Imagine making the best stir fry of your life. You follow the recipe exactly, but you don’t have the best oyster sauce brand available. So you leave out the oyster sauce, and the dish doesn’t have the same oomph.
Whether you want to make a stir fry or thicken some soup, you can use oyster sauce. No matter your dietary restrictions, you can find the best oyster sauce for you.
- Origin: Thailand
- Weight: 1.49 pounds
- Origin: Taiwan
- Weight: 2.8 pounds
- Origin: China
- Weight: 1.12 pounds
- Origin: China
- Weight: 2.5 pounds
- Origin: China
- Weight: 1.83 pounds
5 Best Oyster Sauce Brands Reviews
These are the top oyster sauce brands on the market, in our opinion.
1. Maekrua Thai Oyster Sauce
This oyster sauce doesn’t contain MSG, but it still lasts a long time. It has a nice, thick consistency, and it tastes sweet. You don’t need a ton of it to season a dish for you and your family, and you can get more uses out of one bottle.
The oyster sauce does contain gluten and soy, so it’s not suitable for people with those allergies. But it does work well as an alternative to fish sauce. Since it has more flavor than fish sauce, you won’t need to use it to get the same effect with your food.
The Maekrua brand is one of the most popular when it comes to oyster sauce. It’s very versatile, and it comes with plenty of servings. You can use it with a stir fry or to thicken up some soup. That makes it a great choice to have on hand throughout the year.
- Versatile
- Low-sodium
- Sweet taste
- Thick consistency
- Alternative to fish sauce
- Contains gluten and soy
- Contains a lot of soy sauce per serving
2. Vegetarian Mushroom Oyster Sauce
The sauce is thick and rich, and it can make foods taste more savory. You can use it in a stir fry, on the grill, or as a dip. It also works well in soups and other dishes where you want to add flavor and thickness.
Because it’s vegetarian, it’s also a great option for people who can’t eat oysters. If you have a fish allergy, you can still enjoy the benefits and flavors of traditional oyster sauce. The sauce is from Taiwan, and it contains water, soybeans, wheat, mushrooms, and other ingredients.
Unfortunately, that means it’s not gluten-free or soy-free. But it doesn’t contain MSG, and you don’t need a lot of it to get a good flavor. In fact, it can be a little salty if you add too much to a dish. If you want to extend its shelf life, you can put the sauce in the refrigerator.
- No MSG
- Great for vegetarians and vegans
- Thick consistency
- Tastes similar to regular oyster sauce
- Versatile
- Contains soy and gluten
- Saltier than some sauces
3. Lee Kum Kee Oyster Sauce
This sauce has more sodium per tablespoon than some varieties. But it doesn’t have a ton of preservatives, and its shelf life is about a year. The oyster extracts give the sauce a rich flavor, and a little goes a long way.
While this sauce contains gluten, it doesn’t contain soy, and it tastes similar to sauces with soy. You can also combine the oyster sauce with sweet chili sauce for a little extra sweetness. The packaging also makes it easy to pour and store this oyster sauce.
This oyster sauce brand isn’t for the faint of heart because the premium sauce is a bit more expensive than the average. However, if you’re on a budget, you can also look at other oyster sauces from Lee Kum Kee.
- Excellent ingredients
- No soy or preservatives
- Long shelf life
- Tastes great
- Versatile
- Not gluten-free
- Expensive
4. Dragonfly Premium Sauce
This sauce doesn’t contain MSG, and one tablespoon contains about 590 milligrams of sodium. It comes in a plastic bottle with a squeeze top, so you can easily use it when cooking or topping off a dish. You can also use the sauce as a dip if you like.
The sauce is a great option for cooking traditional Chinese dishes, like chow mein and stir-fries. But you can also add it to meat and vegetables to add an Asian twist. Unfortunately, the oyster sauce reviews show confusion with the ingredients list, and it’s unclear if this sauce contains wheat and gluten.
The sauce does contain soy, so it’s not the best option if you have allergies. But this sauce is more affordable than other options as you get two 15.21 fl oz bottles. And since the shelf life is well over a year, you don’t have to worry about wasting any of the sauce.
- Long shelf life
- Squeeze top
- Versatile
- A lot of sauce for your money
- No MSG
- Contains soy
- Unclear if it’s gluten-free or not
5. Wok Mei Gluten Free Oyster Sauce
You can use the sauce in many dishes, including chow mein and other Asian food. The sauce also works in other homemade dishes, so you can experiment with your favorite flavors. It can add richness to your food without hiding other flavors. That makes it an excellent base for gravy or marinade.
