Guys. GUYS.
I’m really excited to share this recipe today. Having conquered some key sauce recipes on the blog so far––like Homemade Chili Oil, Chiu Chow Sauce, Ginger Scallion Sauce––there’s been a pretty long wind-up to mastering this most beloved of condiments: XO SAUCE.
Let’s talk about it.
This is an iconic sauce hailing from Hong Kong, made from dried seafood (namely, dried shrimp and scallops, AKA “conpoy,” salty Jinhua ham, shallots, garlic, chili, and oil. It may sound odd, but it is, in fact, epically delicious and an explosion of umami deliciousness that you’ll want to slather on literally anything and everything you can find.
The quality and depth of flavor of XO sauce is apparent in its name. “XO” is actually a Hong Kong shorthand for high-quality, prestige, and luxury. Think about the price of fresh shrimp and scallops, and then think about taking all of that luscious seafood, drying it, and then making it into a jar of sauce. It’s no wonder that little 8-ounce jars of this XO sauce start at around $25-30 USD and can cost much much more than that depending on the quality of the seafood used and how fancy pantsy you want to feel wherever you’re buying it.
Just 1 pound of dried medium-sized scallops or conpoy will run you upwards of $100. If you want the more succulent large dried scallops, it’ll be even more. And the Jinhua ham, made in the city of Jinhua in Zhejiang province (similar to how Champagne is only Champagne if it comes from the Champagne region of France) is pretty special too.
Given the gravitas of making this sauce–you better not mess up your expensive dried seafood haul. My mother was quick to convey the severity (read: $$$$$) of embarking on an XO journey with no clear destination in sight and literally balked and shrieked like a little mouse at how much of her dried scallop stash I used to make it. Hence, this recipe is the result of heavy research and plenty of background incubation time wherein my brain simmered on the implications of different ratios and cooking approaches.
That being said, there’s a fairly wide range of personal preferences on sauce consistency and level of spice. Some cling to chunkier XO sauces while others (like myself) go for a finer, more “sauce-like” consistency. Ratios of shrimp, scallops, and ham can vary. Some use onions in addition to shallots, and you can see fresh chilis used instead of dried chili flakes. Cooking applications for this sauce are pretty basic–the easiest and most delicious way to eat it is on a bed of plain rice or noodles, perhaps with a pile of veggies of your choice on the side.
It’s also used to stir-fry Chinese water spinach (stay tuned for that post) and as a star ingredient for Stir-fried Shrimp with XO Sauce (ditto!). Frankly, it’s so good, that we’ve found anecdotally from friends and family that it’s really best eaten simply with a clean medium like a good bowl of noodles.
And at work, my friends and I have taken to slathering it all over negotori (fatty tuna) bowls from the Japanese grocery around the corner from our office. Basically, all you need to know is that XO sauce will take your regular, ordinary food and elevate it to heavenly, decadent godly levels of delicious.
So. Now that we all know what we’re talking about, let me talk a little bit about this recipe. I am pretty sure that this XO sauce recipe is perfect. I don’t want to sound too full of myself, but part of the reason why this recipe makes a large batch (feel free to halve and halve again as you see fit!) is because pretty much everyone that I’ve given a sampling of this sauce to has become instantly addicted and is begging me for more. My grandma very seriously requested more the other day–she eats it with her morning porridge every single day now, and one of my best friends can no longer imagine her life without it.
Proceed with caution, folks. Because once you’ve tasted it, there’s no going back.
NOTE: Before you begin, it’s a good idea to read the recipe in its entirety. Go into this sauce-making venture with a plan in mind!
You’ll need:
- 300g (11 ounces) dried scallops (mini or large)
- 300g (11 ounces) dried shrimp (larger ones are higher quality, but small ones will work fine too; don’t use the really tiny ones that are lighter in color and “feathery” in texture. Those aren’t right!)
