Homemade Duck Sauce Recipe (Delicious Chinese Orange Sauce) (2024)

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Ever wondered how you can make your very own Duck Sauce? It’s much easier than you think! It is a sweet and sour sauce that’s often used as a dip for spring rolls, crispy noodles, egg rolls, or drizzled on top of your favorite dishes. With only 5 simple ingredients, it takes just a few minutes to put this tangy sauce together.

Homemade Duck Sauce Recipe (Delicious Chinese Orange Sauce) (1)

What is Duck Sauce?

It is a bright orange sauce with a sweet and sour flavor. It’s usually served at American Chinese restaurants, along with soy sauce. It’s traditionally made using plums, apricots, pineapples or peaches, which gives it a sweet taste. Vinegar, chili sauce and soy sauce help to make this sauce complex and flavorful.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Homemade Duck Sauce Recipe (Delicious Chinese Orange Sauce) (2)
  • Apricot Jam: Apricot jam or jelly will give your sauce an authentic taste and distinctive orange color. You can also use peach compote.
  • Sweet Chili Sauce: This adds a bit of heat to the sauce, but not too much. You can DIY this sauce by combining honey and hot sauce.
  • Rice Vinegar: Rice vinegar is an essential ingredient in Asian cuisine. If it’s unavailable, just use apple cider vinegar.
  • Soy Sauce: Soy sauce gives you that unmistakable umami flavor. Fish sauce and Worcestershire sauce are decent substitutes for those with soy allergies.
  • Garlic Powder: Garlic powder is best for this recipe, but minced garlic can also be utilized.

How to Make Homemade Duck Sauce

Homemade Duck Sauce Recipe (Delicious Chinese Orange Sauce) (3)

1. Whisk together apricot jam, sweet chili sauce, rice vinegar, soy sauce, and garlic powder.

2. Place a strainer over another bowl and pour the mixture onto the strainer.

Homemade Duck Sauce Recipe (Delicious Chinese Orange Sauce) (4)

3. Press the mixture through the strainer using a spoon.

4. Add more sweet chili sauce to the mixture. Taste and adjust the ingredients according to your preference. Use it as a dipping sauce, serve and enjoy!

Tips & Tricks

  • You can customize the sweetness and the spicy level of this sauce: One of the advantages of making your own duck sauce is your ability to customize it. You can make it as sweet and as spicy as you like. Play around with the ingredients to find the right ratio for you.
  • Strain the mixture through a strainer for a smooth texture: To get a smooth sauce, it’s best to use a sieve. This is especially true if you used minced garlic instead of garlic powder.
  • Store the sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator: Duck sauce needs to be refrigerated. It’s best to store it in an airtight container to maintain freshness and flavor.
Homemade Duck Sauce Recipe (Delicious Chinese Orange Sauce) (5)

Why is it Called Duck Sauce?

This bright orange sauce is often served with Peking duck, a traditional Chinese dish. When Chinese immigrants came to the US, they modified the sauce by making it a bit sweeter to appeal more to the American palate.

What Does Duck Sauce Taste Like?

This sauce is sweet, with a fruity undertone. It’s also slightly tangy withumami flavor, thanks to the addition of soy sauce. It is only mildly spicy, but some people like to add more hot sauce for a fiery kick.

Ways to Use Chinese Duck Sauce

This sauce is the perfect dip for many snacks like egg rolls and wontons. You can also use it as a dip for chicken wings, pork chops, shrimp, or other seafood. This sauce is also great as a sweet and spicy glaze.

  • Egg Rolls (Harumaki)
  • Wontons
  • Spring Rolls
  • Chicken Wings
  • Pork Chops
  • Shrimp, Fish & Other Seafood
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Frequently Asked Questions

How Long Does it Last?

Your homemade sauce has a shelf life of about three weeks. Be sure to store it in the fridge in an airtight container.

Is Duck Sauce the Same as Sweet and Sour Sauce?

No. Duck sauce is distinguished by its fruity flavor thanks to the inclusion of apricots, plums, peaches or pineapples. While sweet and sour sauce is sweet, it doesn’t have the fruity flavor of duck sauce.

What Kind of Duck Sauce Do Chinese Restaurants Use?

WY Industries Duck Sauce is one of the most widely distributed duck sauces in the US. These are the packets most often seen in Chinese takeout.

