A rich and flavorful Chinese XO sauce is a great condiment for noodles, dumplings, turnip cake, Chinese pancake, siu mai, lo mai gai, pan fried buns and vegetables. Pretty much you can add to anything you want! This homemade Chinese XO sauce recipe looks very similar to chili oil, but they are not the same. Let’s learn how to make XO sauce as a condiment for your dishes with detailed photo instructions and a video.
Love sauce? Check out these homemade chili garlic sauce, chili oil, ginger scallion sauce, sweet and sour sauce, black pepper sauce and teriyaki sauce recipes.
What is XO sauce?
XO sauce is a well-known Chinese spicy seafood sauce that originated from Hong Kong in the 1980s. Normally, it is made of dried seafood such as dried shrimp, dried scallops, Chinese Jinhua ham, chili peppers, shallot, garlic and vegetable oil. The name of XO sauce comes from the fine XO (extra old) cognac which is a popular western alcoholic beverage in Hong Kong.
It is named after a famous French liquor even though it doesn’t contain any alcohol. The term XO is often used in Hong Kong to indicate high quality and luxury. Chinese XO sauce has been marketed in that way and has a similar color and luxury package as cognac French liquor. And, a popular brand Lee Kum Kee XO sauce is one of them.
What are the ingredients for homemade Chinese XO sauce?
XO sauce isn’t hard to make. It is safer to make your homemade XO sauce because you know what are the ingredients and no preservatives. Normally, it is made from dried seafood such as dried shrimp, dried scallops, Chinese Jinhua ham, chili peppers, shallot, garlic and vegetable oil.
In this homemade Chinese XO sauce recipe, I do not use Chinese Jinhua ham because it is hard to find in my area. Therefore, I only use the basic ingredients such as dried shrimp, dried scallops, garlic, shallot, chili peppers (dried and fresh) and vegetable oil.
Cooking tips for how to make XO sauce:
- Dried shrimp, scallops and chili peppers need to be soaked before. Dried scallops take a little long to be softened, so soak for a couple hours before cooking.
- Roughly chop garlic, shallots, chili peppers, dried shrimps and dried scallops. I like to use a chopper because it’s faster and easier.
- Don’t need to chop very fine little chunks is ok.
- Turn on medium small fire to heat up the oil.
- Oil needs to be hot enough before adding chopped shallots.
- You can test the oil with wooden chopsticks to see if there are some bubbles around the chopsticks. If you see the bubbles, it means the oil is hot enough.
- Try to use a taller pot, in case when you put the ingredients will overflow or turn the fire to small before adding the ingredients.
- Keep stirring them once a while.
- Wait until it cools off, then put them into a small glass.
FAQs:
XO sauce is a condiment and great to add to noodles, stir fried with rice, stir fry vegetables or as a dipping sauce for dumplings, siu mai, lo mai gai, turnip cake, Chinese pancake, pan fried buns etc.
It doesn’t have to be refrigerated. But they need to be stored in a cool place and without direct sunlight. The best still refrigerated them and will last longer.
It can last for a few months up to a year in the refrigerator.
I used dried chili peppers and fresh chili peppers for this XO sauce recipe. If you want to use Thai chili just add a couple pieces instead of ¼ cup because they are very hot.
Instructions for how to make Chinese XO sauce:
Preparations:
1. Wash and soak ½ cup of dried scallop for a couple hours until it's soft.
2. Then, drain the water and blend the scallop in the chopper. Don't need to be very fine. Little chunk is ok.
3. Wash and soak ½ cup of dried small shrimps for 15-30 minutes.
4. After that, drain the water and blend the dried shrimp in the chopper. (The same as dried scallops don't need to be very fine.)
5. Peel and wash 10 pieces of shallots (Small/medium sized).
6. Put the washed shallots into the chopper and blend a little bit.
7. Peel and wash 3 whole medium sized garlic.
8. Then, put the garlic into the chopper and blend them until they are small pieces.
9. Next, wash and soak ½ cup of dried chili pepper for 10-15 minutes.
10. Put the dried chili peppers into the chopper. Blend until small pieces. Then, add ¼ cup of fresh chili peppers and chop small pieces.
