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Homemade Duck Sauce

December 31, 2015 By Rachel 63 Comments

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Homemade Duck Sauce – If you love duck sauce, you’ve got to try this all-natural, homemade version. It’s so simple and tasty, you may just decide to never go back to the old way!

Homemade Duck Sauce

The secret to many fabulous recipes is a killer sauce. When it comes to many Asian dishes, a good duck sauce is just the ticket.

In the past I’ve bought a convenient jar of pre-made duck sauce at the grocery store. I was never that pleased with it because it didn’t taste amazing, not to mention, it contained some dubious ingredients, like high fructose corn syrup, preservatives, and “natural” flavorings. YUCK!

This year I thought I’d give making my own duck sauce a go. I used some fabulous homemade apricot jam hidden in my winter stores, along with fresh ginger and garlic. If you don’t have homemade jam on hand I recommend St. Dalfour’s apricot jam.

After making this sauce, the end result was sweet and sticky. It also had a more spicy and complex flavor compared the the store-bought stuff. I don’t think I’m ever going back to the old way again!

Love duck sauce with egg rolls and Chinese food? Then you've GOT to try this easy, all-natural, homemade recipe. It's so sweet and tangy, you may just decide to never go back to the old stuff!

Now that you can make this awesome sauce, some common pairings with duck sauce include:

  1. Egg rolls
  2. Spring rolls
  3. Duck
  4. Chicken
  5. Pork
  6. Fish

Also, be sure to check out my recipe for Baked Pork and Napa Cabbage Egg Rolls!

Love duck sauce with egg rolls and Chinese food? Then you've GOT to try this easy, all-natural, homemade recipe. It's so sweet and tangy, you may just decide to never go back to the old stuff!
 
Homemade Duck Sauce

Homemade Duck Sauce

Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes

If you love duck sauce, you’ve got to try this all-natural, homemade version. It’s so simple and tasty, you may just decide to never go back to the old way!

Ingredients

  • 3/4 C all-natural apricot jam
  • 4 Tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp low sodium soy sauce
  • 2 medium cloves fresh minced garlic*
  • 1 tsp fresh minced ginger*
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder
  • 1/16 tsp cayenne powder (or to taste)

Instructions

  1. Combine all of the ingredients in a small mixing bowl with a whisk until evenly combined.
  2. It's best if allowed to rest in the refrigerator for a few hours before serving, so that the flavors can meld. Bring to room temperature 30 minutes to an hour before serving.
  3. Store in an airtight glass container at the back for your refrigerator for up to 1 month.

Notes

If you're strapped for time, fresh garlic and ginger can be substituted with their frozen counterparts and are almost just as good.

© Rachel Hanawalt
Cuisine: Asian / Category: Dressings and Sauces

If you enjoyed this recipe, you may also enjoy…

Senposai, Daikon and Chili Garlic Chicken Wrap
Senposai, Daikon and Chili Garlic Chicken Wrap
Golden Apricot Jam
Golden Apricot Jam
Baked Pork and Cabbage Egg Rolls
Baked Pork and Cabbage Egg Rolls

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Filed Under: Apricots, Asian, Dairy-Free, Dressings and Sauces, Easy, Fall, Gluten-Free, Healthy, New Year's Day, Recipes, Spring, Summer, Vegan / Vegan Options, Vegetarian, Winter Tagged With: All-Natural, apricot, Asian Cooking, Chinese Cooking, Duck Sauce, From Scratch, Homemade, Sauce

« Chocolate Orange Cocktail
Baked Pork and Napa Cabbage Egg Rolls »

Comments

  1. Platter Talk says

    January 5, 2016 at 9:59 am

    Thanks for showing us how to make this favorite condiment; we will definitely be giving this one a try!

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      January 7, 2016 at 9:13 am

      Awesome! You’ll have to let me know how it turn out.

      Reply
      • Penny says

        January 8, 2017 at 7:38 pm

        I tried this recipe and it so awesome! So fresh ! I lived that it is not cloying sweet. I served it with homemade crab Rangoon. Thanks for sharing.