What is the Difference Between Duck Sauce and Plum Sauce?

These two sauces use similar ingredients and are often interchangeable.

Where Can I Buy Duck Sauce?

If you prefer to purchase readymade sauce, check the Asian cuisine aisle of your grocery store. It is also sold at popular online retailers such as Walmart and Amazon.

You May Also Like

  • Bulgogi Sauce
  • Unagi Sauce
  • Arby’s Horsey Sauce

Homemade Duck Sauce Recipe (Delicious Chinese Orange Sauce) (7)

Homemade Duck Sauce Recipe

If you’ve ever gotten Chinese takeout, you’ve probably seen packets of a bright orange duck sauce. This Homemade Duck Sauce is a sweet and sour sauce that’s often used as a dip for spring rolls, crispy noodles, egg rolls, or drizzled on top of your favorite dishes.

4.41 from 5 votes

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Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes minutes

Servings: 8

Author: Izzy

Calories: 82kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 cup apricot jam
  • 2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce or more to taste
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon soy sauce low sodium recommended
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Instructions

  • In a medium mixing bowl, add apricot jam, 1 tablespoon of sweet chili sauce, rice vinegar, soy sauce, and garlic powder. Mix until smooth.

  • Place a strainer over another bowl and pour the mixture onto the strainer.

  • Press the mixture through the strainer using a spoon.

  • Add the rest of sweet chili sauce to the mixture until combined.

  • Taste and adjust the ingredients according to your preference.

  • Use it as a dipping sauce, serve and enjoy!

Notes

  • You can add extra sweet chili sauce if you prefer a spicier sauce.
  • Store the homemade duck sauce in an airtight container and it’ll last 2-3 weeks in the refrigerator.

Nutrition

Calories: 82kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 96mg | Potassium: 27mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 61IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 1mg

Author: Izzy

Course: Condiment

Cuisine: Chinese

Keyword: Duck Sauce

Tried this recipe?Follow or tag us on Pinterest @izzycooking

Homemade Duck Sauce Recipe (Delicious Chinese Orange Sauce) (8)

About Izzy

I'm Izzy, a food lover and photographer. Here you’ll find a collection of simple recipes that are perfect for busy people. My blog aims to help you make and enjoy delicious and healthy food at home.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Brenda says

    Homemade Duck Sauce Recipe (Delicious Chinese Orange Sauce) (9)
    Love the duck sauce have had some awesome comments. Thanks for sharing it 💖

  2. Jennifer says

    Homemade Duck Sauce Recipe (Delicious Chinese Orange Sauce) (10)
    Next time I’m omitting the sweet chili sauce, and substituting crushed red pepper and sugar. This means cooking it to avoid a grainy dip, so the vinegar will go in at the very end. I also increased the soy sauce to a tablespoon, and added extra rice wine vinegar til my soul said to stop.

    • Ann Colton says

      I use a little hot chili oil, and no grainy effect.

  3. Susan says

    Can this be canned?

  4. Kat says

    Homemade Duck Sauce Recipe (Delicious Chinese Orange Sauce) (11)
    Absolutely perfect flavor, just like I remember from the Chinese Restaurants back east. I would omit nothing. Used Bonne Maman apricot marmalade, was fabulous.

    • Izzy says

      Hi Kat, glad that you like the recipe. Thanks for letting me know.

  5. Terry says

    Homemade Duck Sauce Recipe (Delicious Chinese Orange Sauce) (12)
    Tastes great

  6. Terry s says

    Homemade Duck Sauce Recipe (Delicious Chinese Orange Sauce) (13)
    Tastes great

  7. Wanda says

    Need an option to replace the Chili sauce. I am allergic to peppers. Would this be good if I just omitted the Chili sauce?

Comments are temporarily closed while we perform updates on the site.

Homemade Duck Sauce Recipe (Delicious Chinese Orange Sauce) (2024)

FAQs

What is orange duck sauce made of? ›

Place the oranges, pineapple juice, chilli and sugar in a pan. Bring to the boil and reduce by a third. Stir in the corn flour. Simmer for 5 minutes until the mixture thickens.

What is Chinese orange sauce made of? ›

What is orange sauce made of? Homemade orange sauce is heavenly! This sweet sauce is made of orange juice, brown sugar, pure maple syrup, rice vinegar, soy sauce, minced garlic, and minced ginger.