- 8 tablespoons Shaoxing wine, divided
- Boiling water
- 14 large shallots, finely diced
3 heads of garlic, finely minced - 10 fresh red chili peppers (e.g., Thai, bird’s eye chilis), seeded and finely diced
- 200g (7 ounces) Jinhua ham (you can also use country ham or another type of cured ham in a pinch)
- 1¾ cups chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 7 cups vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons dark mushroom soy sauce
- ¼ cup fish sauce
- ½ cup dried chili flakes
Measure out your dried shrimp and scallops into two separate large bowls. Add 1 tablespoon of Shaoxing wine to each bowl, and pour enough boiling water over the top to submerge the seafood. Soak the shrimp for one hour. Soak the scallops for at least 2 hours (up to 6 hours).
While that’s happening, prepare your shallots and garlic. I highly recommend using a food processor for this. Thinly slice the shallots first by hand, and then pulse into a fine dice. Pulse the whole garlic cloves until minced. Prepare the chili peppers and set aside as well.
When the soaking times have elapsed, drain the seafood. Heat your steamer over high heat, and steam the scallops and the ham in heatproof bowls for 15 minutes. Reserve any liquid that dripped into the bowl with the scallops.
When the 15 minutes have elapsed, remove both from the steamer and let cool. Shred the scallops into threads by breaking them up between your fingers.
Using a food processor, pulse the scallops about 6-7 times, in 3 batches, until they resemble short, fine threads.
Next, pulse the shrimp about 7-8 times, or until they resemble coarse crumbs. Mince the ham by hand–best to avoid your expensive jinhua ham from resembling cat food!
Collect the water from steaming the scallops (whatever dripped off into the bowl that the scallops were in while you were steaming––the amount will vary each time you do it, and that’s fine), and mix with 1¾ cups chicken stock and 2 tablespoons brown sugar. Set aside.
In a large wok, heat your 7 cups of oil to 225 degrees F–it’s hot enough when a chopstick dipped in the oil bubbles slightly or use a thermometer for better accuracy. The oil temperature for the duration of the cooking process can vacillate between 200 and 250 degrees F, or on your stovetop, between medium-high and high heat, depending on what you are adding to the oil and how much. If your wok is too small for safe frying, use any other large, deep pot. A dutch oven would also work well.
Add all of the scallops and let fry for 5 minutes.
Next, add the shrimp. Fry the mixture for 15 minutes.
Next, add the ham and cook for an additional 3 minutes.
Add the chopped chili peppers and cook for an additional 3 minutes.
Turn off the heat. Using a fine-meshed strainer, transfer the seafood mixture to another large skillet or wok, letting the oil drain off.
Turn the heat on again and let the oil come back up to 225F. Add the shallots.
Let fry for 10 minutes. They should become slightly golden but not crispy.
While that’s happening, heat your second wok over medium-high heat. Add the last 6 tablespoons of Shaoxing wine, the 2 tablespoons of dark mushroom soy sauce, and the sugar/chicken stock mixture you prepared earlier. Stir to combine, and simmer to let the liquid cook off.
Next, add the garlic to the shallots and cook for 10 minutes, keeping an eye on your second wok. The garlic should get golden and slightly crisped.
When the liquid has cooked off in your seafood mixture and the shallot/garlic mixture is the correct color, carefully pour the seafood mixture back into the main wok.
Lower the heat to medium and stir to combine. Add the fish sauce and chili flakes, stirring to combine.
Transfer to clean, sterile containers, and let cool on the counters before refrigerating.
You can eat the XO sauce right away or you can let the flavors meld for 2 to 3 days before digging in!
Add a small spoon of XO sauce to rice dishes (e.g., our Scallop Fried Rice), noodle dishes, vegetable dishes, etc. to your heart’s content!
- 300g (11 ounces) dried scallops (mini or large)
- 300g (11 ounces) dried shrimp (larger ones are higher quality, but small ones will work fine too; don’t use the really tiny ones that are lighter in color and “feathery” in texture. Those aren’t right!)
- 8 tablespoons Shaoxing wine, divided
- Boiling water
- 14 large shallots, finely diced
- 3 heads of garlic, finely minced
- 10 fresh red chili peppers (e.g., Thai, bird's eye chilis), seeded and finely diced
- 200g (7 ounces) Jinhua ham (you can also use country ham or another type of cured ham in a pinch)
- 1¾ cups chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 7 cups vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons dark mushroom soy sauce
- ¼ cup fish sauce
- ½ cup dried chili flakes
- Measure out your dried shrimp and scallops into two separate large bowls. Add 1 tablespoon of Shaoxing wine to each bowl, and pour enough boiling water over the top to submerge the seafood. Soak the shrimp for one hour. Soak the scallops for at least 2 hours (up to 6 hours).