        Reply
        • Rachel says

          January 9, 2017 at 12:02 am

          I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe. Crab Rangoon sounds amazing right now!

          Reply
          • Jerry Protheroe says

            October 21, 2017 at 2:06 pm

            Crab Rangoon ALWAYS sounds amazing to me.

          • Rachel says

            October 27, 2017 at 10:46 am

            Oooo… That’s one of my FAVORITES! I’m totally going to make it soon as well as a batch of this Duck Sauce of course!

  2. Donna says

    January 5, 2016 at 12:40 pm

    Oh I need to try this! I haven’t had a good sauce to go with my asian duck since I started eating clean and avoiding all the yuckies in the store-bought versions. It may not give the same flavour, but I have some homemade peach jam on hand I may try in there, before venturing out to buy some apricot 🙂

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      January 7, 2016 at 9:18 am

      If you try the making this with the peach jam, you’ll have to let me know how it turns out. I’m most familiar with duck sauce being made with apricot and/or plum, but peach is so closely related that I imagine it’s just as yummy. I’m happy that this a good clean foods eating solution for you. I came up with that recipe because I had a similar dilemma as you. I had tried a jar of organic, store bout duck sauce and it was terrible. If I’m going to got to the effort of making spring rolls than I want some good sauce to dip them in!

      Reply
  3. Sara @ Life's Little Sweets says

    January 5, 2016 at 12:44 pm

    This looks so good! I could really go for this right now 🙂 It’s so nice to see something that is really delicious, made from scratch without preservatives in it 🙂

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      January 7, 2016 at 9:22 am

      Thanks Sara. I’ve always loved dipping things. Wether it me good old ketchup, BBQ sauce, blue cheese dressing, or duck sauce. When I started purging my refrigerator of artificial ingredients I really missed those things. The few years I’ve been surprised how many of those favorite can be easily be whipped up in my own kitchen!

      Reply
      • Amanda says

        August 3, 2017 at 6:12 pm

        Can you make some up and can it or no

        Reply
        • Rachel says

          September 5, 2017 at 2:32 pm

          I’ve never canned this recipe. That said, I’ve made this recipe with my own Apricot Jam and the ingredients you would be adding to the recipe to make the duck sauce would keep the sugar content high enough and the acidity high enough for canning. If you’re considering canning duck sauce make sure you’re starting with a food safety tested Apricot Jam recipe and that you’re not using store bought jam. I hope that helps!

          Reply
  4. Diane says

    January 5, 2016 at 1:05 pm

    Oh! My son hunts duck every winter. He will love this! Thanks so much for sharing. It looks delicious and has so many uses!

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      January 7, 2016 at 9:22 am

      How awesome that he hunts duck! I’d love to have a fresh duck to cook up. You lucky duck!

      Reply
  5. Marisa Franca @ All Our Way says

    January 5, 2016 at 5:00 pm

    Thank you!! I’ve been searching for a good duck sauce recipe for years! I have so many Asian recipes that could use this.

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      January 7, 2016 at 9:23 am

      Yeah! I don’t think this one will disappoint. My whole family couldn’t get enough of this stuff!

      Reply
  6. Laura @MotherWouldKnow says

    January 5, 2016 at 8:49 pm

    I’ve always loved duck sauce in principle, but the store bought versions are so sweet and not at all complex in their flavor. By contrast, yours sounds spicy as well as sweet and with just the right amount of other flavors besides the jam. Definitely have to try it.

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      January 7, 2016 at 9:26 am

      I know! The store bought stuff is so blah. I first got the idea to make my own when I got some truly noteworthy duck sauce at a little, local, all-natural Chinese restaurant. It was an aha moment where I realized that this stuff can be made homemade and be really good.

      Reply
  7. Tracy @ Served from Scratch says

    January 5, 2016 at 10:11 pm

    Hooray for homemade!! Pinning for later!

