This Black Pepper Sauce is quick, bold, and packed with peppery flavor. Ready in 15 minutes and perfect for steak, chicken, pork chops, stir-fries, or noodles.
A Quick Look At The Black Pepper Sauce Recipe
- Time & Yield: 14 minutes & 2 Servings.
- Spice Level: Mild to Medium(adjustable).
- Difficulty Level: Easy, beginner-friendly.
- Dietary Info: Dairy-free.
- Why You'll Love It: Bold, savory flavor from soy sauce and crushed black pepper. Perfect for steak, pork chops, chicken, or shrimp. A quick 15-minute sauce with simple pantry ingredients
Why This Recipe Works
The black pepper sauce recipe is inspired by Hong Kong's popular sauce, and I adapted it using ingredients easy to find here in the United States, while still preserving its authentic, umami flavors and its signature kick.
This black pepper sauce is quick, simple, and ready in under 15 minutes with pantry staple ingredients.
This sweet & savory sauce is great as a glaze for steak, chicken, or pork chops, and it also works as a fabulous stir-fry sauce or salad dressing, much like Asian zing sauce or orange ginger sauce.
Ingredients Notes & Substitutions
These simple pantry staples come together to create a rich, savory black pepper sauce with bold flavor.
- Onion: Shallots or white onions work perfectly here.
- Garlic: Freshly minced garlic is the secret behind this delicious sauce.
- Chicken broth: It gives the sauce body and adds intense flavor.
- Brown sugar: Brown sugar adds a golden color and a mild sweetness to the finished sauce.
- Worcestershire sauce: This sauce is an excellent blend of sweet, savory, and tangy flavors.
- Soy sauce: You can't skip it when making Asian-style sauces.
- Tomato paste: It gives a rich tomato flavor. You can swap it with 2 tablespoons of tomato puree or 2 tablespoons of tomato sauce.
- Cornstarch: A thickening agent that has a neutral flavor. Feel free to substitute with tapioca flour.
How To Make Black Pepper Sauce?
Making this sauce is quick and simple. Just follow these easy steps:
- Step 1: Mix chicken broth, crushed black pepper, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, tomato paste, and cornstarch in a bowl.
- Step 2: Heat oil in a pan. Sauté onion and garlic over medium heat until softened.
- Step 3: Pour in the liquid mixture. Stir constantly until the sauce reaches a smooth consistency.
- Step 4: Remove from heat and serve with grilled meat, steak, chicken, or shrimp. Enjoy!
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♨️How To Adjust The Heat
This black pepper sauce tastes mild to medium in heat level. The ground black pepper's tingling heat is well-balanced by the brown sugar, soy sauce, and tomato paste.
- If you prefer to lower the heat, adjust the amount of black pepper in the recipe.
- You can also add red pepper flakes to increase the heat.
Storage & Leftovers
You can use leftover black pepper sauce to stir-fry vegetables or for noodles.
The leftover sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to five days or in the freezer for about six months.
To reheat, warm the sauce on the stovetop, adding a splash of water to prevent it from becoming too thick. For quicker reheating, use the microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring in between to ensure even heating.
How To Use?
- Veggies: Smear over the steamed or stir-fried vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, and more.
- Grilled or barbecued meat: Chicken, pork chops, shrimp, and steak are among the best pairings for main dishes.
- Dip: Any finger food turns delicious with this black pepper sauce. Try these Chinese French fries, stuffed shishito peppers, and jalapeno poppers without cream cheese.
- Rice: Steamed white rice or a combo of white and brown rice also tastes delicious.
- Noodles: Works as a great finishing sauce for noodles or lo mein(like spicy Ramen noodles).
- Salad dressing: Toss the salad with the dressing.
Black Pepper Sauce Recipe's Frequently Asked Questions
Black pepper sauce is a bold, savory sauce popular in Hong Kong cooking, known for its peppery kick and rich umami flavor. It's often served with steak, chicken, pork, seafood, or noodles.
Absolutely! You can swap the chicken broth for vegetable broth, and this black pepper sauce will still taste great.
If you enjoyed this Black Pepper Sauce Recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know your thoughts in the 📝 comments section below the recipe.
📖 Recipe
Black Pepper Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- ¼ cup onion chopped
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon black pepper crushed
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, combine chicken broth, black pepper crushed, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, tomato paste, cornstarch. Set aside.
- Over medium heat place a pan and add vegetable oil, chopped onion, and minced garlic.
- Saute until onion turns soft.
- Add the liquid mixture and stir continuously until the sauce turns flowy consistency.
- Remove it from the fire and enjoy!!
Notes
- Adjust heat by modifying the amount of black pepper or adding red pepper flakes.
- Store leftovers in the fridge for five days or freeze for six months.
- Reheat on the stovetop with a splash of water or microwave in short intervals.
Nutrition
Additional Info
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I am loving the flavor of this black pepper sauce. I love how versatile it is and will be using it this summer for grilling.
Enjoy Nikki!
Homemade sauces are my favorite, and this black pepper sauce was perfect! It was great with our grilled chicken last night~=!
TAYLER, thank you so much for your kind words