Whether you are eating steak on rice or pasta, Black Pepper Sauce is the perfect finishing touch. It adds notes of pepper from the cracked black pepper and a garlicky taste from the minced garlic.
You get a combination of sweet and salty flavors with the added seasonings of oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, and sugar. This recipe is super quick and easy to make in just 10 to 15 minutes!
- What Is Black Pepper Sauce?
- How To Store And Reheat Black Pepper Sauce
- Tips And Alternatives When Making Black Pepper Sauce
- Equipment And Ingredients To Make Black Pepper Sauce
- How To Make Black Pepper Sauce
What Is Black Pepper Sauce?
Black pepper sauce (黑椒汁) has different versions. It is not the same as the classic creamy peppercorn steak sauce. However, it works the same as most sauces that serve as the meat’s gravy or flavoring.
In this recipe, it is a typical Chinese black pepper sauce that is poured over rice and meat, and sometimes even pasta noodles. You can pour it over beef tenderloin, chicken thighs, pork chops, or meatballs.
The sauce is made of sweet red onions and chunks of minced garlic. You get the spice from crushed black pepper and the salty flavors of dark soy sauce and oyster sauce.
The sauce becomes creamy and thick with the added cornstarch slurry. It is packed with flavor that compliments any type of meat. The ingredients are pantry-friendly, so you can easily whip up some sauce when you feel like it.
How To Store And Reheat Black Pepper Sauce
Black pepper sauce is best served fresh and hot. When the sauce becomes cool or stored in the fridge, it becomes gelatin-like because of the cornstarch. The only way to soften the sauce is to reheat it in the microwave or saucepan.
To store it in the fridge, keep it in an airtight container for up to three days. It should not be exposed in the fridge, or else it will absorb the odor of other foods in the fridge and become stale.
You can also freeze it to keep it longer for a few months. However, the longer it stays in the freezer, the more the quality deteriorates.
Tips And Alternatives When Making Black Pepper Sauce
Make your own version of black pepper sauce with my recommended substitutions for each ingredient. The suggested alternatives work perfectly for this dish but may have little to no noticeable differences in taste and texture. It’s really up to you if there is an ingredient you want to increase or lessen, depending on your desired taste. Read this section first to learn about a few cooking techniques for making this recipe.
- Red onion: Red onions tend to have the mildest flavor. You can also use other types of onions for this recipe and change the taste slightly. White onions are sweet, while yellow onions have a deeper pungent flavor.
- Garlic: Garlic completes the sauce’s texture. It’s nice to have those bits of strong garlic in every bite. If you don’t have garlic, you can substitute it with garlic powder or granules to still have that garlicky flavor. For 1 garlic clove, use 1/4 tsp granulated garlic or 1.8 tsp garlic powder.
- Dark soy sauce:Dark soy sauce is ideal for creating the sauce’s deep color. If you don’t have dark soy sauce, you can substitute it with light soy sauce, hoisin sauce, or tamari sauce.
- Oyster sauce: If you don’t have oyster sauce, you can use fish sauce, hoisin sauce, or “oyster” flavored sauce for vegan sauce.
- Crushed black pepper: Freshly crushed black pepper gives the sauce a kick of heat. You can use pepper powder as an alternative. The only difference is that crushed or cracked black pepper has a more intense and stronger peppery flavor. In my recipe, I used 2 tsp of cracked black pepper. You can increase or decrease the amount according to your desired heat level.
- Cornstarch: Cornstarch is key to making the sauce thick and creamy. It is the perfect finishing touch to the sauce that adds a great texture to your meal when poured. Without cornstarch, the sauce will not thicken and will just be watery. If you don’t have cornstarch, use tapioca flour or potato starch. For 1 tbsp of cornstarch, substitute it with 2 tbsp of tapioca flour or 1 tbsp of potato starch.
- Cornstarch slurry: Cornstarch slurry uses a 1:2 ratio of cornstarch to water. It should be 1 tbsp cornstarch and 2 tbsp water. Remember, giving the slurry a good mix again is important before pouring it over the sauce. The cornstarch tends to settle at the bottom when you leave it for a while.
Equipment And Ingredients To Make Black Pepper Sauce
What I love about this sauce is that it is easy to make using only your everyday kitchen tools and pantry staples. Get a pan or pot to simmer your sauce and a knife and chopping board to cut all your vegetables. Here’s everything you need to make the recipe:
Kitchen Tools
- Pan or pot for simmering
- Knife and chopping board for cutting
- Spatula for stirring
- Mixing bowls
Ingredients
- 3 tsps Cooking oil
- 80g red onion (minced)
- 10 garlic cloves (minced)
- 1 tsp dark soy sauce
- 50ml water
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp oyster sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 tsp crushed black pepper
- 20g cornstarch slurry
How To Make Black Pepper Sauce
After preparing all the kitchen equipment and ingredients you need, watch my quick tutorial guide on Instagram and Tiktok before proceeding with the recipe. The instructions for black pepper sauce include chopping the vegetables, mixing the sauce ingredients, and thickening it with the cornstarch slurry. Let me know if you enjoyed making this sauce!
Prepare your vegetables. Mince 80g red onion and 10 garlic cloves.
Then, heat 3 tsps Cooking oil in a pan and sauté the minced red onion and garlic.
Sauté the onions and garlic until soft and caramelized.
Next, add 1 tsp dark soy sauce and 50ml water and simmer. Then, add 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp oyster sauce, 1 tsp sugar, and 2 tsp crushed black pepper. Stir the mixture until well combined.
While the sauce heats, prepare your cornstarch slurry by mixing 1 tbsp cornstarch and 2 tbsp water. You will need about 20g of cornstarch slurry. Lastly, give the cornstarch slurry another mix and pour it into the sauce.
Mix it well until the sauce thickens and becomes creamy.
Pour the sauce over stir-fried dishes, your favorite meat, rice, or pasta. Enjoy while fresh and hot!
Yummy Black Pepper Sauce Recipe
Equipment
- Pan or pot for simmering
- Knife and chopping board for cutting
- Spatula for stirring
- Mixing bowls
Ingredients
- 3 tsps Cooking oil
- 80 g red onion minced
- 10 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tsp dark soy sauce
- 50 ml water
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp oyster sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 tsp crushed black pepper
- 20 g cornstarch slurry
Instructions
- Prepare your vegetables. Mince 80g red onion and 10 garlic cloves.
- Then, heat some oil in a pan and sauté the minced red onion and garlic.
- Sauté the onions and garlic until soft and caramelized.
- Next, add 1 tsp dark soy sauce and 50ml water and simmer.
- Then, add 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp oyster sauce, 1 tsp sugar, and 2 tsp crushed black pepper.
- Stir the mixture until well combined.
- While the sauce heats, prepare your cornstarch slurry by mixing 1 tbsp cornstarch and 2 tbsp water. You will need about 20g of cornstarch slurry.
- Lastly, give the cornstarch slurry another mix and pour it into the sauce.
- Mix it well until the sauce thickens and becomes creamy.
- Pour the sauce over stir-fried dishes, your favorite meat, rice, or pasta. Enjoy while fresh and hot!