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      January 7, 2016 at 9:26 am

      Thanks for pinning! 🙂

      Reply
  8. Cassandrea @ chewsandbrews.ca says

    January 6, 2016 at 11:00 pm

    Cool! I have always bought from the store as well and felt it was “meh” – I am looking forward to trying it homemade! Pinned!

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      January 7, 2016 at 9:27 am

      Boo for store bought duck sauce! Thanks for pinning!

      Reply
  9. Claudia | Gourmet Project says

    January 7, 2016 at 9:33 am

    mamma mia! this is pure #foodporn. Can’t wait to taste it, probably with eggrolls!

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      January 7, 2016 at 11:21 pm

      Haha! Thanks Claudia! Enjoy those egg rolls!

      Reply
  10. Sharee @ Savory Spicerack says

    January 7, 2016 at 12:39 pm

    I love Asian Food! And I definitely like to make it from home when I get the chance! This looks yummy!

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      January 7, 2016 at 11:25 pm

      Thanks Sharee! You’ll have to let me know how you like it!

      Reply
  11. Heather says

    January 7, 2016 at 2:22 pm

    I have been looking for a good duck sauce recipe and this one looks amazing! I love all of your recipes you share!

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      January 7, 2016 at 11:27 pm

      Thanks Heather! That’s so sweet. I’m blushing over here!

      Reply
  12. Genevieve says

    January 15, 2017 at 6:56 pm

    THIS WAS DELICIOUS! Only had peach-apricot jam and powdered ginger. It was excellent!! Thanks!

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      January 29, 2017 at 11:47 pm

      I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe! Thanks for letting me know!

      Reply
  13. Renee says

    January 22, 2017 at 12:34 pm

    Definitely watch the cayenne pepper. I used 1/16 tsp and it was way too much for me. I suggest adding a pinch and taste to your liking.

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      January 29, 2017 at 11:42 pm

      Thanks for the feed back Renee!

      Reply
  14. David says

    February 7, 2017 at 11:17 am

    Hi! Thanks for the recipe! When you list chili powder, do you mean the same kind I would put in taco seasoning, or is this an Asian chili powder? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      February 7, 2017 at 2:08 pm

      I used the taco seasoning one. If you choose to use Asian chili powder I would consider omitting the cayenne, as I believe Asian chili powder has more of a kick. I hope that helps!

      Reply
  15. Dee says

    March 20, 2017 at 5:52 pm

    Can I use Orange Marmalade instead of Apricot Jam?

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      March 21, 2017 at 11:03 pm

      I wouldn’t recommend orange marmalade, but plum or peach jam should do the trick if you need a substitute!

      Reply
  16. Mike says

    March 21, 2017 at 8:39 pm

    We made this tonight and it was fantastic!! How much is a serving size? I see it’s 99 calories per serving but can’t find how much that is. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      March 21, 2017 at 11:05 pm

      Happy to hear that you found this delish! A serving is one sixth of the recipe, or approximately 2 1/2 Tbsp.

      Reply
  17. J says

    March 26, 2017 at 5:33 pm

    I put just a wee bit of orange rind, about. An 1/8 tsp. I ran the idea past a chinese friend who approved. Orange can be over powering and totally take over, be very cautious. . I also brought it up to simmer and shut off the heat to let all the goodness meld slowly. My spice heat was sriracha. This one will be a staple. Thank you!!!!

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      May 11, 2017 at 10:18 am

      The orange rind sounds like a lovely addition. I’m going to give it a try the next time a make duck sauce. Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
  18. Michelle B. says

    May 7, 2017 at 1:09 pm

    Oh goodness me!!! I LOVE duck sauce so much!! Every time we have Chinese I am the one grabbing as many packets possible and putting all over my rice!! I’ve NEVER known what it was made of (I actually THOUGHT was made from duck!! Lol) excuse my ignorance lol, I am DEFINITELY going to try this!! I just literally bought a jar at Kroger the other day because it was on clearance and that was the FIRST time I had ever seen duck sauce in a grocery store, where I am from, you don’t see a lot of different foods from all over like you would in big cities!! Thank you for this recipe!!

