Chinese Duck Sauce Recipe Made with Apple Sauce
It might sound weird, but this sauce has no ingredients that come from a duck. The sauce isn’t made to go with only duck either. This rich sauce pairs well with a bunch of different dishes, including fried rice, crispy pork, roasted duck, and more.
So, what are you waiting for? Here is the Chinese duck sauce recipe made with apple sauce. Making the sauce is no hard work, but you surely need to spend some time on it. Let me take you through the detailed steps of making this amazing sauce.
Table of Contents
Chinese Duck Sauce Recipe Overview
The overview chart contains key information about the recipe. It can help you plan your course of action.
| Course: Condiment | Cuisine: Chinese | Difficulty: Medium | ||
| Total Time: 15 minutes | ||||
| Serving | Preparation Time | Cooking Time | Calories | |
| Not applicable | 5 minutes | 10 minutes | 40.5 kcal | |
Ingredients Needed for the Recipe
You might have already assumed one ingredient from the title of this recipe. Find all of them in the following list.
- Apricot Jam: ¾ cup
- Rice Vinegar: 2-3 tbsp
- Soy Sauce: 1 tsp
- Sweet Chili Sauce: 2-3 tsp
- Garlic: 2 cloves, minced
- Sugar: 1 tsp
- Apple Juice: ¾ cup
Chinese Duck Sauce Recipe Made with Apple Sauce: Step-By-Step Instructions
This recipe has nothing more than mixing a few ingredients and simmering them for some time. Still, I mentioned the detailed steps below.
Step 1: Mix Rice Vinegar and Soy Sauce with Apricot Jam
Take ¾ cup of apricot jam in a pot. Pour 2-3 tbsp of soy sauce and 1 tsp of soy sauce into it.
Step 2: Season with Sweet Chili Sauce
Put 2-3 tsp of sweet chili sauce into the pan and mix it with the jam. Mince 2 garlic cloves finely and mix them with the sauce as well.
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Step 3: Cook the Sauce with Apple Juice
Place the pot over low heat and start cooking the sauce. Once the sauce comes to a boil, add 1 tsp of sugar to it. It will balance the sourness of the apricot jam.
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Then, mix the apple juice with the sauce and simmer for about 10 minutes.
Step 4: Blend the Sauce
The apricot jam is a bit chunky. I love my duck sauce super smooth. Use a hand blender to smoothen the sauce. Then, simmer for 5-10 more minutes and let it cool down. Now you can serve this awesome sauce with many dishes.
Nutrition Facts of the Recipe
1 tbsp of this duck sauce has 40.5 calories. It might sound small, but when you consume a few tablespoons of this sauce, the calories will quickly add up. Check the following list of nutrients to know how much of this sauce you should eat.
- Total Carbohydrates: 10g
- Protein: 0.1g
- Total Fat: 0g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Total Dietary Fiber: 0.1g
- Total Sugar: 5g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 75mg
- Potassium: 14.4mg
- Calcium: 1.8mg
- Iron: 0.1mg
- Vitamin A: 9IU
- Vitamin C: 2.7mg
Do’s and Don’ts of the Recipe
The flavor and texture of this sauce depend on how you handle each step. The following tips can be helpful to pull the recipe off correctly.
Do’s
- Fresh apricots can be used to make this sauce. But you will need to cook them for longer.
- Keep scraping the sauce off the bottom. Otherwise, the sauce won’t have an even consistency.
Don’ts
- Don’t add any salt to the sauce. The saltiness of the soy sauce will balance the flavor.
- Don’t store the sauce right after making it. After it cools down, store it in a glass jar.

Chinese Duck Sauce Recipe Made with Applesauce
Ingredients
Method
- Take ¾ cup of apricot jam in a pot. Pour 2-3 tbsp of soy sauce and 1 tsp of soy sauce into it.
- Put 2-3 tsp of sweet chili sauce into the pan and mix it with the jam. Mince 2 garlic cloves finely and mix them with the sauce as well.
- Place the pot over low heat and start cooking the sauce. Once the sauce comes to a boil, add 1 tsp of sugar to it. It will balance the sourness of the apricot jam.
- Then, mix the apple juice with the sauce and simmer for about 10 minutes.
- The apricot jam is a bit chunky. I love my duck sauce super smooth. Use a hand blender to smoothen the sauce. Then, simmer for 5-10 more minutes and let it cool down. Now you can serve this awesome sauce with many dishes.
FAQs
If you have more questions about this recipe, you will find the answers below.
Why is this sauce called duck sauce?
There are different opinions about the origin of this sauce. The most reliable sources say that this sauce was first served with Pekin Duck. This is why the sauce was named duck sauce.
Can I use other fruits to make Chinese duck sauce?
Of course. You can use plums, peaches, or pineapples to make this sauce. As this sauce is commonly made of plums, it is also known as plum sauce. Whatever fruit you use to make this sauce, you need to maintain the sweet and sour flavor profile.
How long can I store duck sauce?
Homemade duck sauce without any preservatives will last for about one month in the refrigerator. If you have store-bought duck sauce, they might last for about three months.
Can I replace duck sauce with any sweet and sour sauce?
Not actually. Even though the duck sauce is sweet and sour, it has a distinct aroma and a slight saltiness. So, it can be easily distinguished from other sweet and sour sauces. Where the recipe demands the duck sauce, you better serve the duck sauce.
Conclusion
Duck sauce is a popular condiment that goes with a variety of deep-fried, grilled, or roasted items, such as crab rangoon, Pekin duck, or crispy pork. If you want your duck sauce not to be too sticky or bitter, you should follow this Chinese duck sauce recipe made with apple sauce.
The addition of apple juice to this recipe gives it a light and punchy taste that you will love with a lot of dishes. Serve this popular Asian condiment with snacks or main dishes and everyone will ask you for the recipe.