The Perfect Dumpling Sauce Recipe - The Woks of Life (2024)

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The Perfect Dumpling Sauce Recipe - The Woks of Life (1)

by: Sarah

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There are few single food items in this world more perfect than a Chinese dumpling. Chewy, thin dough wrapped around juicy, delicious fillings of endless variety, they’re delicious whether they’re fried, steamed, or boiled, and they’re ideally served with a deliciously contrasting dumpling sauce. I say “ideally” here, because all too often, dumplings don’t get the dumpling sauce they deserve.

A Good Dumpling Sauce Makes All the Difference

I too can be guilty of lazy dumpling sauce habits. I’ve been known to simply splash a plate full of dumplings with a bit of black vinegar, or spoon dollops of chili sauce on top with little thought given to making a full-on dipping sauce.

But I’ve come to realize the error of my ways, because a truly delicious dumpling sauce can make all the difference to your dumpling enjoyment. After crafting this sauce, and happily dunking fried dumplings into it to gobble down with the rest of my family post-photo-shoot on our last blogging day, I realized that the little extra time (literally 5 minutes) it takes to make a good dumpling dipping sauce can take an OK dumpling experience and elevate it to a truly great one.

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What Makes a Good Dumpling Sauce

The components of a good dumpling sauce are pretty simple, and it comes down to a balance of different flavors: salty, sweet, spicy, and a little bit of tang, or sourness.

The base of the sauce is soy sauce, which provides the salt factor and needs a little bit of thinning out with hot water. The sweetness comes from a little bit of sugar (the hot water helps dissolve it), while the sourness comes from a dash of rice vinegar.

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The spiciness comes from the addition of chili oil––preferably one with lots of chili flakes like our homemade chili oil––as well as garlic.

I really can’t emphasize the importance of the minced garlic enough. Raw garlic is spicy and sharp, and gives the sauce a much-needed lift.

The final ingredients are sesame seeds and a little bit of sesame oil, for a nutty richness that rounds out the whole sauce.

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Our love of dumplings at The Woks of Life is no secret.

We’ve posted many dumpling recipes, from our very first “The Only Dumpling Recipe You’ll Ever Need” to subsequent recipes offering very specific variations: vegetable dumplings, chicken and mushroom dumplings, pork and chive dumplings, and more.

We’ve received many requests for a dumpling sauce recipe over the years, and we’re finally delivering!

How to Make the Perfect Dumpling Sauce:

Cook up some Chinese dumplings…

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And while those are frying (or boiling, or steaming––get our full instructions on how to cook dumplings all those different ways), make the sauce.

Start by dissolving a teaspoon of sugar into a tablespoon of water. Then add 2 tablespoons soy sauce,1 teaspoon rice vinegar,1 teaspoon chili oil,1 teaspoon minced garlic,1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds, and½ teaspoon sesame oil.

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Stir to combine:

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And serve this sauce with your dumplings!

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The Perfect Dumpling Sauce Recipe - The Woks of Life (10)

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4.91 from 165 votes

Dumpling Sauce Recipe: How to Make Dumpling Dipping Sauce

This dumpling sauce recipe makes the perfect dipping sauce for taking your favorite homemade or store-bought dumplings to the next level.

by: Sarah

Course:Condiments

Cuisine:Chinese

Prep: 5 minutes minutes

Total: 5 minutes minutes

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Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon hot water
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon chili oil
  • 1 teaspoon garlic (minced)
  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
  • ½ teaspoon sesame oil

Instructions

  • Dissolve 1 teaspoon sugar in 1 tablespoon hot water. Then add soy sauce, rice vinegar, chili oil, minced garlic, sesame seeds, and sesame oil. Stir to combine.

  • Serve with freshly cooked dumplings and enjoy!

nutrition facts

Calories: 27kcal (1%) Carbohydrates: 2g (1%) Protein: 1g (2%) Fat: 2g (3%) Saturated Fat: 1g (5%) Sodium: 503mg (21%) Potassium: 19mg (1%) Fiber: 1g (4%) Sugar: 1g (1%) Vitamin C: 0.2mg Calcium: 5mg (1%) Iron: 0.3mg (2%)

nutritional info disclaimer

TheWoksofLife.com is written and produced for informational purposes only. While we do our best to provide nutritional information as a general guideline to our readers, we are not certified nutritionists, and the values provided should be considered estimates. Factors such as brands purchased, natural variations in fresh ingredients, etc. will change the nutritional information in any recipe. Various online calculators also provide different results, depending on their sources. To obtain accurate nutritional information for a recipe, use your preferred nutrition calculator to determine nutritional information with the actual ingredients and quantities used.