- While that’s happening, prepare your shallots and garlic. I highly recommend using a food processor for this. Thinly slice the shallots first by hand, and then pulse into a fine dice. Pulse the whole garlic cloves until minced. Prepare the chili peppers and set aside as well.
- When the soaking times have elapsed, drain the seafood. Heat your steamer over high heat, and steam the scallops and the ham in heatproof bowls for 15 minutes. Reserve any liquid that dripped into the bowl with the scallops.
- When the 15 minutes have elapsed, remove both from the steamer and let cool. Shred the scallops into threads by breaking them up between your fingers. Using a food processor, pulse the scallops about 6-7 times, in 3 batches, until they resemble short, fine threads. Next, pulse the shrimp about 7-8 times, or until they resemble coarse crumbs. Mince the ham by hand--best to avoid your expensive jinhua ham from resembling cat food!
- Collect the water from steaming the scallops (whatever dripped off into the bowl that the scallops were in while you were steaming––the amount will vary each time you do it, and that’s fine), and mix with 1¾ cups chicken stock and 2 tablespoons brown sugar. Set aside.
- In a large wok, heat your 7 cups of oil to 225 degrees F--it’s hot enough when a chopstick dipped in the oil bubbles slightly. The oil temperature for the duration of the cooking process can vacillate between 200 and 250 degrees F, or on your stovetop, between medium-high and high heat, depending on what you are adding to the oil and how much. If your wok is too small for safe frying, use any other large, deep pot. A dutch oven would also work well.
- Add all of the scallops and let fry for 5 minutes. Next, add the shrimp. Fry the mixture for 15 minutes. Next, add the ham and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Add the chopped chili peppers and cook for an additional 3 minutes.
- Turn off the heat. Using a fine-meshed strainer, transfer the seafood mixture to another large skillet or wok, letting the oil drain off.
- Turn the heat on again and let the oil come back up to 225F. Add the shallots. Let fry for 10 minutes. They should become slightly golden but not crispy.
- While that’s happening, heat your second wok over medium-high heat. Add the last 6 tablespoons of Shaoxing wine, the 2 tablespoons of dark mushroom soy sauce, and the sugar/chicken stock mixture you prepared earlier. Stir to combine, and simmer to let the liquid cook off.
- Next, add the garlic to the shallots and cook for 10 minutes, keeping an eye on your second wok. The garlic should get golden and slightly crisped.
- When the liquid has cooked off in your seafood mixture and the shallot/garlic mixture is the correct color, carefully pour the seafood mixture back into the main wok. Lower the heat to medium and stir to combine. Add the fish sauce and chili flakes, stirring to combine.
- Transfer to clean, sterile containers, and let cool on the counters before refrigerating. You can eat the XO sauce right away or you can let the flavors meld for 2 to 3 days before digging in!
- Add to rice dishes (e.g., our Scallop Fried Rice with XO Sauce and Crispy Garlic), noodle dishes, vegetable dishes, etc. to your heart’s content!
Neeta says
Is there vegetarian substitutes for the seafood ingredients and fish sauce. Thanks
Judy says
Not really, Neeta! Sounds like we have to experiment on a vegetarian “XO sauce.”
kevi says
can you freeze this?
Judy says
Yes, you can!
Eddie Ma says
Delicious, delicious, delicious. Third time I am making the sauce this year and I family loves it especially with wontons, dumplings and noodles. Can’t get the Jinhau Ham in Canada and I replaced it with pancetta. To make one batch cost over $100 but compare to buying it from the supermarket ( 200g cost $25), this is great value. Thanks for the recipe.
Bill says
Good Job Eddie! Homemade is almost always the best value and this recipe is very good. Glad to hear you are enjoying it and happy cooking!
Emily DeSanto says
Very time intensive and not cheap. I’d recommend refining your instructions to be more user-friendly… they are a bit scattered and not clear. I had to re-read this recipe like 7 times just to make it happen.
