What Is Chili bean sauce and How Can I Use It?

Chili bean sauce is easier to cook with than it looks. Here's how to choose, use, and store it, what to substitute, and 24 recipes to get you started.

Recipes using chili bean sauce

There are 24 recipes that contain this ingredient.

Cabbage & Shiitake Pot Sticky Buns

After a few potsticker recipes, I finally made my very first bunch of pot sticky buns (another popular food in China). They came out soft, and quite delicious. Nicely browned and crispy at the bottom. It's an excellent way to use up some of our fresh veggies.

Quick Chinese Chicken Salad

If you just need a quick dinner, this scrumptious salad is the perfect dish for you!

Chinese Noodle Stir-Fry

Quick, easy, tasty and healthy. This Chinese noodle stir-fry well satisfies your palate and provides enough nutrients to your body.

Asian Beet Greens Stir-Fry

Beet greens are sauteed with ginger, garlic, scallions and tossed with soy sauce, chili bean sauce, sesame oil, and sesame seeds. A tasty and light stir-fry that can be served as a side dish or with some rice, or a few slices of bread to become a light meal.

Hot Bean Thread Noodles

Spicy bean thread noodles stir-fried with ground beef, chili bean sauce, and garlic in a savory chicken broth sauce. A Sichuan-inspired glass noodle dish with serious heat.

Chili Cheese Dip

Layered cream cheese, cheddar, and spicy chili baked until bubbly and golden. This lighter chili cheese dip uses fat-free cheeses and comes together in under an hour. Scoop it up with tortilla chips.

Korean beef in lettuce

Korean beef lettuce wraps: thin sirloin marinated in soy, sesame, garlic, ginger, and chilli bean sauce, then seared hot and tucked into chilled lettuce cups with rice and a soy-chilli dip. Build-your-own and easily gluten-free.

Korean beef in lettuce

Korean beef lettuce wraps: thin sirloin marinated in soy, sesame, garlic, ginger, and chilli bean sauce, then seared hot and tucked into chilled lettuce cups with rice and a soy-chilli dip. Build-your-own and easily gluten-free.

Spicy Country-Style Chicken Breasts

Shredded chicken breast stir-fried with bamboo shoots, zucchini, and bell peppers in a bold chili bean and dark soy sauce. A fiery Chinese-inspired main dish ready in 45 minutes.

Stir-Fried Scallops with Leeks

Chinese-style stir-fried scallops with leeks, scallions, ginger and garlic in a dark soy, rice wine, chili bean and sesame oil sauce. Ready in 7 minutes of cooking time once everything is prepped.

Sichuan Dry-Fried Green Beans (Sides)

Dry your beans well before cooking. To get the traditional ‘blistered’ look of the beans you will need to shallow-fry them for 5-6 minutes and stir constantly to avoid burning.

Savory Chicken with Pine Nuts

Chinese-style stir-fried chicken with toasted pine nuts, bamboo shoots, and a savory hoisin-oyster sauce. Cornstarch velveted chicken stays tender. Wok dinner in 30 minutes.

Authentic Chinese Barbecued Spareribs

Finger licking sticky authentic Chinese barbecue spareribs at home. Chinese spare ribs are one of the most popular Chinese restaurant take-out favorites.

Mussels in Black Bean Sauce

Wok-fried mussels in Chinese black bean sauce with fermented black beans, garlic, ginger, chili bean sauce, and rice wine. A fast, intensely savory seafood dish ready in 20 minutes.

Cold Sichuan Noodles

Fiery cold Sichuan noodles with chili bean sauce, yellow bean sauce, garlic, ginger, and sesame oil. A bold vegetarian Chinese noodle dish that comes together in 35 minutes.

Asian Porterhouse

Thick-cut porterhouse steak marinated in a bold Asian-inspired blend of chili bean paste, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Fire up the grill for this fusion masterpiece that brings steakhouse quality with Pacific Rim flair.

Spicy Country-Style Chicken

Quick Chinese-style chicken stir-fry with shredded breast, bamboo shoots, zucchini, and bell peppers tossed in chili bean sauce and dark soy for a fiery weeknight dinner.

Sichuan Fried Eggplant

Battered eggplant slices deep-fried until crispy and drizzled with a spicy Sichuan sauce of chili bean paste, black vinegar, ginger, and tomato paste. A vegetarian Chinese dish with serious crunch and heat.

Liang Ban Rou (Twice-Cooked Pork)

Liang Ban Rou twice-cooked pork belly simmered until tender, then stir-fried with chili bean sauce, garlic, ginger, and scallions. A classic Sichuan dish with bold heat.

Braised Spicy Eggplant

Silky Chinese eggplant braised with chili bean sauce, garlic, and ginger in a savory-sweet soy glaze. Ready in 45 minutes with just a wok and a handful of pantry staples.

Mongolian Hot Pot

Mongolian hot pot with thinly sliced lamb, spinach, napa cabbage, and bean thread noodles cooked tableside in ginger-scallion broth with a spicy tahini dipping sauce.

Cucumber Stir-Fried with Pork

Sichuan-style cucumber stir-fry with pork, chili bean sauce, and numbing peppercorns. A fiery, crunchy 30-minute wok dish that turns humble cucumbers into a bold weeknight star.

Tan Tan Noodles

Sichuan dan dan noodles in a spicy, nutty broth of chili bean sauce, sesame paste, dark soy, and preserved vegetables with garlic and ginger. Fiery, slurpable, and ready in 15 minutes.

Bean Thread Noodles with Pork

Slippery glass noodles wok-fried with savory ground pork in a ginger-garlic sauce with dark soy, chili bean paste, and sesame oil. A Chinese comfort bowl in 45 minutes.

All 24 recipes