Oyster sauce is one of those ingredients that make every single dish fundamentally better when eaten. Thanks to its rich texture and fusion of flavours, it is one of the most popular sauces used all over the world. The sauce is widely used in Chinese cuisine because of its umami or savoury taste, which makes it perfect for stir-fry recipes.

Do You Know How to Make Oyster Sauce?

The traditional method of making the oyster sauce is by gently simmering oysters in water until they turn into a brownish caramelized sauce. It was discovered accidentally by Lee Kum Kee when he forgot some oysters heating on the stove. He noticed a wonderful aroma coming from his kitchen and was pleasantly surprised to find the brown sauce on his wok with an incredible taste. Lee Kum Kee oyster sauce is now one of the most famous brands, used in world-famous Chinese restaurants.

Today, there is a modern way of creating it to save more time. It includes using sugar and salt for the base with a cornstarch agent to make it thicker. Oyster extracts are then added for flavour. A vegetarian oyster sauce substitute is made with mushrooms, which also provide a high umami taste. But hey! You have your studies to attend to. Get some from the nearest supermarket.

If you’re as addicted as we are to everything this mouth-watering sauce has to offer, check out the below delicious oyster sauce recipes that conveniently don’t take much time. They also don’t require advanced cooking skills; perfect for a quick meal at the end of a long university day.

1. Oyster Sauce Stir-Fry Vegetables 

This is a very popular dish and one of our favourite recipes with oyster sauce. The best part is that it will only take you 7 minutes to fix. It makes 5 servings so there’s plenty to share with your flatmates. The ingredients are as follows:

• 3 tbsp of cooking oil
• 3 eggs, medium-sized and beaten
• 4 red onions, cut into ½ in thick
• 2 jicama, cut into thin triangles
• ¼ squash, cut into 1-inch slices
• 1 bundle bok choy, cut into ½ inch thick (separate stems from leaves)
• ½ chayote, cut into thin strips
• 2 sachets oyster sauce
• ½ cabbage, cut into ½ inch thick

1. Heat oil in a pan, then cook beaten eggs. Remove from pan, then cut scrambled eggs into strips. Set aside.
2. Over high heat, very quickly sear onions until edges turn slightly brown.
3. Add the hard vegetables first (jicama, squash, bokchoy stems, and chayote). Continue cooking until they are fork-tender.
4. Stir in one sachet of oyster sauce. Add the soft/leafy vegetables (bok choy leaves and cabbage). Cover for 2 minutes or until cooked.
5. Turn off heat. Add cooked eggs. Transfer to a plate, then drizzle it with the other oyster sauce sachet. Serve hot. And again, don’t forget to share the magic!

2. Pansit Bam-I Noodle Stir Fry

A noodles recipe simply has to be mentioned when talking about the wonders of oyster sauce; it’s a no brainer! And who doesn’t love stir-fry noodles? This one is an authentic Filipino recipe that will become your go-to meal whenever you feel peckish. It’s always good to brag about knowing how to cook pancit noodles. This recipe makes 6-8 servings so you can share with your friends. Here’s what you need:

• 2 tbsp cooking oil
• 1 tbsp chopped garlic
• 1 red onion, chopped
• ⅔ cup chicken breast, boiled, deboned, chopped, and shredded
• 3 ½ cups water
• 3 tbsp oyster sauce
• ¼ cup sliced carrots
• ½ cup sliced cabbage
• 1 pack mung bean noodles (sotanghon), soaked in water and drained
• 1 pack egg noodles (pancit canton) or chow mein noodles
• Salt, to taste
• Ground black pepper, to taste

For garnish:

• Garlic, chopped and fried
• Spring onions, chopped
• Kalamansi or lemon, cut in half

1. In a wok, heat oil and sauté garlic, onions, and chicken meat.
2. Add water and oyster sauce. When it starts to boil, add carrots and cabbage. Continue cooking for another three minutes.
3. Add the satanghon and egg noodles. Mix well. Cover and cook until the noodles are tender. Add water if necessary. Season with salt and ground pepper.
4. Transfer to a serving plate and garnish with fried garlic and spring onions. Serve with kalamansi.

Bonus tip: The oyster sauce is perfect for marination as it removes the strong smell of fish or meat and the resulting taste is heavenly.

Give these recipes a try now and thank us later. Not in the mood for cooking? Check out our list of the Best Chinese Restaurants in the UK and ask them for extra oyster sauce.