Lee Kum Kee Chili Bean Sauce

I’ve always loved international food — Indian, Chinese, Thai — you name it. Food isn’t just a necessity for me; it’s part of my day-to-day enjoyment, and I like every meal to have real flavour and character. One dish I’ve always had a soft spot for is Char Siu pork. After watching a few YouTube recipes, I quickly realised that making the sauce from scratch is no small task — half the ingredients were hard to find, and it’s quite time-consuming. So, I took the smart route and looked for a ready-made version instead. That’s when I discovered Lee Kum Kee Char Siu Sauce, and it’s honestly been a game changer. At first, I bought the larger 397g jars, but when they were hard to find, I came across this six-pack — and it turned out to be excellent value. The flavour is spot-on: rich, glossy, and perfectly balanced with that sweet, savoury, slightly smoky edge that makes Char Siu so addictive. Here’s my little prep tip: I like to use pork shoulder, cutting it into portion-sized chunks and sealing them in zip bags. Because the sauce is quite thick, I remove the lid and pop the jar in the microwave for about 20 seconds to loosen it up — that makes pouring much easier. I then pour just enough sauce into each bag to coat the meat, seal it, and pop it into the freezer. This way, the meat marinates beautifully while frozen, and I’ve always got a ready-to-go meal waiting for me. When it’s time to cook, I simply take a bag or two out to defrost, then toss the pieces straight into the air fryer. Twenty minutes later (with a couple of turns in between), I’ve got juicy, caramelised, restaurant-quality Char Siu ready to go. I usually slice it into strips and serve it with my homemade chicken fried rice — it’s an absolute winner every time. This sauce is incredibly versatile, easy to use, and packed with authentic flavour. Whether you’re a seasoned cook or just want to elevate a weeknight meal, it delivers every time. Highly recommended — Lee Kum Kee really nailed this one.

Why bother making your own when you can buy this, and it lasts for ages in a jar? Like all Lee Kum Kee products I've tried, it's good quality, tasty, and excellent value for money if you buy in a tray. This Satay sauce is perfect with chicken skewers (mix with a little soy sauce and fine chopped spring onions), stirred through noodles or as a general dip. Try it thickly spread on some seeded bread toast, with a bit of marmite on another slice (butter the toast so the marmite spread better on it) and stick the two together - heavenly!

Tastes just like takeaway.

Good value plumb sauce

loverly taste on pork

super good value after discounted. Used to cook some Asian and Chinese food. Excellent match with the beef and Moji. Great deal in Black Friday week

Like me, you probably don't make Chinese food every night of the week, so I opted for this pack of 6 slightly smaller jars so that I don't have opened jars potentially spoiling - although they will last for ages in the fridge anyway. The chilli bean paste that I bought has a great flavour which I love using in my own Asian sauces. You can make some really complex sauces with this but the easiest Szechuan sauce to make is: 2 teaspoons of this chilli bean sauce (Toban Djan), 2 tablespoons light soy sauce, 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce, and 3 tablespoons rice wine Enjoy!

Appeared in good condition until one completely opened the packing. At least one jar had not been sealed tight and contents had escaped and jars were coated in sticky plum sauce. And base of cardboard box was soaked. Not good !!

Great taste