Try these simple and authentic Dark Soy Sauce Recipes to use up that old sauce bottle in your pantry!
We have something for everyone, from Mongolian lamb to saucy stir-fried noodles!
What is Dark Soy Sauce?
Dark soy sauce is a condiment used in Chinese cooking. It's similar to regular soy sauce but has a thicker texture, darker color, and slightly sweeter flavor.
How is it used?
It's primarily used to darken or intensify the color of different dishes, like stir-fries, braises, "red-cooked dishes," and noodle dishes.
It's a main ingredient in recipes such as three-cup chicken and red-braised pork belly.
Where to buy it?
You can purchase it at most Chinese grocery stores or online. My favorite brands are Lee Kum Kee and Pearl River Bridge.
Three Cup Chicken is a traditional Taiwanese dish made by simmering chicken in sesame oil, dark soy sauce, and rice wine.
After cooking the chicken until it's tender, the sauce reduces into a sticky glaze.
You can add scallions, chili peppers, or black pepper to make it your own. It's a simple Taiwanese favorite that's quick to make and bursting with flavor!
This Cantonese Instant Pot Braised Beef with Radish recipe provides a comforting taste in under 2 hours! It combines tender beef chunks and daikon radish in a savory gravy that pairs well with rice.
It utilizes flank beef, which turns soft and tender through slow cooking. Once the meat reaches the desired tenderness, the daikon is added, and the stew is thickened with a cornstarch slurry.
Enjoy this Cantonese comfort food with scallions on top!
Mongolian Lamb is a Chinese stir-fry featuring marinated lamb strips in a sweet-savory sauce flavored with Chinese Five Spice.!
The sauce comprises dark soy sauce, hoisin sauce, Chinese cooking wine, and Chinese Five Spice. The stir-fry is easy to make and only takes 10 minutes to cook!
Serve this dish with rice for a complete and nutritious meal!
Beef and Broccoli is a favorite Chinese restaurant classic among many families.
It features tender beef and a sauce made with chicken stock, Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sesame oil, and white pepper.
Two key steps for that restaurant-quality flavor: First, use baking soda to make the meat juicier and more tender. Second, for the sauce, opt for high-quality brewed soy sauce, and remember not to omit the oyster sauce.
Try these Chinese Braised Soy Sauce Chicken Legs for a quick one-pot meal!
Whole chicken legs are simmered in a sweet and savory soy sauce mixture until meltingly tender and delicious. Ready in 45 minutes or less!
This Black Pepper stir-fried udon takes only 20 minutes to prepare and is a quick and easy dinner option.
It's made with thick and chewy udon noodles and a flavorful sauce made of dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, brown sugar, and rice vinegar.
Stir-fried vegetables add color and freshness to the dish, while minced garlic and freshly ground black pepper add heat and pepperiness.
In just 30 minutes, you can enjoy a delicious stir-fry! This simple recipe combines oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, and chili oil for a spicy kick.
The Thai basil adds a lovely fragrance to this weeknight dish!
Begin by whisking together the oyster, dark soy, and chili oil. Then, in a hot wok or large frying pan, sauté the banana shallots until golden. Add pork and garlic until golden, then toss in basil and serve over rice! Easy peasy!
Stir-fried green beans with ground pork is a quick 15-minute Chinese dish with a spicy, salty, and slightly pungent flavor.
Ground pork is marinated in Shaoxing wine, dark soy sauce, and ginger before being stir-fried with green beans, green onions, and spicy fermented bean paste (Doubanjiang).
The result is a filling meal that goes well with steamed rice or noodles. The next day, use the leftovers to make flavorful fried rice!
Chinese Restaurant Sizzling Beef is a quick and flavorful dish you can make at home in just 25 minutes!
Thinly sliced sirloin steaks are marinated in soy sauce, baking soda, and cornflour before being stir-fried with ginger, garlic, and spring onions.
A savory sauce made of oyster sauce, Shaoxing wine, dark soy sauce, sugar, and black pepper elevates the stir-fry.
Sevre this savory and tender beef dish while it sizzles in the pan!
This Beef Brisket Noodle Soup will warm your body and soul. Tender, melt-in-your-mouth beef is slow-cooked to perfection in a savory and fragrant broth.