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      May 11, 2017 at 9:59 am

      Haha! I can relate to the “grabbing packs of sauce from the Chinese restaurant” phenomena. Growing up my grandparents were the ones that introduced me to the wonderful world of Chinese food and the entire butter section of their refrigerator was filled with various packet of soy sauce, duck sauce and spicy mustard! I live close to a big city and I still find it hard to find a decent jar of premade duck sauce, so this recipe was my solution. I hope you enjoy the recipe as much as I have!

      Reply
  19. Lori Kaye says

    January 7, 2018 at 1:25 pm

    I was in the grocery store and couldn’t bring myself to buy the duck sauce I found there. Too many artificial ingredients! I searched online and found this recipe and was thrilled that I actually had all of the ingredients at home. I have to tell you that this sauce was a major hit. My husband and I have been married for 33 years and it’s the first time I ever saw him eat duck sauce. He doesn’t like sweet sauces but this one made him a believer. Thank you for a fabulous recipe that needed no tweaks!!!

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      February 15, 2018 at 12:17 pm

      Lori- Thanks for taking the time to come back to tell me how much you enjoyed this recipe! Happy dipping!

      Reply
  20. [email protected] says

    January 19, 2019 at 6:34 pm

    Added to bookmarks.
    The recipe is well balanced great souce. It is also good foundation to start. I’m going to try apple, plum, peach gems/spreads. Next time I’m going to use unsweetened apricot gem.

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      January 22, 2019 at 11:59 pm

      You’ll have to come back and tell me how the duck sauce turned out with the other spreads!

      Reply
  21. Katie says

    April 13, 2019 at 12:35 pm

    OMG! Just made this and it is amazing. I will never buy store bought again. THANK YOU!

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      June 16, 2019 at 4:01 pm

      I’m so happy you like this! Boo! for store bought!

      Reply
  22. Lisa says

    August 18, 2019 at 11:33 am

    Hi
    I have a suggestion from the duck sauce I grew up with from our local Chinese restaurant. Substitute apple sauce for the jam. You may like it as well.

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      August 19, 2019 at 5:42 pm

      Applesauce!… That’s a new one… It sounds like a good way to lighten-up this recipe, but I’d curious about what the texture would be like…

      Reply
  23. Barb says

    August 19, 2019 at 11:00 pm

    I minced the garlic and ginger really fine but didn’t care for the burst of garlic or ginger when I bit down on it so I gave it a whirl with my stick blender. Also added a couple more tablespoons of jam. I think my clove of garlic was a little large even though I only used half. I let it set for several hours and it was perfect with my homemade crab rangoons, and snacked on the crispy noodles and sauce while I was finishing up the chicken chow mein. This recipe is definitely a keeper, so much more flavor then the insipid store sauces. It probably helps that I love apricot jam!

    Reply
  24. Sue says

    January 30, 2020 at 7:35 pm

    I love this recipe. I have started making and freezing egg rolls for my family. We love them with lots of meals and sometimes we just have egg rolls. Always with a version of this duck sauce, just as written. I have to admit that I sometimes use a different jam. I have made this with apricot jam, peach mango jam, chutney and marmalade. I have also used the substation of frozen mangoes or frozen peaches for a portion. I also substituted reconstituted dried mangoes for jam, another time. Everything else, just as described. The only one I don’t really recommend is the orange marmalade, just not very good. Homemade duck sauce is a total wow! Kicks it up a notch. We use our own duck sauce even when we rarely get take out, it is that good.

    Reply
  25. Jennifer says

    August 10, 2020 at 9:02 pm

    This sauce is waaay too sour! I would only use 2 teaspoons instead of the 4 Tablespoons called for!

    Reply
  26. Sharron Carey says

    September 20, 2020 at 7:17 pm

    Hi can you canned this recipe.

    Reply

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Hi, I'm Rachel! Welcome to Simple Seasonal, a resource for simple, healthful, and delicious recipes that help you make the most of seasonal produce from your local farmer's market, CSA, or home garden. Simple Seasonal is committed to a whole foods diet. With an occasional cookie... ;)


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