Soy sauce is being used more than ever as a hot sauce ingredient. A typical condiment for Asian cuisine, soy sauce has seen many adaptations and uses. Manufacturers and producers of hot sauce have reached for ingredients that are not as common to make new and interesting hot sauce flavors, and one of these ingredients is soy sauce.
Hot sauces that use soy sauce will have a high sodium content due to the added soy sauce. These sauces are used for barbequing meats or as a finishing sauce for cooked meats. Many other hot sauces that use soy sauce are Asian-inspired and will pair well with Asian cuisine. Using soy sauce in a hot sauce recipe will increase the sodium level and add gluten the sauce may not otherwise have.
There are almost 50 hot sauces that use soy sauce as one of the ingredients mainly because it is a delicious premade condiment that can be used in a hot sauce without the addition of many more ingredients. Using soy sauce as a base adds a rich flavor that pairs well with hot peppers and some of the other ingredients used in hot sauces.
What is soy sauce made with?
Soy sauce is made with soybeans, wheat, salt, and water. It is a dark-colored and rich flavored sauce that will have a salty flavor profile to the foods that it is used with or paired with. This strong flavor can easily take over a dish or hot sauce recipe. Soy sauces are most often eaten with noodles, rice, and sushi so take into consideration the foods that your sauce will be used with when using it in a hot sauce recipe.
A soy sauce may be fermented for years before it is available on store shelves. It is the fermentation process that creates a rich and strong salty flavor. There are many variations of soy sauce to include white, light, dark, and traditional sauce, each having stronger flavors than the next. Get the top recommended soy sauce here through this link from Amazon.
Umami flavor
Soy sauce is classified as having an umami flavor profile along with meats, mushrooms, and seafood. Umami is one of the five flavor profiles including sweet, salty, sour, and bitter. It may be difficult to pinpoint a hot sauce as having an umami flavor unless it has a soy sauce base or includes other ingredients that fall under the umami category like mushrooms or seaweed. Check out Umami by Seed Ranch that includes both mushrooms and seaweed.
Color
The dark brown almost black color of a traditional soy sauce can have a heavy influence on the hot sauce that it is used in and sometimes this is why it is used. Generally speaking, soy sauce will take over the coloring of many recipes that it is used with if used in large quantities and almost “stain” from fruits or vegetables.
Gluten-free soy sauce
Hot sauce has forever been known to be a simple condiment of a few ingredients with one ingredient being wheat. Unfortunately, most soy sauce is not naturally gluten-free but there are products available to re-create the strong flavor or replace the wheat. Gluten-free soy sauce or tamari soy sauce tastes much like traditional soy sauce but without the wheat or gluten and any slight differences in flavor may not be noticed within a hot sauce. Check out the top five brands here.
Types of hot sauces that use soy sauce
There are only a few types of hot sauce that use soy sauce and they are usually an Asian-influenced sauce, a teriyaki style sauce, steak sauce, or a barbeque hot sauce intended to be used for grilling meats. A soy sauce is not typically used in a traditional or classic hot sauce recipe as a main ingredient. However, the possibilities of exploring the uses of soy sauce in a hot sauce, like many ingredients, are endless.
Asian influenced hot sauce
Because soy sauce has an Asian origin the hot sauces that use it as an ingredient can easily become an Asian-influenced sauce. These sauces may contain peppers like Thai chilis, ginger, rice wine vinegar, AKA Miso, and the sauces are typically recommended with traditional Asian foods like rice and noodles. Check out Bravado Spice Co AKA Miso and their use of soy sauce as a hot sauce ingredient.
Barbecue sauce
Many barbecue-style sauces, marinades, or sauces used in grilling meats will often be rich and flavorful sauces that will make soy sauce a natural additive. Barbeque sauces are known for their deep and rich flavorful sauces that permeate through meat and are enhanced with grilling. These types of sauces, along with soy sauce, will also include tomato paste, molasses, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and smoke flavor. Cajohn’s Trinidad Moruga Scorpion uses soy sauce in a spicy version of a barbeque grilling sauce.
Steak sauce
A steak sauce is not generally thought of as being a hot sauce but as flavors develop and the foods that hot sauce is paired with increases traditional sauces and condiments are having spices added to them. A steak sauce can use similar ingredients to barbecue sauce but will usually be used as a finish instead of throughout the cooking process. Soy sauce is a great finishing sauce. Check out Ass Kickin’ Spicy Steak Sauce With Habanero for a rich and spicy steak sauce.
Mesquite
Mesquite is also a hot sauce flavor that is associated with the addition of soy sauce. Mesquite is an intense smoke flavor that comes from food that is smoked with mesquite wood chips. This flavoring complements well with soy sauce. Cajohns Mesquite Smoked Raspberry Vodka New-Mex Barbeque Sauce uses soy sauce as another meat grilling creation.
Teriyaki
Teriyaki is another Asian-influenced flavoring that in most recent years has become associated with hot sauce. Teriyaki sauce is primarily made with soy sauce, brown sugar, honey, ginger, and garlic. These are all common ingredients in barbeque sauces as well. Bone Suckin Yaki Teryaki is a rich flavored sauce with very low heat level.
Increased sodium level
Soy sauce contains a lot of sodium and this will reflect in the hot sauce that it is made with. The salty flavor is very obvious in a plain soy sauce so be careful when adding it to a hot sauce recipe.
Soy sauce can contain as much as 630 mg per ½ tablespoon or suggested serving. Depending on how much is used, this can increase the sodium level of a hot sauce recipe significantly. Traditional and classic hot sauces are known for being “healthy” condiments without added calories, fat. Consumers are concerned with the consumption of high sodium levels.
Liquidity
Bottled soy sauce has a very liquid consistency to it. Depending on the amount used this could “water down” the consistency and texture of a hot sauce. Liquids can cause a hot sauce recipe from other ingredients if there are not any additives like corn starch, xanthan gum, or lecithin to bind the ingredients together.
