homemade Asian sauces

Elevate your meals with homemade Asian sauces—bold, sweet, and savory!

Complete Recipes

1. Generel Tso’s Chicken

1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into 1 inch pieces
2 eggs lightly beaten
salt and pepper
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup corn starch
vegetable oil for frying

General Tso sauce:
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or more to taste
3/4 cup low sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon corn starch

Instruction:
Place the eggs in a bowl; add salt and pepper.
Mix together the flour and corn starch and place in a shallow bowl or on a plate.

Heat 3 inches of oil in a deep pot to 350 degrees F. Dip each piece of chicken into the egg mixture, then coat in the flour mixture. Repeat the process for all of the chicken pieces.

Fry 8-9 pieces of chicken at a time for 5 minutes or until browned. Repeat with all the remaining chicken.

While the chicken is cooking, make the sauce.

Heat the 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and crushed red pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds. Whisk together the chicken broth, hoisin sauce, brown sugar, soy sauce and corn starch.

Add the liquid mixture to the pan and bring to a simmer. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until sauce has thickened.

Add the chicken pieces to the pan and toss to coat with the sauce. Transfer to the plate and serve with steamed broccoli if desired. Enjoy!

2. Beef and Vegetable Stir-Fry

For the Beef:
1 lb beef (flank steak, sirloin, or ribeye), thinly sliced
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp garlic powder

For the Vegetables:
1 cup broccoli florets
1 cup bell peppers, sliced
½ cup snap peas
½ cup mushrooms, sliced
½ cup zucchini, sliced
½ cup onions, sliced

Stir fry sauce:
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 tbsp shaoxing wine
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp minced ginger
2 tbsp cornstarch
1⁄4 cup water

Instructions:
Marinate the Beef:
In a bowl, mix sliced beef with soy sauce, cornstarch, garlic powder, and 1 tbsp oil. Let it marinate for at least 15 minutes.

Prepare the Sauce:
In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, oyster sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, and cornstarch slurry. Set aside.

Cook the Beef:
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large pan or wok over medium-high heat. Add the marinated beef and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes, until browned but not fully cooked. Remove and set aside.

Stir-Fry the Vegetables:
In the same pan, add a little more oil if needed. Add harder vegetables (broccoli, carrots, bell peppers) first and cook for 2 minutes. Add softer vegetables (mushrooms, snap peas, zucchini, onions) and stir-fry for another 2-3 minutes until tender but crisp.

Combine Everything:
Return the beef to the pan and pour in the stir-fry sauce. Toss everything together and cook for another 1-2 minutes until the sauce thickens and coats the beef and vegetables. Garnish with sesame seeds and sliced green onions. Serve hot over steamed rice

3. Orange Chicken

Ingredients:
1 lb Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts cut into bite-size pieces
3 Eggs whisked
1/3 cup Cornstarch
1/3 cup Flour
1 tsp garlic powder
Salt and black pepper
Oil for frying

Orange Sauce:
1 cup orange Juice
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon fresh ginger minced
2 cloves garlic finely diced
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 orange zested
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Garnish:
Green Onions
Sesame seeds

Instructions:
In one bowl, mix cornstarch, flour, salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. In another bowl, beat the eggs. Dip each piece of chicken into the egg, then coat in the flour-cornstarch mixture.

Heat oil in a pan (about 350°F and fry chicken in batches until golden brown and crispy (about 4-5 minutes per batch). Drain on a paper towel.

Make the Orange Sauce:
In a saucepan over medium heat, whisk together orange juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, ginger, garlic, red pepper flakes, and orange zest. Bring to a simmer, then add the cornstarch slurry. Stir until the sauce thickens (about 2 minutes).

Combine and Serve:
Toss the fried chicken in the orange sauce until evenly coated.
Garnish with sesame seeds and sliced green onions. Serve over steamed rice or with stir-fried vegetables.

4. Sweet and Sour Chicken

1 lb Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast (cut into bite-size pieces)
Salt
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
3 eggs beaten
1 cup homemade sweet and sour sauce
Red, Yellow, or Orange Pepper (cut into bite-size)
1/4 White Onion (cut into bite-size pieces)
Fresh Pineapple (cut into chunks)
Oil for frying

Sweet and sour sauce:
1 cup canned pineapple juice
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup rice vinegar
3 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons water

Instructions:
Place all of the sauce ingredients, except for the cornstarch slurry, in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir in the cornstarch slurry and simmer for another minute until thickened, stirring constantly. Set aside.

Chicken:
Sprinkle chicken with salt. Place flour and cornstarch in a shallow dish. Whisk eggs in another shallow dish. Dip chicken pieces in egg mixture and then flour mixture. Place on a plate.

Heat 2 -3 inches of oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Using a thermometer, let it reach 350 degrees. Working in batches, cook several chicken pieces at a time. Cook for 3-4 minutes, turning often until golden brown. Place chicken on a paper-towel-lined plate. Repeat.

In a separate large pan or wok over medium high heat, add tablespoon of oil. Add the bell peppers, onion and pineapple and cook for 1-2 minutes, until crisp-tender. Add 1 cup of homemade sweet and sour sauce and stir to coat the pieces and cook for 30 seconds. Add the chicken pieces back in and stir until the sauce has thickened.

Serve immediately, with optional garnishes of sesame seeds or green onions