Sauce, hoisin, ready-to-serve
Whole food · Soups, Sauces, and Gravies
Photo: Wikipedia
Hoisin sauce is a thick, glossy, dark reddish-brown condiment with a complex sweet, salty, and slightly tangy flavor profile, often described as 'Chinese barbecue sauce.' Its smooth, viscous texture coats food beautifully, and its nutrition is dominated by carbohydrates, primarily from added sugars and starches.
Calorie split: 6% protein · 80% carbs · 14% fat
↓ Full nutrition💚 Why it's loved
People love hoisin for its magical ability to instantly elevate a dish, providing a rich, savory-sweet backbone that's central to many beloved Asian cuisines. Its versatility as a dip, glaze, marinade, and stir-fry sauce makes it a pantry powerhouse.
⚠️ Watch-outs & how to enjoy it better
Its high sugar content (27g per 100g) can cause rapid blood-sugar spikes, and it's often high in sodium. To counteract this, use it sparingly as a condiment rather than a primary sauce, and pair it with protein (like grilled chicken) and fiber-rich vegetables (like bok choy) to slow sugar absorption.
Key benefits
- Adds intense umami depth to dishes with minimal volume
- Provides quick energy from its carbohydrate content
- A little goes a long way for flavor enhancement
- Naturally gluten-free versions are widely available
- Contains small amounts of iron and calcium from fermented soybeans
🍽️ Popular dishes
🌍 Where it's eaten
💡 Did you know?
Despite its name and common use in Western Chinese restaurants, authentic hoisin sauce is not traditionally served with Peking Duck in Beijing; the classic accompaniment is a sweet bean sauce (tianmianjiang).
Full nutrition (USDA data · scales with serving)
| Water | 44.2 g |
| Energy | 220 kcal |
| Energy | 920 kj |
| Protein | 3.3 g |
| Total lipid (fat) | 3.4 g |
| Ash | 5.0 g |
| Carbohydrate, by difference | 44.1 g |
| Fiber, total dietary | 2.8 g |
| Total Sugars | 27.3 g |
| Calcium, Ca | 32.0 mg |
| Iron, Fe | 1.0 mg |
| Magnesium, Mg | 24.0 mg |
| Phosphorus, P | 38.0 mg |
| Potassium, K | 119 mg |
| Sodium, Na | 1615 mg |
| Zinc, Zn | 0.32 mg |
| Copper, Cu | 0.13 mg |
| Manganese, Mn | 0.25 mg |
| Selenium, Se | 1.8 ug |
| Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid | 0.40 mg |
| Thiamin | 0.00 mg |
| Riboflavin | 0.22 mg |
| Niacin | 1.2 mg |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.07 mg |
| Vitamin B-6 | 0.06 mg |
| Folate, total | 23.0 ug |
| Folic acid | 0.00 ug |
| Folate, food | 23.0 ug |
| Folate, DFE | 23.0 ug |
| Choline, total | 8.0 mg |
| Vitamin B-12 | 0.00 ug |
| Vitamin B-12, added | 0.00 ug |
| Vitamin A, RAE | 0.00 ug |
| Retinol | 0.00 ug |
| Carotene, beta | 4.0 ug |
| Carotene, alpha | 0.00 ug |
| Cryptoxanthin, beta | 0.00 ug |
| Vitamin A, IU | 6.0 iu |
| Lycopene | 0.00 ug |
| Lutein + zeaxanthin | 45.0 ug |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | 0.28 mg |
| Vitamin E, added | 0.00 mg |
| Vitamin D (D2 + D3), International Units | 0.00 iu |
| Vitamin D (D2 + D3) | 0.00 ug |
| Vitamin K (phylloquinone) | 0.50 ug |
| Alcohol, ethyl | 0.00 g |
| Caffeine | 0.00 mg |
| Theobromine | 0.00 mg |
Fat & fatty acid profile (per 100g)
| Fatty acids, total saturated | 0.57 g |
| SFA 4:0 | 0.00 g |
| SFA 6:0 | 0.00 g |
| SFA 8:0 | 0.00 g |
| SFA 10:0 | 0.00 g |
| SFA 12:0 | 0.00 g |
| SFA 14:0 | 0.00 g |
| SFA 16:0 | 0.37 g |
| SFA 18:0 | 0.17 g |
| Fatty acids, total monounsaturated | 0.96 g |
| MUFA 16:1 | 0.00 g |
| MUFA 18:1 | 0.96 g |
| MUFA 20:1 | 0.00 g |
| MUFA 22:1 | 0.00 g |
| Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated | 1.7 g |
| PUFA 18:2 | 1.5 g |
| PUFA 18:3 | 0.17 g |
| PUFA 18:4 | 0.00 g |
| PUFA 20:4 | 0.00 g |
| PUFA 20:5 n-3 (EPA) | 0.00 g |
| PUFA 22:5 n-3 (DPA) | 0.00 g |
| PUFA 22:6 n-3 (DHA) | 0.00 g |
| Cholesterol | 3.0 mg |
Amino acid profile (per 100g)
Estimated from Sauce, homemade, white, medium — USDA does not publish this profile for Sauce.
| Tryptophan | 0.04 g |
| Threonine | 0.14 g |
| Isoleucine | 0.19 g |
| Leucine | 0.30 g |
| Lysine | 0.24 g |
| Methionine | 0.08 g |
| Cystine | 0.03 g |
| Phenylalanine | 0.15 g |
| Tyrosine | 0.15 g |
| Valine | 0.20 g |
| Arginine | 0.11 g |
| Histidine | 0.08 g |
| Alanine | 0.10 g |
| Aspartic acid | 0.23 g |
| Glutamic acid | 0.64 g |
| Glycine | 0.07 g |
| Proline | 0.30 g |
| Serine | 0.17 g |
FAQ
What's the difference between hoisin and oyster sauce?
Hoisin is sweet, spicy, and bean-based, while oyster sauce is savory, briny, and made from oyster extracts. They are not interchangeable but often complement each other.
Is hoisin sauce the same as Chinese BBQ sauce?
They are very similar and often used interchangeably, especially for glazing meats like Char Siu. Hoisin is a specific type of Chinese barbecue sauce.
Can I make a substitute at home?
A quick substitute can be made by mixing soy sauce, peanut butter, a sweetener like honey or molasses, garlic, and a touch of five-spice powder, though it won't perfectly replicate the fermented complexity.
Nutrient density (calculated · NRF9.3)
Nutrient Rich Foods index: beneficial nutrients (protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals) minus saturated fat, added sugar & sodium, per 100 kcal.
NRF9.3 index — Fulgoni, Keast & Drewnowski, 2009. Computed from USDA nutrients.
Weight-loss friendliness (composite index)
Energy density 2.20 kcal/g · 6% calories from protein · 2.8 g fiber · 27.3 g sugar per 100 g.
Composite of energy density (Rolls et al., 1999), protein & fiber satiety, minus sugar. A calculated heuristic — ranks satiety-per-calorie, not a clinical measure.
Dietary load (calculated from USDA values)
Potential renal acid load. Positive = acid-forming, negative = alkaline-forming.
Sodium-to-potassium ratio: 13.57 (lower is better — aim for ≤ 1)
Sodium:potassium per WHO potassium guidance. Computed from USDA nutrients.