Chinese Brown Sauce Recipe (2024)

A lot of Chinese stir-fry dishes for takeout include "brown sauce." One of the best-known dishes that uses brown sauce is the takeout classic beef and broccoli. The sauce usually contains beef stock or beef broth to give the dish extra flavor, but you can use chicken broth or stock if you like.

Brown sauce is typically a Western Chinese takeaway thing. In some cultures, brown sauce isn't used at all. The whole purpose of the flavorful mixture is to thicken a stir-fry sauce and add savory flavor.

Look for dark soy sauce for this recipe since it adds a richer flavor. Oyster sauce is commonly used in Chinese food and adds a savory, salty, umami flavor. Both can be found in most grocery stores. If you like, you can add grated or minced ginger or garlic. Serve your homemade brown sauce with a beef, chicken, or pork stir-fry or chow mein dish.

Chinese Brown Sauce Recipe (1)

"This is a good basic brown sauce. I used it to make a beef and broccoli stir-fry (for 2). To flavor the stir-fry I added some ginger, garlic, a teaspoon of sesame oil, and a bit more sugar. It was excellent." —Diana Rattray

Chinese Brown Sauce Recipe (5)

A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Chinese Brown Sauce Recipe (6)

  2. Add the broth, oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, and cornstarch to a saucepan.

    Chinese Brown Sauce Recipe (7)

  3. Mix evenly and make sure there are no lumps of cornstarch.

    Chinese Brown Sauce Recipe (8)

  4. Bring it to a boil while stirring. Simmer until the sauce reaches the desired thickness.

    Chinese Brown Sauce Recipe (9)

How to Use

Use this basic brown sauce as a base sauce for dishes such as beef and broccoli, chicken and broccoli, and other beef, pork, and chicken stir-fries.

Recipe Variations

  • Chicken Broth Version: Combine 1 cup chicken broth (or chicken stock), 1 1/2tablespoons oyster sauce, 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce, 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar, and 1 tablespoon cornstarch (or potato starch) in a saucepan. Mix evenly and make sure there are no lumps. Bring to a boil and keep stirring during cooking. Simmer until the sauce reaches the thickness you like.
  • Add 1 grated garlic clove.
  • Add 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger.
  • Add chile sauce or chile oil if you'd like your brown sauce spicy.

Is Chinese Brown Sauce Healthy?

Chinese brown sauce is low calorie, making it a decently healthy choice when saucing your stir-fries. It does not contain much in the ways of vitamins or nutrients. To reduce the sodium, use low-sodium beef broth and soy sauce. Because brown sauce contains cornstarch it is not appropriate for a keto diet.

Is Hoisin Sauce the Same as Brown Sauce?

Hoisin sauce is a flavorful condiment made of a variety of ingredients depending on the maker. It's often made with soybeans, garlic, chile, sugar, and spices. Brown sauce is a slightly thinner, simpler sauce that is broth-based. It has a less complex flavor than hoisin sauce.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
33Calories
0g Fat
6g Carbs
1g Protein

×

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2
Amount per serving
Calories33
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g0%
Saturated Fat 0g1%
Cholesterol 0mg0%
Sodium 789mg34%
Total Carbohydrate 6g2%
Dietary Fiber 0g0%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 0mg0%
Calcium 10mg1%
Iron 0mg1%
Potassium 66mg1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Chinese Brown Sauce Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the brown sauce in Chinese restaurants made of? ›

Broth: Many versions of this dish use beef broth, but you can also find it made with chicken or vegetable broth. Soy Sauce: Soy sauce is one of the main ingredients that you'll find in nearly every version of Chinese brown sauce.

What are the 4 ways to finish a perfect brown sauce? ›

Brown sauces can be finished for service by adding reductions, fortified wines, garnishes, and/or whole butter.

What is brown sauce made of? ›

Brown sauce is a condiment commonly served with food in the United Kingdom and Ireland, normally dark brown in colour. The taste is either tart or sweet with a peppery taste similar to that of Worcestershire sauce. Commercial sauces are a blend of tomatoes, malt vinegar, molasses, dates, spices and tamarind.

What is the lowest point Chinese food on Weight Watchers? ›

Decide on your main
EntreePoints
Steamed chicken or shrimp with vegetables (1 cup) and 2 tbsp ginger-garlic sauce on the side2
Steamed shrimp and broccoli without sauce (1 cup)0
Chicken egg foo young (1 patty)2
Moo goo gai pan with chicken or shrimp (1 cup)3
7 more rows
May 17, 2021

What is the most used sauce in Chinese food? ›

Soy Sauce (Regular/light) (酱油,Jiàngyóu)

Soy sauce (jiàng yóu, 酱油), the most common of Chinese sauces, sounds simple, and for the most part, it is. However, there are many types, each unique to different Asian cuisines (Chinese, Japanese, Thai, etc.).

