Stir fry is a very common meal that is eaten by lots of families every day. Chinese garlic sauce is a certain type of stir fry sauce made from certain ingredients.
You can use this sauce alongside your rice, noodles, vegetables or meat. It is a very versatile dish and shapes the flavors in the dish.
What Is Chinese Garlic Sauce?
Most of us keep lots of the ingredients needed for Chinese garlic sauce in our kitchen cupboards.
This sauce only requires a few very simple ingredients and so it is very cheap and easy to make.
There are only 6 ingredients in stir-fry sauce and it won’t take longer than 10 minutes to whip up!
In this sauce, there are no meat-based ingredients added, so it is suitable for vegetarians.
It is also often suitable for vegans, however, you should make sure that the recipe that you are using is as sometimes oyster sauce is added to this sauce.
This sauce is also free of any artificial colors or flavorings, making it healthy for you and the family. It is a delicious sauce too, so there really is no downside!
If you are looking to make a gluten free alternative, it is a good idea to substitute the soy sauce with tamari. This is a gluten free product and is a good replacement for soy.
What Does Chinese Garlic Sauce Taste Like?
Chinese garlic sauce has a very enhanced taste. It is a mixture of spice, savory and sweet flavors blended together to make a delicious sauce.
It is very easy to make and the flavors are very versatile. It is quite healthy as it contains no artificial colors or flavors, and it does not contain lots of oil.
This sauce is used alongside many things. It does not just have to be used in a stir fry. It is often used as a dipping sauce for dumplings or wantons.
This sauce has a very strong Chinese flavor because of the ingredients used to make it. For a very Asian stir-fry, you should use Asian stir fry vegetables.
Raw ginger is a very important ingredient in this sauce. The ginger adds a spicy flavor to the sauce. It is best to use raw ginger in this sauce, and this can either be very finely chopped or minced.
If you don’t have fresh ginger available, you can substitute this for a jar of ginger spice.
This can work to add the flavor, however, it is not the same as using fresh ginger. Fresh ginger provides a flavor that is tasty and fresh.
Garlic
Raw garlic is one of the main ingredients in this sauce. It is best to use fresh garlic. Raw garlic has a very strong smell and taste.
The smell of the raw garlic really enhances the taste of the dish because it draws attention to the garlic flavors.
If you don’t have fresh garlic cloves, you can substitute this ingredient with garlic powder. This is a staple ingredient on your spice rack.
However, if you want the full effect of the garlic flavor, it is a good idea to use fresh garlic as the flavors it provides to the dish are very different.
If you do opt to use an alternative to garlic cloves, you should substitute 1 clove of garlic with around an eighth of a tsp of garlic powder.
If you choose to use garlic flakes, half a tsp should be equivalent to 1 clove of garlic. If you opt to use granulated garlic, one quarter of a tsp is the equivalent of 1 clove.
You can add as much or as little garlic as you prefer. If you love the flavor of garlic, throw in some more, however, if you find that garlic can be overpowering, you can reduce the amount of garlic you use in the sauce.
Hot Sauce
You will also add a hot sauce or chili sauce to the stir-fry sauce. You can choose how spicy you would like the sauce to be, and this will determine the type of hot sauce you add to your recipe.
You can add a hot sauce or a chili sauce. If you would prefer it a lot spicier, you can always add sriracha sauce.
Again, if you would like the dish to be very spicy, you can always add some chili flakes to the sauce too. Make sure to keep tasting it as you add, as you don’t want to make it too spicy!
Make sure you consider who you’re making this sauce for, too, as young children do not tend to like spicy foods in the same way as adults.
You could also opt to add fresh chillies to this sauce, again, be careful how many you are adding!
If you don’t want to add any spice to the sauce, that is fine too. This dish does not necessarily need spice.
Soy Sauce
The soy sauce is the base flavor of the sauce. It is a lovely flavor which provides a delicious taste to the sauce. If you follow a gluten free diet then you can replace the soy sauce with tamari.
