Is Oyster Sauce Full of Sugar

Is Oyster Sauce Full of Sugar?

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Is Oyster sauce full of sugar? In this post, I am going to share with you the sugar content of different Oyster sauce brands and rank them based on their sugar content. At this point, you may be wondering what exactly is Oyster sauce? Well, traditionally Oyster sauce is a thick dark brown sauce (a mix between fish sauce and soy sauce) made from cooking oysters (or commonly Oyster extract) with water, salt, sugar, and sweeteners. More commonly available brands may also contain MSG, corn starch, flavor, and colorings (such as caramel). But how much sugar is exactly in Oyster sauces and what are some of the lower sugar brands available?

How Much Sugar is in Oyster Sauce?

As a general rule, most oyster sauces do contain added sugar. There tends to be 2g-5g of total sugar per tablespoon serving of oyster sauce. Maektru Thai Oyster Sauce is a lower sugar oyster sauce option as it contains 2g of sugar per tablespoon serving.

In this post, I will be looking at the sugar content of 7 brands of oyster sauce.


Is Oyster Sauce Full of Sugar - Oyster Sauce

7 Oyster Sauces Ranked for Sugar Content – Item by Item

In this section, I will go through and rank seven different Oyster sauce brands based on sugar content.

1. Maektru Thai Oyster Sauce – 2g of Sugar

If you are looking for a lower sugar oyster sauce, then definitely check out Maektru Thai Oyster sauce. This oyster sauce is sweetened with sugar, but it is low in total sugar at only 2g of sugar per tablespoon serving.

You can find Maektru oyster sauce on Amazon here.

2. Dragonfly Premium Oyster Sauce – 3g of Sugar

This oyster sauce from Dragonfly is also sweetened with sugar and it contains 3g of sugar per tablespoon serving. Dragonfly premium oyster sauce can be found on Amazon here.

3. Roland Foods Vegetarian Oyster Sauce – 3g of Sugar

This oyster sauce from Roland Foods is also sweetened with sugar and contains 3g of total sugar per serving. What makes this “oyster” sauce unique is the fact it is vegetarian. This “oyster” sauce doesn’t contain any oysters instead the flavor comes from mushroom extract. If you are looking for a lower sugar vegetarian Oyster sauce alternative this is IT. You can see it for yourself on Amazon here.

4. Lee Kum Kee Panda Oyster Sauce – 4g of Sugar

Next up is an oyster sauce from Lee Kum Kee.  Lee Kum Kee’s oyster sauce contains 4g of sugar per tablespoon serving.

I have talked about Lee Kum Kee before in the post where I rank Hoisin sauces, which you can read here – 9 Hoisin Sauces Ranke For Sugar Content.

5. Lucky Foods Organic Oyster Flavored Sauce – 4g of Sugar

Lucky Foods makes an oyster-flavored sauce that is vegan and flavored with mushrooms. This oyster sauce is sweetened with cane sugar and coconut sugar and contains 4g of sugar per serving. This sauce also has the added benefit of being organic.

6. Wan Ja Shan Mushroom Oyster Sauce – 5g of Sugar

Next up is another vegan “oyster” sauce that is flavored with mushrooms. This oyster sauce contains 4g of sugar per tablespoon serving. It also has the added benefit of not containing chemical soy sauce or caramel coloring.

7. Wok Mei Oyster Sauce – 5g of Sugar

The final oyster sauce on this list comes from Wok Mei. Wok Mei’s oyster sauce is sweetened with dried cane syrup and contains 5g of sugar per tablespoon serving.

Which Oyster Sauce is the Lowest in Sugar?

Maektru Thai Oyster Sauce (which can be bought on Amazon here) is a great lower sugar oyster sauce option. This oyster sauce only contains 2g of total sugar per tablespoon serving – this is less than half of the sugar content of other oyster sauces.

Summary Table – 7 Oyster Sauces Ranked for Sugar Content

Below is a summary table of 7 different Oyster sauce brands based on sugar content. For each entry, I list the sweetener used and the total sugar content per serving. As you will see from the table the sugar content varies from 2g to 5g of sugar.


Oyster SauceSweetener UsedSugar Content Per Tablespoon Serving
Maektru Thai Oyster Sauce  Sugar2g
Dragonfly Premium Oyster Sauce  Sugar3g
Roland Foods Vegetarian Oyster Sauce  Sugar3g
Lee Kum Kee Panda Oyster Sauce  Sugar4g
Lucky Foods Organic Oyster Flavored Sauce  Cane sugar and coconut sugar4g
Wan Ja Shan Mushroom Oyster Sauce  Sugar5g
Wok Mei Oyster Sauce  Dried cane syrup5g

What About Other Sauces?

If you love Asian-style cooking and sauces but are watching your sugar intake you may also want to check out some of the posts I have written below:


Sugar In Oyster Sauce F&Q

Is Oyster Sauce Sweeter Than Soy Sauce?

As a general rule, oyster sauce is sweeter than soy sauce. Oyster sauce tends almost always contain some sugar (usually 2g-5g per serving) whereas, in comparison, there are several soy sauces that do not contain any added sugar. You can read more about the best no added sugar soy sauce here – 10 No Added Sugar Soy Sauces.

What Makes Oyster Sauce Sweet?

As a general rule, most oyster sauces contain sugar (usually 2g-5g of sugar per tablespoon serving) which gives an oyster sauce its sweet taste.


Is Oyster Sauce Full of Sugar - Oyster sauces

Is Oyster Sauce Full of Sugar? – The Final Bite

Is Oyster sauce full of sugar? What have we learned from the above? Well, when it comes to Oyster sauce it doesn’t look like you are going to find a sugar-free option in grocery stores. Your best option for low sugar is Maektru Thai Oyster Sauce which contains 2g of sugar per serving. If you are vegetarian or looking for a slightly different flavor in your Oyster sauce then try Lucky Foods Organic Oyster sauce which is made from mushrooms instead. This sauce contains slightly higher sugars at 4g of sugar per serving but may offer a more palatable flavor.

And Remember…

Low Sugar Drinks at McDonald's

Ingredients and/or manufacturing processes may change. Always double-check ingredient lists and nutritional information before purchasing any food items.


WANT TO FIND MORE LOW SUGAR OPTIONS?

Do you want to learn about some other low-sugar options at your favorite coffee chains, fast food, or restaurant joints, or just while you are shopping for groceries? If you do, then check out some of my other articles below: