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Hoisin Grilling Sauce

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on September 18, 2013

Time

25 minutes

Yield

Serves 8 (Makes about 1 cup)

Hoisin Grilling Sauce

Ingredients

½ cup hoisin sauce 3 tablespoons rice vinegar 3 tablespoons pineapple juice 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes Pinch Chinese five-spice powder ⅓ cup water ⅓ cup sugar

Instructions

  1. Whisk hoisin, rice vinegar, pineapple juice, soy sauce, red pepper flakes, and five-spice powder in medium bowl.
  2. Place water in heavy-bottomed 2-quart saucepan; pour sugar in center of pan, taking care not to let sugar crystals adhere to sides of pan. Cover and bring mixture to boil over high heat; once boiling, uncover and continue to boil until syrup is thick and straw-colored, 3 to 4 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook until syrup is golden amber, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Quickly remove saucepan from heat and whisk in hoisin mixture. Return to medium heat and cook, whisking constantly, until caramel has dissolved and sauce has thickened, about 2 minutes. Transfer ½ cup sauce to medium bowl to use for grilling. Set aside remaining sauce for serving.
Hoisin Grilling Sauce

Hoisin Grilling Sauce

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By America's Test Kitchen
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Time

25 minutes

Yield

Serves 8 (Makes about 1 cup)

Ingredients

½ cup hoisin sauce
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
3 tablespoons pineapple juice
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Pinch Chinese five-spice powder
⅓ cup water
⅓ cup sugar

Ingredients

½ cup hoisin sauce
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
3 tablespoons pineapple juice
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Pinch Chinese five-spice powder
⅓ cup water
⅓ cup sugar

Ingredients

½ cup hoisin sauce
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
3 tablespoons pineapple juice
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Pinch Chinese five-spice powder
⅓ cup water
⅓ cup sugar

Why This Recipe Works

In lieu of the chemical emulsifiers that manufacturers rely on to built viscosity, we came up with an unconventional thickener to use in our Hoisin Grilling Sauce recipe: caramel. It was super-adhesive, tacky, and quick to prepare. We also wanted our Hoisin Grilling Sauce recipe to have a balance of sweet-tangy flavors and a spicy kick, so we paired hoisin sauce with pineapple juice and then flavored it with red pepper flakes and Chinese five-spice powder for heat and spice.

Instructions

  1. Whisk hoisin, rice vinegar, pineapple juice, soy sauce, red pepper flakes, and five-spice powder in medium bowl.
  2. Place water in heavy-bottomed 2-quart saucepan; pour sugar in center of pan, taking care not to let sugar crystals adhere to sides of pan. Cover and bring mixture to boil over high heat; once boiling, uncover and continue to boil until syrup is thick and straw-colored, 3 to 4 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook until syrup is golden amber, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Quickly remove saucepan from heat and whisk in hoisin mixture. Return to medium heat and cook, whisking constantly, until caramel has dissolved and sauce has thickened, about 2 minutes. Transfer ½ cup sauce to medium bowl to use for grilling. Set aside remaining sauce for serving.

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