You can also get gluten-free soy sauce in some stores. Another option for an alternative to soy is coconut aminos. Soy sauce adds a deliciously salty flavor to this sauce.
Sweetener
This sauce needs an added sweetener. So far, we have added soy sauce for the salty element of the sauce and hot sauce or chillies for the spicy aspect. The sweetener provides the sweet part of the sauce.
Add brown sugar or maple syrup to the Chinese Garlic Sauce for this added sweetness. You can also add granulated sugar if you don’t have either of those ingredients.
You may want to add a healthier sweetener, in which case you should add an agave syrup.
Another option for sweetening the sauce is tomato ketchup. Adding tomato ketchup to the sauce is a great way to add sweetness to the sauce.
It adds a mild sweetness and goes very well with the flavors of the sauce. Tomato ketchup is very sweet but not as sweet as adding sugar.
Oil
You will need to add some oil to the sauce to cook the garlic and ginger in. The best oil to use for this sauce to keep in inkeeping with the Asian flavors is toasted sesame oil.
You can even add a little bit extra of this oil into the sauce. You can replace this oil with a different oil if you don’t have sesame oil. However, this oil will compliment the dish very well.
Cornstarch
This is the last ingredient needed to make this Chinese garlic sauce. This ingredient thickens the sauce, making it less watery.
You mix together a tablespoon of cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of water and add it to the sauce to thicken it.
How To Make Chinese Garlic Sauce
Add the soy sauce, hot sauce, sweetener and sesame oil in a bowl to make a broth mixture.
In a separate bowl, mix the cornstarch and water together.
Next, heat the oil in a pan. Add the garlic and ginger to the pan and cook on a medium heat for 1 minute.
After this, add the broth to the pan and wait until this reaches boiling point.
Simmer this mixture for two minutes.
Pour the starch mixture into the pan. Ensure you are simultaneously stirring the sauce.
When the sauce reaches the consistency you want, turn off the heat.
In order to make this stir fry, follow these steps below:
Heat some vegetable oil in a pan.
Add some vegetables to the pan. You can choose which vegetables you would like to use, or use up some of the leftover vegetables you have in the fridge. We recommend onions, broccoli, peppers and carrots.
You can also add any meat or tofu to the pan if you would like to.
Next, stir-fry these vegetables for a few minutes.
Cover this dish with a lid.
Add the garlic sauce to the dish and simmer for around 2 minutes.
Next, turn off the heat and add some spring onions.
Add some toasted sesame seeds.
This dish is great because it is ready in less than 10 minutes and it is a quick and healthy dish. You can mix up the vegetables that are in this dish depending on what you have available.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Should I Store The Sauce?
Once the sauce is cooled, you should transfer this sauce into a glass container or a glass jar.
If you have a jar with a lid, then this should stay fresh for around 5 days if it is refrigerated. You can use the sauce right away after you have made it, too.
You can also freeze the sauce if you choose to. If you choose to do this, you should ensure that the sauce is cooled before you transfer it to an ice tray. You can then freeze the sauce in the ice tray.
Once it is frozen, transfer it to a zip lock back and store in the freezer. This way, when you need some sauce, you can just take out however many cubes you need, and leave the rest in the freezer.
They will last at least 3 months in the freezer.
Is Chinese Garlic Sauce Suitable For Vegetarians?
This sauce is suitable for vegetarians. It is also suitable for vegans. You can make a gluten free option if you replace the soy sauce with gluten free alternatives.
Final Thoughts
So, now you know everything there is to know about Chinese garlic sauce! You have all the information you need to make the sauce and make the stir-fry to put with the sauce. This is a very easy recipe and it is a healthy one for all the family to enjoy.
Hi, my name is Brett White, and I have a passion for cooking, and following a raw diet. Eating raw has completely changed how I view food, and has led me down a much healthier and happier path in life over the last three years.
Through Addicted To Veggies, I want to share with you my favorite raw recipes. From brownie recipes, to recipes containing pumpkin, my site is full of delicious and wonderful options to consider.