I followed (what I could comprehend) to a tee but my sauce looks nothing like yours. Hoping it still tastes good. I had this at a restaurant about a year ago and have been obsessed. TOday was the day. Fingers crossesd.
Bill says
Hi Emily, the recipe is quite detailed, but you should follow the instructions carefully and definitely use a thermometer for the oil temperature! We’ll take a look at improvements as you suggest :) Hope your batch turned out great!
Morton Lipton says
This makes me sad…xo is too expensive to make. Your recipe would cost at least £90 and involve airmailing scallops from China and cured ham from Spain because we don’t make good ham in the UK anymore.
It’s best I never make it because it looks incredible, I’ll either go broke fueling my xo habit or pine for it when it’s gone.
Anyway: for a cheaper amazing shrimpy sauce check out David Thompson’s chilli jam recipe, I reckon you’ll love it.
Judy says
Thank you for the shrimp sauce tip, Morton. You should visit an Asian market in the UK for the supplies to avoid airmail. :-)
John says
Made this today. It’s delicious. Couldn’t get dried scallops so I used frozen scallops. Makes a large volume of sauce, which is great ‘cos it was a bit of a mission to make.
Judy says
Hi John, for this recipe, frozen scallops definitely cannot replace dried scallops. Dried scallops have a very specific flavor and unique role in this sauce.
Raufikat says
Hello, do you have any suggestions for a halal version of this sauce (no ham)?
Thank you!
Judy says
Hi Raufikat, you can use smoked turkey or turkey bacon instead of ham.
Stacey says
I made this last night and my XO sauce doesn’t look exactly like yours. Yours is a lot redder than mine and my scallops still have a little bit of the beige color. Does this mean I didn’t fry something enough?
Judy says
Hi Stacey, sounds like you did not fry everything long enough, including the scallops. Also, some of the red color comes from the chili flakes.
Scott says
Hello & thanks for a great recipe! Just a couple of quick questions: Is it possible to replace the Jinhua ham with prosciutto? Also, you say it makes 50 servings – is that a Tablespoon (Tbsp), a 1/4 of a cup or some other quantity? Thanks again!
Judy says
Hi Scott, yes, prosciutto is a good replacement for Jinhua ham. Also, I would say each serving is about a tablespoon. Just know that this recipe makes a lot. We’ve also found out that this sauce freezes well (in a glass tupperware).
Sandra says
HELP! I can’t find Jinhua Ham or even substitutes like Virginia or Smithfield by where we are. I bought 3 different things – hoping one would work:
1. Saag’s Black forest ham 2. Schaller & Weber Lachsschinken cured pork loin, or this Hsin Tung Yang chinese Brand cured and smoked ham pieces. Making this today and not sure what to use. Leaning toward the chinese brand though.Let me know what you think!
Bill says
Hi Sandra, I am not familiar with the other two brands you mentioned, but I think the Chinese brand of cured ham would work best for the XO sauce.
Helen says
This sauce looks absolutely divine. However, I am a pescatarian and I can’t add the chicken stock or ham — can I omit or add more/less of something? Thank you!
Bill says
Hi Helen, use water in place of chicken stock and eliminate the ham. It should still be tasty without the ham!
Elina says
What about using dried shiitakes instead of ham for a pescatarian version?
Judy says
Hi Elina, I believe it should work. Make sure you squeeze the shiitake mushrooms very dry (after they are rehydrated) before frying them.
Sandra says
Hi! This looks so intimidating to make but we LOVE XO sauce. We bought Serrano peppers instead of Thai peppers. Would that work?
Bill says
Hi Sandra, while the serrano peppers aren’t ideal, they should work!
Diep Nguyen says
I am living in Australia and i can not find the ham you mentioned about. Can you please tell me which ham should i use (pork, beef)?
Thank you so much.
Kaitlin says
Hi there, you can use a very dry Virginia country smoked ham! That’s actually what we end up using most of the time. Good luck!
christine loh says
I’m a bit confuse here,
10)Add the last 6 tablespoons of Shaoxing wine, the 2 tablespoons of dark mushroom soy sauce, and the sugar/chicken stock mixture you prepared earlier. Stir to combine, and simmer to let the liquid cook off.