Selecting the right cut of beef, such as brisket or finger meat, is crucial for achieving tender and juicy results. Additionally, searing the meat before adding water is a key to getting a complex flavor.
11. Hong Shao Rou
Hong Shao Rou, also known as Red Braised Pork, is a classic Chinese dish that takes around 2 hours to prepare. It features tender cubes of pork belly cooked in a glossy, savory, sweet, and fragrant sauce!
Two key steps to getting a good flavor are blanching the pork and searing the pork in sugar. By blanching the pork, we remove impurities and off flavors. Searing the pork gives it a dark color and adds flavor through caramelization.
This Pork Stir Fry with Green Beans is a quick and delicious dish that takes only 10 minutes to prepare!
It combines ground pork and green beans to make a flavorful and spicy stir fry.
The charred green beans add a distinct and delicious flavor to this dish!
To serve, spoon this stir fry over rice for a delicious rice bowl.
13. Pad See Ew
Pad See Ew is a quick Thai stir-fry noodle dish that takes only 25 minutes to prepare! It's a versatile recipe that allows you to use your favorite vegetables and protein.
Because stir-frying moves quickly, prepare your ingredients, especially the sauce, beforehand.
Pad See Ew should be served hot, garnished with sesame seeds and green onions.
It only takes 20 minutes to prepare this delicious Cantonese soy sauce pan-fried noodles. Fresh egg noodles are used, which are cooked until just barely crisp.
Savory vegetables are then added, along with dark and light soy sauce and a final drizzle of sesame oil.
Drizzle them with generous amounts of sesame oil for a super aromatic, nutty flavor!
This Hong Kong Claypot Rice is a quick and comforting winter meal. Preparing and cooking takes about 25 minutes, making it ideal for busy weeknights!
The dish consists of cured Chinese pork belly and sausages cooked in a clay pot with rice and choy sum, with a crispy, flavorful layer of rice at the bottom.
It's a hearty one-pot meal with sweet and savory notes. Unsurprisingly, this is one of our favorite dark soy sauce recipes!
This quick and tasty rice dish comes together in just 15 minutes. It's a flavorful take on classic soy sauce fried rice, with extra richness from the unique "Supreme" soy sauce mixture.
The Supreme Soy Sauce combines fish sauce, dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sugar, vegetable oil, and oyster sauce. Talk about an umami bomb!
This dark soy sauce recipe with slow-braised pork belly is a must-try!
The pork becomes tender and sticky during the two-hour cooking time, making it a perfect match for white rice.
This dish has a rich, satisfying flavor that is worth the wait.
This Chinese Braised Chicken takes about 1 hour to make and yields tender chicken wings with "double" mushrooms (dried shiitakes and wood ears) braised in a rich, dark sauce.
Searing the chicken wings until they're a rich, golden brown is super important for getting great flavor and making sure the sauce sticks to the chicken.
Serve with freshly chopped scallions, rice, and a green vegetable for a tasty meal.
This fiery Firecracker Chicken will heat your taste buds! It takes about an hour to prepare this flavorful dish.
The spicy marinade is made from sesame oil, sriracha, dark soy sauce, ketchup, and other ingredients. Onions, peppers, dried chilies, and spring onions add extra texture and flavor.
To serve, place the rice in a small bowl, flip it onto a plate to create a tidy mound, and then top it with the hot chicken. Finish by adding lime wedges for a pop of brightness.
20. Mee Goreng
Mee Goreng is an Indonesian noodle dish popular in South East Asia. It features chewy noodles in a sauce made from soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and paste.
This streamlined version uses Sriracha, but it tastes just as great. Any egg noodle can be used, but ramen noodles are popular in South East Asia.
Serve this dish with finely chopped green onions for flavor and freshness.
These King Oyster Mushrooms with Soy Butter Glaze make a wonderful side dish or main course.
It features meaty mushrooms in a rich glaze with butter, light and dark soy sauces, honey, garlic, and black pepper.
Searing the mushrooms properly is key to success. Use a non-stick or cast iron pan over medium-high heat, and avoid overcrowding the pan to allow the mushrooms to fry, not steam.
Did you enjoy these Dark Soy Sauce Recipes? Be sure to check out the other delicious recipes on this blog by checking out our Recipe Index.
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