Best Hoisin Sauce, Easy, Low Carb and Naturally Thickened
Looking for a low-carb hoisin sauce without all the unnecessary sugar and carbs found in many store-bought versions? This homemade hoisin sauce is rich, savoury, slightly sweet, and full of flavour without relying on xanthan gum for thickening. Even better, it comes together in one saucepan and is ready in about 15 minutes.
Why Make Your Own Low-Carb Hoisin Sauce?
I love a good sauce. In fact, it’s one of the easiest ways to add incredible flavour to a meal. However, sauces can also be an easy way to consume extra sugar and carbohydrates without realizing it.
If you’re trying to maintain a low-carb way of eating, you don’t have to give up the flavours you love. Instead, it simply means being a little more intentional about where those carbs come from.
That’s why I like making my own sauces at home. This way, I can control the ingredients, adjust the sweetness, and avoid adding carbs I don’t really need.
This low-carb hoisin sauce gives you that familiar sweet, savoury, slightly tangy flavour of traditional hoisin, but it uses a low-carb sweetener instead of sugar. As a result, you can enjoy hoisin sauce without adding unnecessary carbohydrates to your meal.
Plus, there’s no xanthan gum needed. Unlike many low-carb sauce recipes that rely on a thickening agent, this sauce naturally thickens as it gently simmers.
What Is Hoisin Sauce?
Hoisin sauce is a thick, flavourful sauce commonly used in Chinese and other Asian-inspired dishes. It’s known for its combination of sweet, salty, savoury, tangy, and aromatic flavours.
Because of its bold flavour, it’s incredibly versatile and works well as a marinade, glaze, dipping sauce, or stir-fry sauce.
However, many commercially prepared hoisin sauces include a lot of sugar. If you’re watching your carbohydrate intake, those carbs can add up quickly, especially when a recipe calls for several tablespoons of sauce.
That’s why making your own lets you decide exactly what goes into it.
Why You Will Love This Hoisin Sauce
- Lower in carbohydrates than traditional sweetened hoisin sauce.
- No xanthan gum needed as it naturally thickens as it simmers.
- Easy to make with simple ingredients.
- Ready in about 15 minutes for your favourite recipe.
- Sweet, savoury, tangy, and aromatic with just the right amount of heat.
- Versatile enough for marinades, stir-fries, dipping, and glazing.
- Easy to customize depending on how sweet, spicy, or thin you like your sauce.
Carbs and Servings in Low Carb Hoisin Sauce
When you’re trying to cut back on carbs, sauces and condiments can be an easy source of extra carbohydrates that you may not even think about. A few tablespoons here and there can add up quickly, especially when you’re using a sauce as a marinade, glaze, or dipping sauce.
Under 5g net carbs per 1 tablespoon
- 3.9g of carbohydrates
- 0g of fibre
- 3.9g of net carbs
How Does It Compare to Store-Bought Hoisin Sauce?
A little comparison is helpful when you’re watching your carbs. Lee Kum Kee Hoisin Sauce contains 9g of carbohydrates and 0g of fibre per tablespoon, while this homemade version has approximately 3.9g of net carbs per tablespoon.
That’s less than half the carbs per tablespoon, while still giving you that rich, sweet and savoury hoisin flavour. Making your own also means you can control the sweetness and ingredients.
Ingredients for Low Carb Hoisin Sauce
- Soy sauce
- Granulated erythritol/monk fruit sweetener
- Natural peanut butter
- Rice vinegar
- Sesame oil
- Grated fresh ginger
- Crushed garlic
- Gochujang
- Chinese five-spice powder
- Water
How to Make Low Carb Hoisin Sauce
This couldn’t be much easier.
- First, add all ingredients to a small saucepan and whisk until combined.
- Next, bring the mixture to a slight boil over medium heat. Then, reduce the heat and let it gently simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens.
- The amount of water you use depends on how you plan to use the sauce. Therefore, start with less and add more if you want a thinner consistency.
- Once it has thickened to your liking, remove it from the heat and allow it to cool. As it cools, it will thicken a little more.
