This easy homemade Chinese hot mustard recipe uses only 3 ingredients. Once you try this mustard, you’ll never go back to the takeout packets!
My favorite local Chinese restaurant makes its own homemade hot mustard, and I’m always bummed when my husband forgets to get some when he picks up our takeout order!
Eggrolls just don’t taste the same without that pungent, sinus-clearing spicy condiment.
Thankfully, it’s super easy to make Chinese hot mustard at home with only three ingredients. The homemade mustard will be even spicier and more flavorful than what you can get at a restaurant because it’s fresher.
Serve hot mustard with eggrolls, crispy wonton strips. these better-than-takeout Fried Pork Wontons or Crab Rangoons. I like to mix the hot mustard into this Wonton Dipping Sauce.
It’s also good mixed with homemade Chinese sweet and sour sauce or with soy sauce and duck sauce for a sweet-spicy flavor combo. The sweet sauces help to cut the heat.
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What Does Chinese Hot Mustard Taste Like?
Chinese hot mustard has a very different flavor from prepared yellow mustard.
It has a spicy pungency that is similar to horseradish or wasabi. I find that the heat from Chinese hot mustard is more the sinus-clearing type than the burn-your-tongue type.
Chinese spicy mustard is made from brown mustard seeds, which are hotter than the yellow or white mustard seeds used to make other types of mustard.
Want to see a brief overview of the process before diving into the recipe? Watch my web story on how to how to make hot Chinese mustard.
Ingredients for Chinese Hot Mustard
To make homemade restaurant-style hot mustard, you will need:
- Mustard powder — Choose a Chinese mustard powder or Colman’s Mustard Powder, which contains a mix of yellow and brown mustard seeds
- Ice water – The temperature of the water is important. The icy cold water activates the enzyme myrosinase in the mustard seed. This enzyme gives Chinese mustard its characteristic heat.
- Unseasoned rice vinegar – The vinegar gives the homemade mustard a touch of tanginess and helps mellow out the heat level. It also helps the mustard retain its spicy flavor in storage.
See recipe card for quantities and a recipe video.
You should be able to find Chinese mustard powder at local Asian markets, or you can buy it online. English mustard powder, made from brown and yellow mustard seeds, is a suitable alternative, although it may be slightly less spicy.
How to Make Hot Mustard
The recipe for Chinese hot mustard is very simple. I have included a how-to video in the recipe card at the end of this post so you can see the process.
- Combine equal parts of dry mustard powder and ice water in a bowl.
- Stir the mustard powder and water well to form a paste.
- Next, add rice vinegar and stir well.
- Cover and let sit for 10 to 15 minutes for the flavor to develop. For best result, serve Chinese hot mustard immediately.
Variations
This simple recipe can be adapted to suit your heat tolerance and taste preferences.
- Add more water for a thinner hot mustard.
- Add more mustard powder for a hotter and thicker condiment.
- To make the mustard spicier, omit the rice vinegar.
- To mellow out the flavor and the spiciness of the mustard, add more rice vinegar.
Storage
Hot Chinese mustard is best served immediately. After the mustard powder is mixed with water, it will lose some of its flavor potency and heat over time. Adding vinegar will help slow and halt this process, though.
Store leftover hot mustard in an air tight jar or container in the refrigerator for up to five days.
More Chinese Recipes
If you liked this recipe, you may also enjoy these other sauces and Chinese takeout recipes.
- Homemade Chinese Takeout Appetizers
- Cream Cheese Wontons
- 100+ Wonton Wrapper Recipes
- Homemade Chinese Sweet & Sour Sauce
- Wonton Dipping Sauce
- Air Fryer Wontons
Pin This! Chinese Hot Mustard Recipe
🎥 Recipe Card & Video
Easy Chinese Hot Mustard
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons brown mustard powder
- 2 Tablespoons ice water
- ½ teaspoon unseasoned rice vinegar or rice wine vinegar
Instructions
- Combine mustard powder and ice water in a bowl. Stir well to form a paste.
- Add rice vinegar and stir well.
- For a thinner consistency, add more water and stir. For a thicker consistency, add more mustard powder and stir.
- Cover and let sit for 10 to 15 minutes for the flavor to develop.
- For best result, serve Chinese hot mustard immediately.
Video
Notes
Variations
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- Add more water for a thinner hot mustard.
-
- Add more mustard powder for a hotter and thicker condiment.
-
- To make the mustard spicier, omit the rice vinegar.
-
- To mellow out the flavor and the spiciness of the mustard, add more rice vinegar.
Janey Boyd
take a deep breath before dipping!!
As good as it gets!!
Christy
Surprisingly good! I had some egg rolls that I needed to eat with hot mustard and this recipe was better than expected! Not exactly like what you would find at a restaurant but very delicious and had the heat I wasn’t expecting it to have with the ingredients. So quick and easy!