Cooking:
11. Pour 3.5 cups of vegetable oil in a pot. Use wooden chopsticks to test the oil if it is hot enough. There will be some bubbles around the chopsticks when the oil is hot enough.
12. Turn the fire to medium small, add the chopped shallot into hot oil. (Put the shallot slowly in case it will overflow.) Keep stirring once a while and simmering for 3 minutes.
13. After that, add the chopped garlic. Then, keep stirring once a while and simmering for 3 minutes.
14. Later, add the chopped dried and fresh chili peppers.
15. Next, add the chopped dried scallops and shrimps. Keep stirring and simmering for 10 minutes.
16. Lastly, add 1.5 tablespoons of salt and 1 tablespoon of sugar, mix well and simmer for another 5-10 minutes.
Enjoy this delicious homemade Chinese XO sauce recipe! Also, check out these black sesame soup, papaya milk, crispy teriyaki tofu, Taiwanese beef noodle soup, tom yum kung, salt & pepper calamari, Chinese bacon cabbage and honeydew popsicle recipes.
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XO sauce
Equipment
- 1 Pot
Video
Ingredients
- 1.5 tablespoons Salt
- 1 tablespoon Sugar
- 3.5 cups Vegetable oil
- 3 whole Garlic Medium sized
- 10 pieces Shallot Small/medium sized
- ½ cup Dried shrimp
- ½ cup Dried scallops
- ½ cup Dried chili pepper
- ¼ cup Fresh chili pepper
Instructions
- Wash and soak ½ cup of dried scallop for a couple hours until it's soft.
- Then, drain the water and blend the scallop in a chopper. Don't need to be very fine. Little chunk is ok.
- Wash and soak ½ cup of dried small shrimps for 15-30 minutes.
- After that, drain the water and blend the dried shrimp in the chopper. (The same as dried scallops don't need to be very fine.)
- Peel and wash 10 pieces of shallots (Small/medium sized).
- Put the washed shallots into the chopper and blend a little bit.
- Peel and wash 3 whole medium sized garlic.
- Then, put the garlic into the chopper and blend them until they are small pieces.
- Next, wash and soak ½ cup of dried chili pepper for 10-15 minutes.
- Put the dried chili peppers into the chopper. Blend until small pieces. Then, add ¼ cup of fresh chili peppers and chop small pieces.
- Pour 3.5 cups of vegetable oil in a pot. Use wooden chopsticks to test the oil if it is hot enough. There will be some bubbles around the chopsticks when the oil is hot enough.
- Turn the fire to medium small, add the chopped shallot into hot oil. (Put the shallot slowly in case it will overflow.) Keep stirring once a while and simmering for 3 minutes.
- After that, add the chopped garlic. Then, keep stirring once a while and simmering for 3 minutes.
- Later, add the chopped dried and fresh chili peppers.
- Next, add the chopped dried scallops and shrimps. Keep stirring and simmering for 10 minutes.
- Lastly, add 1.5 tablespoons of salt and 1 tablespoon of sugar, mix well and simmer for another 5-10 minutes.
Notes
Cooking tips for how to make homemade XO sauce:
- Dried shrimp, scallops and chili peppers need to be soaked before. Dried scallops take a little long to be softened, so soak for a couple hours before cooking.
- Roughly chop garlic, shallots, chili peppers, dried shrimps and dried scallops. I like to use a chopper because it’s faster and easier.
- Don’t need to chop very fine little chunks is ok.
- Turn on medium small fire to heat up the oil.
- Oil needs to be hot enough before adding chopped shallots.
- You can test the oil with wooden chopsticks to see if there are some bubbles around the chopsticks. If you see the bubbles, it means the oil is hot enough.
- Try to use a taller pot, in case when you put the ingredients will overflow or turn the fire to small before adding the ingredients.
- Keep stirring them once a while.
- Wait until it cools off, then put them into a small glass.
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