Wok Mei doesn’t use any refined starches or sugars, and the sauce doesn’t contain MSG or other additives. The sauce is of good quality, and it tastes like other oyster sauces. You can get two jars of sauce for a reasonable price, and the glass jar is durable.
While the packaging is different from other oyster sauce brands, you can still use the sauce well. It’s just as flavorful and versatile, and it doesn’t contain soy or other allergens.
- Gluten-free
- Affordable
- Versatile
- No additives
- Rich and flavorful
- Very sweet
- Not much oyster extract
How to Choose the Best Oyster Sauce Brand
When looking for the best oyster sauce brand, you should consider a few things. Many brands make excellent oyster sauces, but some have unique features that make them better than others.
You should consider how you plan to use the oyster sauce. For example, if you want to thicken up soups, you’ll need a thicker oyster sauce. But if you just want to add it to a stir fry, the consistency won’t matter as much.
It’s also important to consider the ingredients, especially if you have a dietary restriction. Despite the name, not all sauces contain oyster extract. And while many varieties include gluten and soy, you can find alternatives.
You may also want to consider your other health needs. Even if you can eat anything, you may want an oyster sauce without a ton of sodium. Or you can opt for a richer sauce so that you don’t have to use as much.
And of course, you should consider your budget. Think about how often you’ll use oyster sauce. That way, you can make sure you choose the sauce with the best value.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you’re still unsure of the best oyster sauce brand, consider a few common questions and how those answers can affect your decision.
Different brands have unique recipes to create oyster sauce. But most sauces have the same basic ingredients, including caramelized oyster juice (oyster extract), salt, and sugar. Most sauces also contain a bit of water.
You may find some oyster sauces with soy sauce, which can add to the consistency and flavor. Other sauces use cornstarch as a thickener. Some oyster sauces have preservatives to extend their shelf life, while others are all-natural.
The best oyster sauce for you should be free of any allergens. While many sauces have gluten or soy, you can find alternatives without those ingredients.
Because oyster sauce uses oyster juice, it is not vegan. However, you could argue that it is vegetarian. Oyster juices come from cooking oysters for an extended length of time. If you don’t consume the oyster, you could claim that the oyster sauce is vegetarian.
But if you don’t want to worry about animal products, you can get vegetarian versions of oyster sauce. Vegetarian Mushroom Oyster Sauce is an excellent choice if you or someone in your family doesn’t eat meat.
You can still consume it if you do eat meat, but you can make sure everyone can enjoy your meal. The vegetarian sauce works well in vegetarian stir-fries and with other vegetable dishes.
Regardless of if the oyster sauce is vegetarian, it can taste somewhat salty and sweet. It gives an umami flavor, so it can make you enjoy your food and want to eat more.
While oyster extract is usually the first ingredient, the sauce doesn’t taste like fish. So you can still eat it if you aren’t a fan of seafood.
Luckily, different brands can taste different. If you don’t like the first oyster sauce you try, you can try a second brand to see if you like it better. While some people won’t like the taste, the variety of products make it easier to find something you will like.
You can use the oyster sauce for a variety of dishes and sides. Traditionally, it works well to season and flavor Asian dishes. The sauce is popular in China, Thailand, and Vietnam, so those cuisines are a great place to start.
You can also use oyster sauce as a broth booster to thicken up the soup. That can be useful if you aren’t a huge fan of thin soups, and the sauce can add flavor to the soup, too.
Oyster sauce can also be a great condiment for dipping. If you have vegetables or chips, you can dip them in the oyster sauce for a bit of sweetness or saltiness. While you don’t want to go overboard with oyster sauce as a dip, it’s a great way to use some up if you’re almost out.
A fish sauce uses fermented fish and salt, so it’s already quite different from oyster sauce. While both use fish and other ingredients, the oyster juice doesn’t have the same flavor or aroma as the fermented fish in fish sauce.
Soy sauce uses fermented soybeans and wheat. So while the sauce is also popular in Asian food, it’s not the same as the oyster sauce. However, some oyster sauces contain soy sauce as an ingredient.
While these sauces are all different, they can work well in Asian food separately or sometimes together. You can use oyster sauce alone or with soy sauce, for example. Consider the flavors you want to add and what ingredients you like or don’t want before choosing your sauce.
The Best Oyster Sauce Brand
The best oyster sauce brand is one that gives you the flavor you want without sacrificing your diet or health needs. For example, vegetarians should use a vegetarian oyster sauce brand. But people with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity should choose Wok Mei for their gluten-free sauce.
If you don’t have any dietary restrictions, you can try a few brands. Consider what flavor you want to add and your budget. Then, you can select the best oyster sauce brand for you.
