Chinese Garlic Sauce Brown Stir Fry Sauce

I simply can’t get enough of homemade stir-fries. They are so quick and easy to make, and also pretty healthy since we don’t use artificial flavors (like MSG powder) or too much oil. What makes a stir-fry exceptionally delicious and flavorful? It’s the brown sauce! And here I am presenting you my best version of a homemade Chinese garlic sauce.

What Is Chinese Brown Sauce?

A Chinese brown sauce is a popular flavorful sauce in every Chinese takeout. The main ingredients are soy sauce, rice wine, sugar, sometimes oyster sauce, and a meat-based broth. You’ll find variations with beef broth or chicken broth. My vegan brown sauce is meatless, of course, and therefore contains vegetable broth. Other ingredients often found in a Chinese brown sauce are cornstarch (to thicken the sauce), fresh garlic & ginger, and some spices like pepper, chili, and sesame oil.

How To Make Chinese Garlic Sauce?

This recipe has only 4 simple steps and it actually takes less than 10 minutes to make this spicy garlic sauce! Check the following step-by-step photos:

STEP 1: For the sauce, simply add all ingredients into a medium-sized bowl and stir with a whisk. Set aside. STEP 2: Heat vegetable oil in a saucepan or skillet over medium heat. Add the fresh garlic and ginger and sauté for 30-60 seconds or until fragrant. Stir frequently. STEP 3: Whisk the sauce again as the cornstarch will sink to the bottom, then pour it into the saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil and let simmer for a few minutes until thickened, stirring frequently. STEP 4: Use the garlic sauce immediately, for example, in your favorite stir-fry. Or let it cool completely and pour the sauce into a clean glass jar.

How To Serve?

This brown sauce is basically an all-purpose stir-fry sauce, which means you can use it in any stir-fry meal. My favorite way to serve this Szechuan sauce is over stir-fried broccoli. Have you ever tried broccoli with garlic sauce? If not, you are missing out! I also love to add slices of peppers, carrots, and onion. The sauce also makes a great dip for summer rolls or even vegan dumplings! The possibilities are endless!

Tips & Substitutes

How to store? Store sauce leftovers in a glass jar with a lid in the refrigerator for up to 4 or 5 days. Make it spicier or less spicy: If you love spicy Chinese (or Asian) food, simply increase the amount of red pepper flakes. You can also use fresh chilis or add a little hot sauce or Sriracha to taste! If you are sensitive to spicy food or have a toddler/kid, then leave out the red pepper flakes and use less fresh ginger. Vegetable oil: You can use canola oil or any vegetable cooking oil of choice. Sweetener: I used maple syrup, however, any other sweetener is fine. Some examples are agave syrup, brown rice syrup, or date syrup. You can also use regular sugar to taste. Cornstarch: If you have a corn allergy, simply use arrowroot flour, tapioca flour/starch, or potato starch. Any starch is fine and will thicken the sauce. Soy sauce: I used gluten-free dark soy sauce. You can also use a combination of light soy sauce and dark soy sauce. Make sure to use tamari (or a gluten-free soy sauce) if you are a celiac. If you want a soy-free alternative then I would recommend using coconut aminos.

This Szechuan Sauce Is:

Vegan Can be made gluten-free A little spicy Sweet, sour & salty Satisfying Hearty Easy to make with simple ingredients Ready in less than 10 minutes Can be made oil-free

Should you give this Chinese garlic sauce recipe a try, please leave a comment below, and don’t forget to tag me in your Instagram or Facebook post with @elavegan #elavegan because I love to see your remakes!

If you love Asian food, definitely also check out the following delicious recipes:

Garlic Broccoli Stir-Fry Kung Pao Cauliflower Thai Coconut Curry Soup Sticky Teriyaki Tofu Vegan Cabbage Rolls Asian Vegetable Stir-Fry Noodles Asian Vermicelli Stir-Fry Noodles Korean BBQ Sauce Spicy Potato Noodles Spicy Sriracha Noodles