Best 19 Asian Sauces from Lee Kum Kee

What is Lee Kum Kee

Lee Kum Kee International Holdings Ltd is a food company based in Hong Kong, known for its delicious and high-quality Asian sauces. They make everything from soy sauce, oyster sauce to readymade sauce packets that you can add to cooked meat for a quick meal.

Top 19 Lee Kum Kee Reviews

In this article, we have selected 19 of their more famous sauces, and we have ranked them according to their taste, quality, and popularity. While this list is just our opinion on the sauces, you can try them out yourself to decide which ones you like best.

1. Lee Kum Kee Black Bean Garlic Sauce

This black bean garlic sauce from Lee Kum Kee is a delicious and flavourful sauce. Its main ingredients are fermented black soybeans (called douchi in Chinese), garlic, soy sauce, and chili. It is a versatile sauce and we can use it in a lot of different Asian dishes.

This sauce comes as a smooth, dark paste. It is very concentrated with a combination of intense flavors. You should not use more than a teaspoonful in a medium-sized pot of food. It can be stored for two years. We can use this sauce to make black bean chicken, most mixed vegetable stir-fries, Chinese noodles, Shanghai noodles, and everyone’s favorite; Kung Pao chicken.

Taste test

It has a strong, pungent taste with subtle hints of heat from the chili. The garlic flavor comes out strong, too. It is quite salty, and it has a smooth texture.

Pros:

• It has a long shelf life of 2 years.
• A little sauce goes a long way.
• It can be used in a variety of meals.

Cons:

• Not gluten-free.
• Too salty.

2. Lee Kum Kee XO Sauce

XO sauce depicts luxury, and LKK’s brand isn’t any different. The sauce consists of dried scallops, dried shrimp, chili peppers, spices, soybean oil, garlic, ham and other selected vegetables which come together to give it a depth of flavor. It complements seafood dishes perfectly.

This sauce contains tiny dried shrimp, scallops and ham. It is chewy and rich in flavor. The ingredients used are usually rare, and of high quality so this sauce can be quite expensive, but it is worth it. It is very versatile and tastes good in many dishes. This sauce tastes so good that it can be eaten directly. Add it to your fried rice, rice rolls, and beef. It goes well with most seafood meals.

Taste test

The sauce has a tangy, rich taste with a lot of sweetness and a little bit of heat from the chili. It has a predominant seafood flavor that can be a bit mild for some people.

Pros:

• This is an all-purpose sauce, and it goes well with many dishes.
• It has a good mix of flavors.
• It has a long shelf life.

Cons:

• Quite expensive
• The taste is a bit mild.

3. Lee Kum Kee Siracha Chili Sauce

This Siracha sauce is the perfect blend of heat and sweetness to give your meals a balanced flavor. It is made of chili peppers, vinegar, garlic, sugar, and salt. This sauce, unlike many other brands of sriracha sauce, doesn’t have a lot of heat. Instead, it has a milder flavor.

The ingredients in this sauce are mostly organic. It contains none artificial preservatives. Instead, vinegar, acetic acid, and ascorbic acid are used. It contains fish extracts that give it a more complex flavor. The plastic bottle it comes in protects it from damage when shipping.

We can use it in a dipping sauce or a condiment. Pair with seafood and vegetable noodles. We can put it on eggs, burgers and even on potato chips.

Taste test

The first taste of this sauce gives you a sweet, garlicky flavor with mild heat. The aftertaste is a light, flowery taste, most likely from the fish extract.

Pros:

• It doesn’t contain any artificial preservatives.
• It is very versatile.
• It comes in a big bottle and a reasonable price.

Cons:

• It barely has any heat.

4. Kum Kee Sauce For Ma Po Tofu

Ma Po tofu sauce is made to complement the traditional Chinese tofu meal. This sauce is made from soybean paste, chili peppers, corn syrup, and traditional peppercorns (Sichuan). We can use it in a variety of Asian dishes that require a good amount of spiciness.

The sauce has a lot of Szechuan peppercorns that make your mouth and tongue numb. It can change the taste of your food, and it leaves a bitter, acidic taste. It is also very thick and salty. To tone it down, you can mix it with warm water before use.