What is the mother sauce of Chinese? ›

Sweet Soy Sauce (Chinese Mother Sauce #3)

What is the base of brown sauce? ›

In classical French cuisine, a brown sauce is generally a sauce with a meat stock base, thickened by reduction, and sometimes the addition of a browned roux, similar in some ways to, but more involved than, a gravy.

What is the liquid in brown sauce? ›

Brown sauce, also known as sauce Espagnole, uses a brown stock from veal, beef or sometimes chicken and a brown roux as the base. Tomato puree, mirepoix- chopped carrots, celery and onions- and a sachet of seasoning with bay leaf, thyme and parsley add flavor to the sauce.

How do you thicken brown sauce? ›

Use two tablespoons flour mixed with ¼ cup cold water for each cup of medium-thick sauce. Thoroughly mix in the water to prevent lumps. After stirring the combined flour and water into the sauce, cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Heat one minute more to cook the flour thoroughly.

What is the US equivalent to brown sauce? ›

English “brown sauce” is basically steak sauce. In America, A-1 Sauce might be a good analog, with its complexity of flavor. We typically use steak sauce on beef, but it's fairly versatile, and goes will with most meats or fried foods.

What are the ingredients in chef brown sauce? ›

The ingredients include; Vinegar, Sugar, Apples, Barley Malt Vinegar, Water, Tomatoes, Modified Maize Starch, Oranges, Salt, Spices, and Colour: Caramel (E150D). The sauce is gluten free.

Is Chinese brown sauce healthy? ›

Not usually counted as a significant source of nutrition, Chinese brown sauce contains only a few calories and only minor amounts of important vitamins and minerals. The sauce can also contain high quantities of dietary sodium.

What is healthiest Chinese food to order? ›

13 Healthiest Chinese Food Takeout Options
  1. Steamed dumplings. Dumplings offered at a Chinese restaurant are pockets of dough filled with seasoned meat and vegetables, usually pork and cabbage. ...
  2. Hot and sour soup or egg drop soup. ...
  3. Moo goo gai pan. ...
  4. Beef and broccoli. ...
  5. Chop suey. ...
  6. Chicken and broccoli. ...
  7. Baked salmon. ...
  8. Happy family.

What's a healthy Chinese meal? ›

Best: Kung Pao Chicken

This entree mixes chili peppers with diced chicken and veggies. Have half an order with a cup of brown rice (about the size of your fist), and you'll keep your meal under 600 calories. Peanuts also give the dish a nutrient boost. They have heart-healthy fiber, unsaturated fat, and antioxidants.

What happens if you eat all zero point foods on Weight Watchers? ›

You can still lose weight: ZeroPoint foods have been part of WeightWatchers for many years! We rigorously test our programs and have found that members can regularly incorporate all ZeroPoint foods into their everyday eating and still lose weight.

What is the difference between brown sauce and garlic sauce? ›

Chinese Garlic Sauce has a stronger focus on the flavor of garlic, while Chinese Brown Sauce leans more towards a mixture of sweet and savory tones. The base of the brown sauce often consists of soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, and cornstarch, with additional aromatics optional, depending on personal preference.

What is the difference between white and brown sauce in Chinese food? ›

Two basic sauces are the brown sauce and white sauce. Brown sauce is mainly for meat dishes; beef, lamb, duck, yet he also used it in his Chendu Fish dish, to bind together moo shu and one of his tofu dishes. The white sauce was for fish and seafood, chicken and vegetable dishes.

What is the brown sauce at a pho restaurant? ›

In Vietnamese, hoisin sauce is called tương đen. It is a popular condiment for phở, a Vietnamese noodle soup, in southern Vietnam.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Zonia Mosciski DO

Last Updated:

Views: 5540

Rating: 4 / 5 (51 voted)

Reviews: 82% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Zonia Mosciski DO

Birthday: 1996-05-16

Address: Suite 228 919 Deana Ford, Lake Meridithberg, NE 60017-4257

Phone: +2613987384138

Job: Chief Retail Officer

Hobby: Tai chi, Dowsing, Poi, Letterboxing, Watching movies, Video gaming, Singing

Introduction: My name is Zonia Mosciski DO, I am a enchanting, joyous, lovely, successful, hilarious, tender, outstanding person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.