5-Minute Asian Barbecue Sauce
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This Asian Barbecue Sauce is a sweet & savory glaze with umami-rich flavor. Brush it over grilled meats or use it as a dipping sauce. This homemade sauce brings bold restaurant-style flavor to everyday meals.
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Made with simple pantry staples like soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and a touch of honey, it adds the perfect balance of salty, sweet, and smoky to grilled meats, stir-fries, or even roasted vegetables. I like to toss air-fryer cauliflower wings in this tasty sauce.
Ingredient Notes & Swaps
- Honey – Any honey will work for this recipe, even creamed or older honey that has turned to crystals. In fact, this is one of the best ways to use up your crystallized honey because as soon as it heats up, it turns back to liquid.
- Sriracha – This Asian staple adds a bit of heat to the sauce as well as a deeper colour. Ketchup is a good everyday substitute, but it has no heat. You can turn it up by adding a 1/2 tsp of chilli peppers to compensate. Or if you can find it, gochujang sauce is used in Korean Barbecue Sauce that this recipe is based on (I just can never find it).
- Cornstarch – Used as a thickener, but if you want a thinner sauce, you can leave it out.
Step-By-Step Made Simple
- Add all of the ingredients but the cornstarch and water to a small pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stirring to combine.
- In a small bowl, whisk the cold water and cornstarch together to form a slurry. If you prefer a thinner sauce, you can skip this step.
- Pour the cornstarch slurry into the pot and stir. Let simmer for about 30 seconds and remove from the heat.
Making It in Advance
I usually make this sauce when I am going to use it because it is so fast, but it doesn’t always work out that way. When I do need to make it ahead of time, I keep it in the fridge in a sealed container for up to a week in the fridge. It tends to thicken up further when stored, so add a 1/2 cup of water to it. Then reheat it in the microwave or stovetop and mix the water. Add more if needed.
More sauces to try
5-Minute Asian Barbecue Sauce
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup honey
- ¼ cup hoisin sauce
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbps rice wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp sriracha or ketchup
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup cold water
- 2 tsp corn starch
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients to a small pot and bring to a boil over medium high-heat, stirring to combine.
- Whisk the water and cornstarch together in a small glass and pour into the pot of sauce. Stir to combine and let simmer for 30 seconds more to thicken.
Nutrition
Notes
- This sauce is best used right away as a glaze or dip.
- If making ahead of time, store in the fridge for up to a week and reheat on the stovetop or microwave. Add some water to thin.
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
