’s saltier than coconut aminos.
• Store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
• Thin sauce with water or broth after heating if needed.

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