Can I buy orange sauce for duck? ›

A delicious ready made orange sauce to go with duck, game, chicken and pork.

How to make duck a L orange? ›

Prick the duck skin all over with a fork (this will help release the fat stored beneath the skin while the bird roasts slowly). Season liberally with salt and pepper both inside and out, then stuff the cavity with the garlic, orange half, and thyme. Set the duck, breast-side down, in the pan and roast for 1-1/2 hours.

Why do Chinese restaurants give you duck sauce? ›

Despite its name, the sauce is not prepared using duck meat; rather it is named as such because it is a common accompaniment to Chinese-style duck dishes. Wonton strips served with duck sauce and hot mustard at an American Chinese restaurant.

What is homemade duck sauce made of? ›

This homemade duck sauce is made with chopped plums, apple juice, apricot preserves, soy sauce, and a pinch of garlic and mustard.

What sauce do Chinese restaurants use? ›

In this blog post, we'll explore some of the most popular types of Chinese sauces, including soy sauce, hoisin sauce, oyster sauce, and more. From sweet and tangy to rich and savory, Chinese sauces are a crucial component of many dishes, and can completely transform the taste of a meal.

What is the most popular sauce in China? ›

Soy sauce (jiàng yóu, 酱油), the most common of Chinese sauces, sounds simple, and for the most part, it is. However, there are many types, each unique to different Asian cuisines (Chinese, Japanese, Thai, etc.).

What is the mother sauce of Chinese? ›

While Doubanjiang can be considered the "mother sauce" of Sichuan cuisine, there are some prominent flavors in modern Sichuan cooking that are often referenced as sauces but are composed of other ingredients and sauces during cooking. These include: Yuxiang (魚香) Mala (麻辣)

What is the base of duck sauce? ›

Allrecipes has one recipe for duck sauce that looks pretty delicious. You simply combine apples, plums, pears, apple juice, brown sugar, apricot preserves, and a little soy sauce, garlic powder, and dried mustard.

What is another name for Chinese duck sauce? ›

Also called plum sauce, it got its name when restaurants in the United States started serving it with Peking Duck, which is actually traditionally served with a similar sauce, hoisin (which also has a confusing name since hoisin means “seafood,” although it's not traditionally served with that).

Is hoisin sauce the same as duck sauce? ›

They are two different kinds of sauces. Hoisin contains soya sauce, while duck sauce includes a mix of fruits. However, they both taste sweet, and you can use them to substitute for each other. Hoisin sauce is a bit saltier than duck sauce but equally delicious.

How do you make duck taste good? ›

Duck breast fillets can be brined for six to 12 hours. If you're short on time, just a few hours in the brine will always help. Once brined, give your ducks a rinse with cold water, pat dry and start your favorite recipe.

Why do you soak duck in milk? ›

Soaking ducks in various liquids is a common “cure” for the taste that seems offensive to many. Some soak duck breast in milk, wine, bourbon, salt water and probably a bunch of other stuff.

Does duck sauce have orange in it? ›

I must confess that until I decided to make homemade Orange Sauce, aka Duck Sauce, I'd always assumed it was made with oranges. But it turns out it's called Orange Sauce because of the color of the sauce rather than the ingredients.

What's the difference between duck sauce and hoisin sauce? ›

They are two different kinds of sauces. Hoisin contains soya sauce, while duck sauce includes a mix of fruits. However, they both taste sweet, and you can use them to substitute for each other. Hoisin sauce is a bit saltier than duck sauce but equally delicious.

Is duck sauce just sweet and sour? ›

It's not quite the same as sweet and sour sauce, but the flavors are pretty similar. I would say that duck sauce is more for dipping and sweet and sour sauce is used more for coating and glazing, as in sweet and sour pork or sweet and sour chicken. The ingredients differ slightly too.

Is Chinese duck sauce the same as plum sauce? ›

Plum Sauce, sometimes called "Duck Sauce," is a sweet and tangy condiment with the lively flavors of plums and ginger. It's often served with fried wontons and other appetizers.

Is duck sauce the same as soy sauce? ›

Duck sauce is a popular condiment most associated and used with Americanized Chinese cooking. It is often offered in a little packet alongside the soy sauce and spicy mustard. It often has an orangey brown color. It's much sweeter than soy sauce or spicy mustard, but with a noticeable tang.

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