This sauce is used in the famous Chinese dish, ma po tofu, which is made of tofu, pork and the sauce. It can also be used in your noodles, chicken, and vegetable stir-fries.

Taste test

This sauce is has a sweet taste with a little hint of salt. It has some heat from the peppercorns and a slightly bitter aftertaste.

Pros:

• Very budget-friendly
• It can be used in various meals.
• It is vegan-friendly.

Cons:

• Contains High Fructose Corn Syrup
• It has a bitter, acidic aftertaste.

5. Lee Kum Kee Chili Oil

This chili oil is made from crushed red peppers steeped in soybean oil. These peppers give the chili oil its bright red color. It is a perfect choice if you want to add more flavor and heat to your meals and it isn’t exclusive to Chinese meals alone.

The Lee Kum Kee chili oil is a very versatile sauce and rarely clashes with other ingredients. It goes well with most meals without overpowering the overall flavor of the meal.

We can use it in making stir-fries, dumplings, noodles, and dim sum. Mix with ketchup and use as a topping for pizza. It goes beautifully with chili, pasta, and eggs.

Taste test

It has a tasty, fruity flavor and a strong soybean flavor. It has only a mild heat from the crushed peppers. It leaves you with a tingling feeling in your mouth.

Pros:

• It is organic and vegan.
• It has a moderate heat flavor.
• It has a low sodium content.

6. Panda Sauce For Mandarin Orange Chicken

The Panda sauce is the perfect complement for mandarin orange chicken. It is made from sugar, soy sauce, orange juice concentrate, chili peppers, garlic, and other spices. It has a mostly sweet taste, but the different flavors are still noticeable.

This sauce reduces your cooking time quite a lot. All you have to do is cook the chicken in a little olive oil for about 5 minutes. Add the sauce and cook for a few more minutes, and your delicious General Tso’s chicken is ready. The sweetness is countered by the mild heat to give you a balanced taste.

This sauce goes best with orange chicken, also known as General Tso’s chicken. We can also use it in other chicken, beef or pork recipes. You can add a dash of it to your vegetables when making a stir-fry.

Taste test

The first bite gives you a sweet, citrusy flavor. The orange juice flavor comes out, and it has a lingering note of heat from the chili peppers.

Pros:

• No preservatives
• No High Fructose Corn Syrup
• No MSG

Cons:

• Very mild heat

7. Panda Sauce For Lettuce Wraps

This sauce makes the preparation of your lettuce wraps quick, easy, and fun. It pairs perfectly with the ingredients and gives your meal a unique taste, different from what you’ll get in a regular lettuce wrap sauce. It is sweet, but it also has a wealth of flavors beneath all that sweetness. This sauce provides you with a rich sauce that goes well with not only the lettuce wraps it was made for but other dishes, too.

Cook some ground chicken, turkey or pork, add some vegetables of your choice and stir fry. Add some chopped peanuts or cashews at the end and serve on lettuce, or over rice if you prefer.

Taste test

This sauce has a predominantly sweet taste, but you can still get the flavors from the sesame oil, soybean and chili peppers. You only get a little hint of heat from the chili peppers.

Pros:

• No preservatives
• No High Fructose Corn Syrup
• It is very budget-friendly.

Cons:

• It has a high sodium content.
• It is too sweet.

8. Lee Kum Kee Guilin Style Chili Sauce

Guilin style chili sauce is a type of chili sauce from the Guangxi region of China. It is made with Guilin peppers, soy, garlic and salt. It provides a quick option for adding flavor to your meals.

This sauce has a high amount of salt, so we recommend it that you use the sauce in place of salt to avoid having salty food. It can stay in your kitchen for up to 2 years without getting spoilt. It is a good thing to keep around in case you need to make a quick meal.

Add this to your asparagus and tofu stir-fry, or your cauliflower meal. It also goes very well with Guilin rice noodles, and also as a base for soups and stews.

Taste test

This sauce is a bit dry and thick and doesn’t contain much liquid. It mostly tastes savory and salty, but the spiciness still hits you.

Pros:

• It has a long shelf-life.
• It has a low-calorie content.

