Here the job is caramelising sugar into a dark lacquer with a salty-sweet edge, and char siu sauce does all of that with the same five-spice note, while the simmered soy and brown sugar mix gives the same browning once reduced, and barbecue sauce with soy glazes well but tastes of tomato.
You're adding a spoonful or two to a stir-fry or noodle dish so the sauce coats everything in the wok.
kecap manis — 45 ml for every 60 ml hoisin (9 tsp)
In a stir-fry hoisin mostly gives savoury depth and a clinging sauce, so sweetened oyster sauce is the closest match for both, while the soy mix and kecap manis cover the sweet-salty balance but coat more thinly.
You're mixing hoisin into a marinade for meat or tofu that will sit for a while before cooking.
A marinade needs flavour and sugar for later browning but not much body, so the thinner soy-based mixes work well and soak in more readily than a thick paste.
You're spreading sauce on Peking-style duck pancakes or brushing it inside lettuce cups and rolls.
For a spread the sauce needs to be thick enough to stay put and sweet enough to balance rich duck, and plum sauce is a long-standing partner for duck that does this with a fruitier flavour, while char siu sauce stays closer to hoisin's savoury-sweet taste.
You're squeezing hoisin straight into a bowl of pho or stirring it with peanuts into a dipping sauce for rice paper rolls.
Nothing really replaces it here.
In these dishes hoisin's fermented-bean, sweet and aniseed flavour is the sauce itself, served raw with nothing to hide behind, so every substitute reads as a different condiment rather than a stand-in.
What Hoisin Sauce does in a recipe
sweet-savoury flavour · primary — Fermented soybean paste brings salty, meaty depth, and a large amount of sugar balances it into a sweet, rounded sauce.
browning & glaze · primary — Its high sugar content caramelises quickly under heat, giving roast and grilled meats a sticky, dark lacquer.
body & cling · secondary — Its thick, paste-like consistency, often helped by starch, coats stir-fry ingredients and stays put on pancakes and in rolls.
spice & aroma · secondary — Garlic, a little vinegar and warm spices such as five-spice or star anise give it a recognisable aniseed-tinged lift.
Slightly sweeter and more honeyed, with less of hoisin's earthy bean flavour.
Texture
Similar thickness, sometimes a little runnier.
Looks
Glazes turn a reddish mahogany rather than hoisin's deep brown.
Best for
glazed pork or chicken, barbecued ribs, stir-fry sauces
Dairy-freeNut-free
Tried this swap? How did it work?
soy sauce and brown sugar mix
One catch· probably in your pantry
60 ml mixed sauce for every 60 ml hoisin (3 tbsp)AU tbsp = 20ml
Soy sauce supplies the salty umami and brown sugar the sweetness and glaze, but you must add spice and reduce it to get hoisin's body and aroma.
The catch: Stir together 30 ml soy sauce, 20 g brown sugar, 5 ml rice or white vinegar, a pinch of Chinese five-spice and a crushed garlic clove, then simmer for 1–2 minutes until slightly syrupy; measure in ml, because an Australian tablespoon is 20 ml and overseas recipes use 15 ml.
Its fermented soybean base gives the savoury depth and body, but it is far saltier and only lightly sweet, so the glaze and balance shift.
Covers
sweet-savoury flavour, body & cling
Misses
browning & glaze, spice & aroma
Taste
Saltier and more pungent, with a strong garlicky bean flavour and little sweetness.
Texture
Chunkier, with visible pieces of bean.
Looks
Darker and speckled rather than smooth.
Best for
beef or tofu stir-fries, braised dishes
Dairy-freeVeganNut-free
Tried this swap? How did it work?
barbecue sauce with soy sauce
Close enough· probably in your pantry
45 ml barbecue sauce plus 15 ml soy sauce for every 60 ml hoisin (3 tbsp)AU tbsp = 20ml
Barbecue sauce gives sweetness, thickness and a sticky glaze, and soy adds some savoury depth, but the tomato and smoke flavours are obvious.
Covers
browning & glaze, body & cling, sweet-savoury flavour
Misses
spice & aroma
Taste
Tangy tomato and sometimes smoky, clearly Western rather than Chinese.
Texture
Similar thick, clinging consistency.
Looks
Redder brown glaze.
Best for
glazed ribs, grilled chicken wings
Dairy-freeNut-free
Tried this swap? How did it work?
Commonly tried, but skip these
People reach for these, and they let you down.
sweet chilli sauce
Skip it
People reach for it because it is a sweet Asian-style sauce already in the fridge, but it is mostly sugar, vinegar and chilli, so the dish ends up sweet and sharp with none of the dark, salty depth hoisin is there to provide.
Tried this swap? How did it work?
When to buy the real thing
You're making a hoisin-peanut dip for rice paper rolls or serving hoisin at the table with pho.
Instead: Buy a jar of hoisin, which is stocked in the Asian aisle of most Australian supermarkets, or choose a different dipping sauce recipe such as nuoc cham.
The recipe calls for a large amount, such as half a cup or more in a braise or a hoisin-based glaze for a whole duck or pork shoulder.
Instead: Buy hoisin, because at that quantity the missing fermented-bean flavour and the extra saltiness of soy-based swaps become obvious.
You're cooking for someone who must avoid gluten.
Instead: Buy a hoisin labelled gluten-free, since standard hoisin, soy sauce, oyster sauce and most of the swaps here usually contain wheat, or make the soy and brown sugar mix with tamari labelled gluten-free.
Rescue a swap gone wrong
The glaze has turned black and bitter before the meat is cooked through.