That’s it! No blender, no complicated steps, and no xanthan gum required.
A note about the texture of this Hoisin Sauce
This homemade hoisin sauce isn’t quite as perfectly smooth as the bottled version, and that’s intentional.
The fresh ginger and garlic give it a slightly rustic texture, which I actually really like. Not only do you get little bits of those aromatic ingredients throughout the sauce, they also add plenty of flavour.
However, if you prefer a smoother sauce, you can blend it or strain it before storing.
How to Use Low-Carb Hoisin Sauce
Once you have a jar of homemade hoisin sauce in the refrigerator, you’ll find plenty of ways to use it.
Try it as a:
- Marinade for chicken, beef, pork, or tofu
- Glaze for salmon, chicken, or roasted vegetables
- Stir-fry sauce with your favourite protein and vegetables
- Dipping sauce for lettuce wraps or spring rolls, or poke bowls
- Wing glaze for chicken wings
- Sauce for meatballs to dip in or enhance the flavour.
- Finishing sauce for cauliflower rice bowls
- Burger or wrap sauce for added flavour.
- Drizzle over roasted or grilled vegetables
Tips for the Best Hoisin Sauce
Adjust the Water to Your Needs
- The 1/2-1 cup of water gives you flexibility. For a thicker sauce, use less water. For a thinner consistency, add a little more.
- Also, remember that it will continue to thicken as it cools.
Don’t Boil It Too Aggressively
- Once the sauce reaches a slight boil, reduce the heat and let it gently simmer. This helps the flavours come together while the sauce thickens.
Use Natural Peanut Butter
- I prefer natural peanut butter without added sugar. Since we’re trying to keep unnecessary carbohydrates out of the sauce, it’s a good idea to check the ingredient label on your peanut butter first.
How to Store Homemade Hoisin Sauce
Once the sauce has cooled, transfer it to a clean, airtight jar or container and store it in the refrigerator. Since this is a homemade sauce without commercial preservatives, I recommend using it within one week.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is hoisin sauce low carb?
Traditional hoisin sauce is generally not considered low carb because it commonly contains sugar and other sweeteners. However, making it at home allows you to replace the added sugar with a low-carb sweetener and control the ingredients.
Does this low-carb hoisin sauce need xanthan gum?
No. This recipe doesn’t require xanthan gum. Instead, the sauce naturally thickens as it simmers.
Can I make the sauce smoother?
Yes. The fresh ginger and garlic give this sauce a slightly rustic texture. If you prefer a smoother consistency, simply blend the finished sauce or strain it before storing.
Can I make it spicier?
Absolutely. Add a little extra gochujang if you want more heat.
More Ways to Use It
Don’t think of this sauce as something you’ll only make once for a single recipe. Instead, a batch can become a useful staple in your refrigerator.
Make it once and use it throughout the week for quick meals, especially when you want to add a lot of flavour without adding unnecessary carbs.
For instance, try it with chicken lettuce wraps, beef and vegetables, grilled salmon, roasted cauliflower, or Low-Carb Aromatic Chicken.
Ultimately, eating low carb isn’t always about eliminating the foods you love. Sometimes, it’s simply about making smarter choices about the ingredients you add to your plate.
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Best Hoisin Sauce, Easy, Low Carb and Naturally Thickened
Ingredients
- ½ cup soy sauce
- 4 tbsp peanut butter natural
- 8 tbsp Sweetener Erithrytol/Monk fruit
- 4 tsp Rice Vinegar
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 2 tsp grated ginger
- 2 tsp Crushed garlic
- 2 tsp Gochujang
- 2 tsp Chinese 5-Spice
- 1/2-1 cup water
Instructions
- First, add all ingredients to a small saucepan and whisk until combined.
- Next, bring the mixture to a slight boil over medium heat. Then, reduce the heat and let it gently simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens.
- The amount of water you use depends on how you plan to use the sauce. Therefore, start with less and add more if you want a thinner consistency.
- Once it has thickened to your liking, remove it from the heat and allow it to cool. As it cools, it will thicken a little more.