Cons:

• It has a high sodium content.
• It contains artificial preservatives.
• It costs a lot for the size.

9. Soup Base For Sichuan Hot & Spicy Hot Pot

When making a hot pot, this soup base helps to reduce the amount of time spent on the meal. It has the right amount of spice, more than some other brands, but it isn’t hot enough to be a problem. Mixing it with some broth before cooking can help to tone down the heat. It contains Sichuan chili peppers, soybean paste, soybean oil, and peppercorns.

It is a perfect base for your hot pots and soups. We can also use it in preparing Kung Pao chicken and Ma Po tofu. You can also use it in marinades for chicken and in dipping sauces for dumplings.

Taste test

This sauce is quite spicy, but at the same time, it is a little bit sweet, and it has notes of soybean. It gives your hot pot a unique taste, similar to those found in China.

Pros:

• It is a vegetarian sauce.
• It has low calories.

Cons:

• It contains MSG.
• It is a bit too spicy for people that can’t manage spicy food.
• It has a high sodium content.

10. Lee Kum Kee Sauce For Black Pepper Chicken

This sauce is one condiment you don’t want to run out of. It works as a seasoning, a marinade and also in dipping sauces. It is cheaper than many other brands, and it gives you restaurant-quality meals for less money.

This sauce contains high fructose corn syrup, soy sauce, oyster sauce, tomato paste, black pepper, and garlic. The sauce is the perfect complement for black pepper chicken, but it isn’t restricted to that. It gives your chicken meals a more exciting flavor.

You can use it in several seafood recipes, like seafood pasta and scampi. It also pairs well with beef recipes. The sauce can be a little salty so that you can dilute it with warm water before use.

Taste test

It is salty, with a strong flavor of black pepper and light traces of garlic. The soy flavor gives it a nice twist, and it isn’t too spicy.

Pros:

• It doesn’t contain MSG.
• It is Halal certified.

Cons:

• It contains high fructose corn syrup.
• It has a high sodium content.

11. Black Pepper Sauce

This black pepper sauce from Lee Kum Kee is the perfect blend of savory and spicy. It is a combination of black pepper, soy sauce, and rice wine that leaves your mouth slightly numb after eating it. It is a chunky sauce with bits of pepper and a smooth base.

This sauce gives your meals a freshness that can’t be gotten from many other brands. It has a sweet and spicy taste that complements most meals, especially chicken meals.

It is best used in chicken meals, especially black pepper chicken. We can also use it in various beef, pork, and vegetable meals. You can add this to your chicken stir-fry, add some vegetables, and serve on a bed of fried rice or pasta.

Taste test

It has an organic, peppery taste, without being so spicy. The taste of the peppers is fresh and slightly sweet. It isn’t very spicy, but it can add heat to your meals.

Pros:

• It is organic.
• It is vegan-friendly.
• It doesn’t contain MSG.

Cons:

• It comes in a glass jar that can get damaged during shipping.
  

12. Char Siu Chinese Barbecue Sauce

This barbeque sauce is used mainly for Cantonese-style barbeque pork, also known as char siu. It is made from a mixture of honey, fermented bean curd paste, soy sauce, maltose, garlic, and other spices. We can use it to marinate chicken, beef, and pork.

This sauce is mostly known for the red color it gives meat after being barbequed. This color is from some red food coloring that is added while making the sauce.

Char siu is usually served with rice, noodles or a bun but it can be served as a main meal or in a salad. We can also use the sauce as a condiment in other meals like char siu curry, char siu ribs, and ramen.

Taste test

It is a salty, slightly sweet and spicy sauce. It has a smoky flavor that goes so well with meat. The spiciness is not overdone, and it is balanced out by the sweetness of the honey.

Pros:

• It gives your meals an authentic Chinese bbq taste.

Cons:

• It is very thick, so it doesn’t stick well to meat.
  

13. Lee Kum Kee Sauce For Lemon Chicken

You shouldn’t always have to go to a restaurant to get good lemon chicken. With this readymade sauce from LKK, you can make restaurant-quality lemon chicken at home in very little time. Just obey the recipe on the package, and you’ll have your meal ready in 15 minutes or less.