Why: The sugar in char siu sauce, kecap manis or the brown sugar mix caramelises and then burns faster than the meat cooks, especially under a grill or on a hot barbecue.
Fix: Scrape off the charred layer, cover the meat loosely with foil to finish cooking, then brush on fresh glaze only in the last 10 minutes at a lower heat.
The stir-fry or sauce tastes far too salty.
Why: Soy sauce and black bean sauce are much saltier than hoisin, and using an Australian 20 ml tablespoon for an overseas recipe written in 15 ml tablespoons adds a third more again.
Fix: Add a little brown sugar and a splash of water or unsalted stock, bulk the dish out with more vegetables or rice, and next time measure the soy in millilitres.
The sauce is thin and runs off the food instead of coating it.
Why: Kecap manis and the soy and brown sugar mix have none of the starch that gives hoisin its paste-like body.
Fix: Stir 1 teaspoon of cornflour into 15 ml of cold water, add it to the pan and simmer for a minute until the sauce thickens and turns glossy.
The dish tastes fruity and sweet rather than savoury.
Why: Plum sauce or barbecue sauce covers hoisin's sweetness and glaze but not its salty fermented-soy depth.
Fix: Stir in soy sauce a little at a time, tasting as you go, and add a pinch of Chinese five-spice if you want the aniseed note back.
Differences between countries
Applies to Australia
Tablespoon size (Australia, United Kingdom, New Zealand, United States, Canada)
An Australian tablespoon holds 20 ml, while UK, New Zealand, US and Canadian tablespoons hold 15 ml. A recipe from overseas that asks for 2 tablespoons of hoisin means 30 ml, not the 40 ml you would get with Australian spoons, and the gap matters more with salty swaps like soy sauce.
Applies to Australia
Cornflour versus cornstarch (Australia, United Kingdom, New Zealand, United States, Canada)
The fine white starch used to thicken a thin hoisin substitute is called cornflour in Australia, the UK and New Zealand, and cornstarch in the US and Canada. In the US, corn flour usually means finely ground cornmeal, which will not thicken a sauce the same way.
Applies to Australia
Kecap manis labelling (Australia, United States, Canada)
In Australia kecap manis is usually sold under that name in the Asian aisle of supermarkets. In the US and Canada it is more often labelled sweet soy sauce and is more reliably found at Asian grocers.
Where to buy it
Applies to Australia
Australia · easy to find
Asian aisle of supermarkets
Squeeze bottles and glass jars sit near the soy and oyster sauces, and gluten-free versions are sometimes stocked.
United Kingdom · easy to find
world foods aisle of supermarkets
It is often shelved with stir-fry sauces, and Chinese supermarkets carry a wider range.
New Zealand · easy to find
Asian aisle of supermarkets
Asian grocers usually stock larger jars and more than one style.
United States · easy to find
international or Asian aisle of supermarkets
Asian grocers sell bigger containers and gluten-free versions are increasingly common.
Canada · easy to find
international or Asian aisle of supermarkets
Asian grocers carry a wider choice of styles and pack sizes.
What is Hoisin Sauce called in other countries?
hoi sin saucePeking sauce
Measurements differ too, not just names: the kitchen conversion chart covers cups, spoons and oven temperatures across these countries.
Questions people ask
Is hoisin sauce the same as oyster sauce?
No, they are different sauces. Hoisin is made from fermented soybean paste with plenty of sugar, garlic and warm spices, while oyster sauce is based on oyster extract and is much less sweet and more briny. Oyster sauce sweetened with a little brown sugar makes a reasonable swap in stir-fries, but it will not give hoisin's aniseed note.
Does hoisin sauce contain seafood?
No, standard hoisin sauce contains no seafood, even though its Cantonese name means seafood. It is typically made from fermented soybeans, sugar, vinegar, garlic and spices, and many brands are vegan. Check the label if you need to be certain, as recipes vary between brands.
Is hoisin sauce gluten-free?
Usually not, because most hoisin is made with wheat or with soy sauce that contains wheat. Some brands make a version labelled gluten-free, so look for that wording on the label. If you are making a substitute for someone who avoids gluten, use tamari labelled gluten-free instead of regular soy sauce.
Can I leave hoisin sauce out of a recipe?
You can leave it out of a stir-fry or marinade that only uses a spoonful, but the dish will taste flatter and less sweet. Add a little soy sauce and brown sugar in its place to keep the salty-sweet balance. In a glaze, Peking-style duck pancakes or a hoisin dipping sauce it is the main flavour, so leaving it out changes the dish completely.
Can I use plum sauce instead of hoisin sauce?
Yes, but the dish will taste fruitier and less savoury. Plum sauce matches hoisin's sweetness and thickness, which makes it a good choice for duck pancakes, but it lacks the salty fermented-soy depth. Stir in a little soy sauce if you want to bring some of that savouriness back.
How much is a tablespoon of hoisin sauce in millilitres?
It depends on where the recipe comes from: an Australian tablespoon is 20 ml, while a UK, New Zealand, US or Canadian tablespoon is 15 ml. If an overseas recipe asks for 2 tablespoons of hoisin, measure 30 ml. The difference matters most when you swap in saltier sauces like soy or black bean sauce, where the extra amount from Australian spoons can make the dish too salty.
Where Hoisin Sauce comes from
Hoisin sauce comes from Cantonese cooking, and its name means seafood in Cantonese even though it contains none. It is made by blending fermented soybean paste with sugar, vinegar, garlic and spices, often thickened with starch.
Hoisin Sauce is usually dairy-free, vegan, nut-free — check the label, and see the disclaimer.