Chinese Clear Sauce is the thick, glossy stir-fry sauce often served over vegetables and proteins like chicken, pork, shrimp, or beef in Chinese-American restaurants. It’s savory, lightly seasoned, slightly sweet, and thickened just enough to coat every ingredient without overpowering it. This homemade version delivers that classic old school Chinese takeout flavor, perfect for Chop Suey or any stir-fry.
What is Chinese Clear Sauce
Chinese Clear Sauce, sometimes called Chinese White Sauce, is a light stir-fry sauce made from seasoned stock and thickened with a starch slurry. At its most basic, it consists of water or broth seasoned with salt, sugar, MSG, and white pepper. The sauce is thickened at the very end of cooking and used in dishes like Chop Suey and vegetable stir fries where the focus is on clean flavor rather than heavy seasoning.
Ingredients for Chinese Clear Sauce
Water, Broth Powder or Bouillon Cube, Sugar, Salt, MSG, Cream of Tartar (optional), White Pepper, Potato Starch.
Choosing the Right Broth
The broth will add more flavor, especially if adding protein. The flavoring comes from the seasoning used and the natural flavors of the vegetables. Some restaurants will use Vegetable or Chicken broth as the main liquid. Used across all dishes, no matter the choice of meat that is used.
Seafood Broth
For shrimp or seafood dishes, use Hondashi or a seafood broth. Hondashi adds concentrated umami and enhances the natural sweetness of seafood. Use about 1 teaspoon or more, adjusting to taste.
Pork Broth
Use Pork Broth or Consommé if the choice of protein added is pork. Use 1 cube of Knorr Pork Bouillon Cubes.
Beef Broth
Use Beef Broth or Beef Consommé if the choice of protein added is beef. Use 1 Maggi, Knorr, or Aurora Bouillon Beef Cubes.
Chicken Broth
Chicken Broth or Consommé is pretty universal with meats. Use 1 Maggi Bouillon Chicken Cubes or 2 tsp of Knorr Chicken Broth Powder. If using any other broth powders, then the equivalent for 2 Cups of water.
Vegetable Broth
Vegetable Broth or Consommé may be added in the case where no proteins are being added, or as a universal broth to accompany any choice of protein. The natural flavors in the Vegetable Broth can help enhance the flavors of your choice of vegetables added.
Chinese Clear Sauce Additions
Add other liquids to enhance or shape the flavors. Such as Sake or other cooking wines, Soy Sauce, Mirin for sweetness, Chili Oil for Heat, Hoisin, or Oyster sauce.
With Beef & Broccoli, Hoisin or Oyster sauce is commonly added.
Fats
The fat is not added directly to the Clear Sauce. Instead, it is introduced by stir-frying the meat if used and the vegetables. The Fat added also gives the sauce its sheen and should be a Neutral Oil, Sunflower Oil, or Peanut Oil. Optionally mixed with Sesame Oil for additional flavor.
If adding in proteins, then try to use rendered fat from the choice of protein added. This will by far elevate the flavors and help the protein of choice stand out. Visit Rendered Fat for more information on rendering fat from meat.
Clear Sauce Seasoning
The common seasoning in Chinese cooking is Salt, Sugar, MSG, White Pepper. Aromatic Vegetables are sometimes added. Such as Garlic, Ginger, Green Onions, or Scallions.
Why I add cream of tartar
I add a small amount of cream of tartar for two reasons. First, it introduces a subtle acidity that sharpens and elevates the overall flavor without making the sauce sour. Second, it helps preserve the natural color of vegetables, keeping them vibrant after cooking.
Clear Sauce thickeners
Most people use Cornstarch and it works fine. I just find Potato Starch is much better and so use this as the main thickener in Chinese Clear Sauce.
Avoid prolonged high heat after thickening. Excessive heat can break down the starch structure and cause the sauce to thin out again.
If you stir-fry the vegetables over high heat with a bit of water in order to steam hard vegetables. Ensure that all the water has evaporated, as to not dilute and thin out the Chop Suey Sauce.