The sauce contains concentrated lemon juice, corn syrup, salted plum, and rice vinegar. The lemon flavor is very dominant, and it tastes fresher than many other brands of lemon sauce. It tastes just like a homemade lemon sauce and can be used in a lot of meals that require a lemon flavor.

We can use it to make lemon chicken, served on a bed of rice. You can also add it other lemon dishes, like a beef and broccoli stir-fry, fish and lemon seafood pasta.

Taste test

It has a sweet and tangy, citrusy flavor. The salt is barely noticeable, but it helps balance the other flavors out.

Pros:

• It is halal-certified.
• It doesn’t contain MSG.

Cons:

• The lemon flavor is quite overpowering. You can dilute it to tone down the effect.

14. Lee Kum Kee Chiu Chow Chili Oil

This is one sauce you will want to use in every meal. It has a lot of garlic and other savory components that give it a rich flavor. It contains soybean oil, garlic, chili pepper powder, salted chili peppers, soy sauce, sesame oil, and sugar.

It is a bit spicier than some other chili oils, but it isn’t so bad. We can put it on anything as a dipping sauce, condiment, and a marinade. It should be mixed before use because the crushed peppers add more flavor than when you use just the oil.

We can use it to marinade chicken and steak before cooking. Moreover, we can also add it to soups and stews and even to eggs.

Taste test:

It is a savory chili sauce with a lot of complex flavors. It has a strong garlic taste; it is umami-rich and has a hint of the floral sesame oil flavor. It is very spicy, thanks to the crushed peppers it contains.

Pros:

• It is vegan-friendly.
• It is a versatile sauce.

Cons:

• It is expensive for its size.

15. Hoisin Sauce

This Hoisin sauce from LKK is the most the authentic version of Peking-style Hoisin sauce, you’ll find on the market. It is made from the best ingredients, and it has the intense flavor for which it is known.

It is made from soybeans, salt, sweet potato powder, sesame seeds, garlic, wheat flour, chili pepper, and spices. This sauce is thick, almost jam-like in consistency, creamy and shiny and all its flavors blend beautifully.

We can use it to glaze and marinate meat. It also goes well with stir-fries, Moo shu pork, and pho, a Vietnamese noodle soup. It works as a dipping sauce for Peking duck and lettuce wraps.

Taste test

It is a slightly sweet sauce with a lot of savory flavors. It has notes of spice, but they aren’t very prominent. It is very fragrant and salty. This sauce is thick, so we recommend it that you dilute it a little bit before use.

Pros:

• It is appropriate for vegans.
• It is budget-friendly.

Cons:

• It has a high sodium content.
• It is not gluten-free.

16. Lee Kum Kee Chicken Bouillon – Chicken Powder

Lee Lum Kee’s chicken powder has a flavor as close to real chicken as you can find. It contains real dehydrated chicken meat and chicken fat that gives it its unique and authentic taste. It makes an excellent base for many chicken dishes, and it can also be used in a marinade for chicken meals.

We can use in place of chicken broth. Just dissolve it in water according to your taste. You can also boost the flavor with some vegetables and herbs. It can also be used as a soup base, or just sprinkled in your soup. You can use it to add flavor to virtually any chicken dish, for example, chicken and noodles and chicken stir fry.

Taste test

We smell the chicken the moment we open the can. It tastes almost like homemade chicken broth. It is salty, but that reduces once it is diluted. It is delicious and has a light flavor.

Pros:

• It is budget-friendly.
• It has a real chicken flavor.

Cons:

• It contains MSG.
• It has a high amount of sodium.
• It doesn’t come with a lid.

17. Premium Dark Soy Sauce

This soy sauce lives up to its name as a premium sauce. It is thicker and heavier than regular dark soy sauce you get from other brands, but it isn’t as salty as they are. It has almost the same contents as regular soy sauce but with the extra addition of caramel color.

This addition makes it suitable for use in preparing caramelized foods such as caramelized pork and beef. It also tastes good in fried rice, chicken meals and as a dipping sauce for shrimp. It is also a perfect option to use as a marinade, and the flavor seeps into your meals quickly.