Do i have to mix in the fried scallop, dried shrimp and ham to the mixture and let the liquid cook off?
Kaitlin says
Hi Christine. You add this combination of liquid to the scallop, shrimp and ham mixture and let the liquid cook off. Then in your main wok you fry the shallots, etc. Good luck!
Sarah Adams says
How long does this last in the fridge – since there is ham in it? Thank you
Kaitlin says
Hey Sarah, it lasts quite a long time in the fridge. The oil helps to preserve the mixture. Personally, we’ve safely eaten it (only ever using a clean spoon to dip into it) for a few months after making it. Good luck and always practice caution!
Kevin Wong says
Best recipe I found. If I’m making this for the first time and I don’t trust my skills. Can I cut all the ingredients by half to make a smaller amount?
Kevin Wong says
Also, you think Turkey stock would work?
Judy says
Yes!
Kevin Wong says
Wow what an awesome recipe…Thank you!
Judy says
Thank you, Kevin! You will love it. One tip, always use a clean utensil when dipping into the XO sauce to prevent contamination. Your sauce will last longer in the refrigerator. :-)
Judy says
Hi Kevin, good thinking! We just made another whole batch over the Thanksgiving weekend (because my mother is addicted to it), and it was a LOT, so half the recipe is a good idea.
Peter says
What is a reasonable shelf life for this? Looks great!
Judy says
Hi Peter, if you keep it in the refrigerator and use only clean utensils for scooping it out, it will keep for a couple of months.
Linda Lee says
This is addictingly good with plain rice. I have made it twice already and have given it to other Asian friends who find it excellent. I made my second batch with pure olive oil (not first press) and it works just as well. I find that it is too labor intensive to use it for seasoning in a stir fry dish as one needs to use a lot of it to achieve an acceptable level of taste. I can eat this with plain rice every day! Kudos to Kaitlin for posting this keeper of a recipe! I would give this a 5 stars and a recipe to pass down from one generation to the next.
Linda says
I have bought a jar of XO sauce in Houston, TX, figuring that such a large Chinatown is bound to have some decent XO sauce. Wrong! It was expensive and so awful I threw it out. I was told I should make it at home. Your recipe showed up on a search and it looked very promising. I bought dried scallops from Amazon.com in the 1/2 lb medium sized scallops. It came from Japan and was excellent. I made half of what your recipe called for. The rest I had at home. It took a lot of work but well worth it. It is excellent and my husband and I have been eating a lot of it. I gave some to a critic from Hong Kong and she said it was excellent but felt that the pulverized dried shallot and dried shrimp were a little hard. Perhaps I shall just fry them for a shorter time next time. Would that be the right thing to do? Thanks for your recipe.
Bill says
Hi Linda, It sounds to me that the soaking time should be longer, the frying temperature should be lower, and the time should probably be shorter for all of the ingredients, including the dried ham. The XO sauce should not have any hard bits in it at all.
Linda Lee says
Hi Bill, Thanks for the suggestions. I did try all three. What I found is that frying at closer to 200 degrees rather than 225 degrees for about a minute less for each ingredient did not get me that dark color that looks and tastes better. It WAS softer but I was not as satisfied with the overall taste so after refrigeration for a day, I was so dissatisfied that I took it all out and stir fried it all in a large wok until I got the more intense fragrance (and the color) I liked better. It is still softer than the first batch and is now tasty enough to satisfy. I have also found that the more you cook it, the more oil you end up with and the smaller the amount of ingredients are left (they shrink more).
Elizabeth Neil says
A couple of things. First, my husband and I were at a restaurant and recently tried XO sauce and loved it so much I went looking for a recipe. Yours came up quickly in he search and I can’t want to try it. Second, where the heck do I find good quality dried scallops and dried shrimp?!?
Judy says
Hi Elizabeth, not sure where do you live, if you are not near a Chinese supermarket, you can find dried scallops and dried shrimp on amazon.com. Click on the item on our Chinese Dried Preserved Ingredients and it will lead your to the right page to purchase: https://thewoksoflife.com/chinese-dried-preserved-ingredients/
Joanna Wojewodzka says
Hi Kaitlin, thank you for this recipe, I will definitely try to make it.