How to Thicken Chinese Clear Sauce
If you do end up thinning the sauce out or breaking the sauce by exposing it to high heat for too long. Mix equal amounts of Potato Starch and water and add to the Stir fry over medium heat until thickened to the desired consistency.
How to thin Chinese Clear Sauce
If the sauce is too thick, add a bit more water or broth over medium heat to thin the sauce out.
Chinese Clear Sauce Powdered Mix
For home use, a powdered clear sauce mix allows you to create Chinese Clear Sauce instantly. Simply combine the dry ingredients and store in an airtight container. When ready to use, whisk 3 tablespoons of the mix into 2 cups of cold water and heat until thickened.
Store it in a Spice Jar or other container.
- 2 Tbl Potato Starch
- 2 tsp Broth Powder
- 1/2 Tbl White Sugar
- 1/2 tsp Salt & MSG
- 1/8 tsp Cream of Tartar & White Pepper
How to make Chinese Clear Sauce
Chinese restaurants will typically cook everything up in the wok and add the Chinese Clear Sauce without the starch to bring to a boil. Then add a starch slurry to thicken the sauce at the every end.
At home there are a few ways. Combine all the ingredients together and add into the stir-fry or Chop Suey towards the end and cook until just thickened.
Another option is to combine the Chinese Clear Sauce ingredients and bring to a boil to thicken, then add to cooked Stir-Fried Vegetables. The chop Suey will be rather thick but will thin out with the added vegetables.
How thick should Chinese Clear Sauce be
Chinese Clear Sauce should be thick enough to coat and cling to the vegetables. Much of the flavor is carried by the body of the sauce itself. If it’s too thin, it won’t cling properly and the dish will taste watered down and flat. The sauce should remain glossy and thick enough to coat every ingredient.
The final consistency also depends on the vegetables used and whether they were blanched or stir-fried raw. Vegetables that release excess moisture can thin the sauce, which is why small adjustments may be needed, either thinning with a bit of broth/water or thickening with additional starch slurry.
For this reason, in Chinese restaurants all vegetables and meats are stir-fried. Water or broth is added along with seasoning added and thickened at the very end with however much slurry is needed. This gives finer control over the consistency of the final sauce.
Chinese Clear Sauce Chop Suey Variations
The Broth used is exchanged for the type of Protein being used. With Rendered Fat if possible, else use a Neutral Oil. The Meat can be Velveted or not, and Blanched or Flash Fried before stir-frying with it.
Chicken Chop Suey
Made with Knorr Chicken Powder.
Pork Chop Suey
Made with 1 Knorr Pork Bouillon Cube.
Shrimp Chop Suey
Made with Hondashi.
Beef Chop Suey
Made with Beef Bouillon Cube.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 C Water
- 2 Tbl Potato Starch
- 1/2 Tbl White Sugar - or more
- 2 tsp Broth Powder - See notes for variations
- 1/2 tsp Sea Salt & MSG
- 1/8 tsp Cream of Tartar & White Pepper
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients together in a bowl and add to Chop Suey towards the end. Optionally you can add all the ingredients together in a pot and bring to a boil while mixing until thickened. Then adjust the consistency with added water if needed.
Notes
- Chicken Chop Suey: Use 1 Chicken Maggi Bouillon Cube or the equivalent in Chicken Broth Powder.
- Pork Chop Suey: Use 1 Pork Knorr Bouillon Cube or the equivalent in Pork Broth Powder.
- Beef Chop Suey: Use 1 Beef Maggi Bouillon Cube or the equivalent in Beef Broth Powder.
- Shrimp Chop Suey: Add 1 tsp or more of Hondashi or Seafood Broth Powder.
- Vegetable Chop Suey: Use 1 Vegetable Bouillon Cube or equivalent in broth powder.
- Thinning Out: Add more water over medium heat.
- Thickening: Mix equal parts Starch & Cold Water. Add a small amount at a time over medium heat while mixing and repeat until thickened to your liking.