Taste test

This sauce is the definition of umami. It has a rich yet delicate flavor that is delicious. The sauce is darker and thicker than regular dark soy sauce, and it has a sophisticated taste. It might need to be diluted before use.

Pros:

• It has a low-fat content.
• It is reasonably priced for its size.
• It has a richer flavor than regular soy sauce.

Cons:

• It has a high sodium content.

18. Lee Kum Kee Soy Sauce

The soy sauces from Lee Kum Kee are less salty and more vibrant in flavor than many other soy sauces in the market. This regular/ light soy sauce is umami-rich and bursting in flavor. It has a unique smoky flavor that sets it apart from many other soy sauce options available. It is one of the most versatile Asian sauces.

We can add regular soy sauce to a meal just for the flavor and not change the color. It is an excellent choice for a marinade, and we can also use it to add flavor to your soups and stews. This soy sauce tastes great in a stir-fry, hot pot, noodles and a lot of other meals. It can also be used in addition to another seasoning.

Taste test

The sauce has a light, savory taste, and a lingering sweetness. It has a smoky flavor that becomes more prominent when it is used as a barbeque sauce.

Pros:

• It has organic and gluten-free options.

Cons:

• It has a high sodium content.
• It contains MSG.

19. Premium Oyster Flavoured Sauce

This premium oyster sauce gives your meals an exquisite twist that cannot be gotten from a conventional oyster sauce. It is made from high-quality oyster extracts, MSG as a flavor enhancer, caramel color, and cornstarch and wheat flour. This sauce is quite thick, so you might have to cut it a little with some water.

This sauce enhances every meal. It even makes a tasty dipping sauce. It is delicious as a marinade. We can use it as a seasoning in many dishes, for example, vegetable and beef stir-fry, spring rolls, ramen, tofu, and almost every beef dish. This sauce can be used alone or used with other seasonings, like soy sauce.

Taste test

It is salty and tasty without being overpowering. The oyster flavor is at the forefront, and it has a slightly sweet aftertaste. There is a little bit of smokiness and sourness that balance the flavor profile of this sauce.

Pros:

• It has a rich, authentic flavor.

Cons:

• It contains MSG.
• It is not gluten-free.
• It can be too salty.

Conclusion

Asian sauces’ flavors range from sweet, sour, spicy, and umami, which means savory. These sauces from Lee Kum Kee explore every one of these flavors. You get the sweet from the XO sauce, sour from the premium oyster sauce, spicy from the various chili sauces and umami from the black pepper sauce.

For soup

The chicken bouillon came out on top because of its realistic chicken taste and versatility. We can use it in literally any chicken recipe. You can also use it to add a chicken flavor to meals that don’t necessarily contain chicken.

For stir-frying

The premium soy sauce, regular soy sauce, oyster sauce, and the chili sauces are very versatile. You can use them in any meal, such as stir-fries, noodles, and fried rice. They give meals an authentic Chinese taste. And Char Siu sauce is mainly used to prepare Cantonese-style barbeque, char siu. It can be used to glaze your meats to give your grills a Cantonese twist.

For dipping sauce

XO sauce is rich and decadent, and it makes a tasty dipping sauce. It is best used in Cantonese meals like stir-fried rice with beef or chicken stir-fry. We can also use it as a dipping sauce because it has an umami flavor. It also works well with Thai food, like Thai chicken satay.

For readymade sauce

The readymade sauce packets like the sauce for lemon chicken and the sauce for mandarin orange chicken reduce your meal prep by more than half of the time. What you need to do is cook the meat, add your sauce and any vegetables of your choice and serve with your preferred side dish. This also goes for the Ma Po Tofu sauce that is specific for the Chinese tofu meal.

These sauces are generally used in Asian meals, but that doesn’t mean you can’t use them to your regular homemade meals. Try them on your pizza and burgers. You need to add a dash of chili oil in your scrambled eggs for a delicious twist.

Lucy Xue

Meeting you is so nice. I am happy to share my passion for all things that are salted, sweet, and savory. I hope pleasure, happiness, and nourishment can be found in everything we have today.