Just two question – can I replace shallots with red onions?
I live in China and its not easy to find shallots here.
second question is – what is the name of XO sauce in Chinese, and what is the brand you would recommend for ready made?
Judy says
Hi Joanna, where do you live in China? I am pretty sure Shallot (小洋葱) is wildly available in China. Then again, you can definitely use red onion if you really can’t find shallot. As to your 2nd question, Chinese name for XO sauce is XO酱. I won’t buy XO sauce because they are very expensive but low quality.
Olivia says
Thank you so much for sharing! I will tackle this one day. In the meantime, how much can I pay you for a jar shipped to Cali?!!! :-)
Kaitlin says
Hi Olivia, you’re welcome! Hahah Amazon’s probably your best bet there ;)
Donna says
I am definitely making this XO sauce for the holidays – for my family! Please tell me the shelf life.
Kaitlin says
Hi Donna, sorry for the mega late response (sometimes comments fall through the cracks with four people answering), but I imagine other readers scrolling through will be keen to ask the same question… To be honest, we don’t have an exactly spot on shelf life to recommend to you. I’ll just say what our personal experience was. In the back of the refrigerator on the top shelf (the coldest part), and only using clean utensils to dip into it each time, our XO sauce lasted for a solid 2 months. Frankly, it was so popular that it really didn’t last long. Friends and family absolutely plowed through this stuff. :)
Ian says
Very interesting and cannot wait to have a go:)
Kaitlin says
Let us know how it goes, Ian! :)
Joe says
so how much does it cost to make this recipe?
Judy says
Hi Joe, this recipe costs slightly over a hundred dollars but it will yield 6 to 8 jars of sauce. The most expensive component is the dried scallops. You should buy the loose (fallen apart) dried scallops. They don’t look as pretty but taste the same and are much cheaper. You know this will make a perfect Christmas gift :-)
Kevin says
F ? Not centigrade?
Sarah says
Yep, Fahrenheit!
Tong Nguyen says
it so good for XO sauce thank *****
Kaitlin says
You’re welcome! :)
Teemu says
Hello. Just made batch yesterday and it is really great sauce. Good recipe. I highly recommend. I really want to try another batch with ginger aswell and cook whole thing in pressure cooker.
Anyways… good recipe, good work.
Kaitlin says
Ginger and pressure cooker–interesting!!! Glad the recipe worked out! Cheers! ^_^
Gina says
Hi! Can this be used with olive oil or is it best to stick to vegetable oil?
Judy says
Hi Gina, you should use vegetable oil.
alexa.al says
I’m saving this one to make later. :)
Kaitlin says
:D :D :D
Schantall says
I had to laugh now- yesterday I went to the asian grocery shop and I stumbled over a jar of VEGAN xo sauce. I didn’t buy it and didn’t know what it was but reading your recipe now I very seriously wonder how they dare calling this vegan thing XO-sauce… ^^
Kaitlin says
HA! That’s craziness–pretty sure XO sauce is one of those things that vegans just have to wave goodbye to when they cross over xD
JJ says
How much does this recipe yield (e.g., 2 8-oz jars?
How long can this sauce be kept in the fridge?
Thanks.
Kaitlin says
Hi JJ–this recipe yields A LOT of XO sauce. Probably closer to 10-12 8-0z. jars of XO sauce. As I mentioned in the recipe, other hardcore XO fans will want to make one big batch and be done with it for a while, but feel free to halve and halve the recipe again to get down to a smaller portion!
We’ve found that it’s kept for a few months now with no issues. The oil acts as a preservative, so at the top shelf in the back of your fridge, it’s got quite a long shelf-life. If you make a really big batch, we’ve also found that it freezes and thaws just fine.
Bettina says
How long does the Xo sauce keep in the fridge??? Sounds absolutely amazing!!!!
Kaitlin says
Hi Bettina, we’ve found that it’s kept for a few months now with no issues. The oil acts as a preservative, so at the top shelf in the back of your fridge, it’s got quite a long shelf-life. If you make a really big batch, we’ve also found that it freezes and thaws just fine.
And IT IS AMAZING! Try it!!!!!
Alice says
I love eXtraOrdinary sauce! I slather it on when I have boiled dumplings!
Kaitlin says
yummmmmmmmmmmm you know what’s up. ^_^
Fernando @ Eating With Your Hands says
By the pictures it looks amazing. Can it be used on any type of meats though?
Kaitlin says
Hi Fernando! You can definitely try it out with proteins–I think the most common/popular application is on stir-fried shrimp, but you can also add it to stir-fried chicken or pork (I’d imagine that the jinhua pork in the XO sauce will be a nice complement!). I’ll also stir it into noodle soup with fish balls, which is pretty delightful. :) Good luck!
Colin Ball says
How long can it be stored?
Kaitlin says
Hi Colin,
We’ve found that it’s kept for a few months now with no issues. The oil acts as a preservative, so at the top shelf in the back of your fridge, it’s got quite a long shelf-life. If you make a really big batch, we’ve also found that it freezes and thaws just fine.
Judith Smith says
when you name the ingredient: ” red chili peppers” can you give a more descriptive id? This sounds so good…thank you..love your site.
Kaitlin says
Hi Judith, what we normally buy from the store is a Thai, bird’s eye chili! We’ll adjust the post–thanks for pointing that out and for following along! :)
aeriol says
For those of us who don’t do pork what would you recommend as a substitute? Also are you aware of any gluten free dark soy sauce brands. I have Tamari. Thanks. Aeirol
Kaitlin says
Hi Aeirol, hmm…that’s a great question. I am not sure there’s a substitute. You could just have a more seafood-flavored XO sauce, which wouldn’t be a bad thing at all. As for dark soy sauce, try mixing it with a little molasses to thicken–here’s a great article on stocking an Asian, gluten-free pantry: https://theasiangrandmotherscookbook.com/2011/07/06/gluten-free-asian-pantry/
Barbara Kuhl says
Could I just buy it from you?
Kaitlin says
Goooooooooooood question, Barbara! The thought has crossed our minds…
;)
Lisa says
Yes, YES – I would love to be able to purchase some from you as well! Is the thought still crossing your mind, or can it cross your mind again? Have you bottled any yet? You really should! With ALLLL your homemade versions! No icky stuff, like MSG or additives & preservatives.
Come on – you know LOTS & LOTS of people would buy it! (Insert big grin here!) :-)
Love you guys!
George Gale says
Ouf. I like complicated stuff but this is toooo complicated (plus expensive: what if I screw it up??)
Amazon has several brands of XO sauce–including Lee Kum Kee, which is frequently fairly decent stuff–are there any of them that you’d recommend?
Tnx in advance!
PS. Your Lady chili+bean sauce is totally addicting, by the way!!
Alan says
I looked at the Lee Kum Kee in a Chinese Supermarket – lots of what I took to be preservatives. Amoy also makes it, I’ll be checking it out on Friday. They sell it at the market at Elizabeth and Hester in Manhattan if anyone is nearby.
Kaitlin says
Thanks, Alan! :)
Kaitlin says
Hi George–totally get it. It’s very complicated! We haven’t sampled any of the mainstream XO sauce brands yet–but quite a few people are asking questions, so we may have to do a little investigation! Try snooping around Amazon to find some Hong Kong brands rather than looking at the standard Lee Kum Kee and Amoy brands. Good luck!
CK says
This is the champagne of condiments/sauces. Thank you so much for the recipe.
Kaitlin says
Too true! You’re welcome and let us know how it goes if you make it! :)
Evan D says
Thanks for showing us how it’s made, I’ll have to live vicariously through you for now. With that in mind, what XO Sauce(s) do you recommend when buying from a store?
Kaitlin says
Hi Evan D, to be honest, we haven’t tried many of the mainstream XO sauce brands–just restaurant-made and niche brands in Hong Kong at various points. Try doing a little taste-testing! Or, I’m sure there’s a dedicated person somewhere out on YouTube who’s done a little product review :) Good luck!
heather (delicious not gorgeous) says
i get excited when i see this stuff on restaurant tables! sometimes an aunt or uncle will spring for it if it’s a special occasion, and then i get giddy waiting for the rice so i can ladle a spoonful on top and just devour that.
Kaitlin says
Hi Heather–giddy is definitely a very applicable word :)