Did You Make This?Tag us on Instagram @thewoksoflife, subscribe to our email list, and be sure to follow us on social for more recipes!

@thewoksoflife

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The Perfect Dumpling Sauce Recipe - The Woks of Life (16)

About Sarah

Sarah is the older daughter/sister in The Woks of Life family. Creator of quick and easy recipes for harried home cooks and official Woks of Life photographer, she grew up on episodes of Ready Set Cook and Good Eats. She loves the outdoors (and of course, *cooking* outside), and her obsession with food continues to this day.

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The Perfect Dumpling Sauce Recipe - The Woks of Life (2024)

FAQs

What is dumpling sauce made of? ›

Start by dissolving a teaspoon of sugar into a tablespoon of water. Then add 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 teaspoon rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon chili oil, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds, and ½ teaspoon sesame oil. And serve this sauce with your dumplings!

What is the brown sauce served with dumplings? ›

To make the Japanese dumpling sauce, whisk the soy sauce, rice vinegar, and chili oil in a small bowl. Serve them with your favorite dumplings, pot stickers, spring rolls, or egg rolls, and enjoy!

What store bought sauce goes with dumplings? ›

Dumpling Sauce(23)
  • Wei Chuan, Dumpling sauce, 6 Ounce. ...
  • Mandarin Soy Sauce Wan Ja Shan Dumpling Sauce, 6.7 oz. ...
  • Wei Chuan Sauce, Spicy Dumpling, 6 Oz. ...
  • Nasoya Organic Vegan Thai Basil Vegetable Dumplings with Savory Sweet Sauce, 9 oz.

How long does homemade dumpling sauce last in the fridge? ›

STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS: The sauce will keep well for at least 1 week, stored in the fridge. INGREDIENT NOTES: Swap the black vinegar for rice vinegar, white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar if you like. You can use tamari instead of soy sauce.

What is potsticker sauce made of? ›

Directions. Combine soy sauce, rice vinegar, ginger, garlic, sugar, sesame oil, gochujang, green onion, and sesame seeds in a Mason jar.

What are the 3 components of dumplings? ›

What are dumplings made of? The dumpling dough is made of three main ingredients: flour, water and salt.

Is hoisin sauce used for dumplings? ›

These rice paper dumplings are paired with a tasty hoisin-based sauce, but you can opt for any dipping sauce of your choice! The filling is a simple mix of vegetables and mushrooms that I quickly processed before stir-frying and seasoning.

How do you thicken dumpling sauce? ›

Use Cornstarch to Thicken Chicken and Dumplings

Make sure the soup is brought back to a good boil and go ahead and stir in the cornstarch mixture. Stir it until it thickens up just a bit about 3 minutes.

What is the brown sauce in Chinese restaurants made of? ›

Basically, the most common American-Chinese Cantonese sauce (like for beef and broccoli) is almost always Oyster Sauce, Soy sauce, Corn Starch, sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, Chicken/Pork/Beef stock and optionally sesame oil. Many people add additional MSG powder to the sauce.

What is the Potsticker sauce called store bought? ›

Kikkoman® Gyoza Dipping Sauce perfectly complements your favorite gyoza (potstickers). Serve also with dumplings, egg rolls, grilled shrimp, and steaks. Kikkoman® Gyoza Dipping Sauce is made to the highest standards of quality that consumers have come to expect from Kikkoman.

Does Trader Joe's have dumpling sauce? ›

Dumpling Dipping Sauce | Trader Joe's.

How do you make store bought dumplings taste better? ›

All you have to do is place them in a bowl, add chicken broth, and microwave for two minutes. Then add soy sauce, sesame oil, chili crisp, green onions, and roasted sesame seeds. It's the easiest. and most delicious way to elevate box dumplings.

What is the best Chinese vinegar for dumplings? ›

Zhenjiang Vinegar: One of China's Four Famous Vinegars

We even use as much black vinegar as chili sauces and oils, which is saying something. In fact, the three mixed together are our go-to dipping sauce for dumplings. And many Chinese use just black vinegar as their dipping sauce of choice.

Does dumpling sauce expire? ›

For the freshest tasting sauce, use soy sauce within three to six months after opening. The sauce is still safe to use beyond this time but the quality may not be at its best. Once opened, the freshness and flavor of the sauce will slowly deteriorate.

What is Chinese dumpling filling made of? ›

Prepare dumplings: Mix pork, garlic, egg, chives, soy sauce, sesame oil, and ginger in a large bowl until thoroughly combined. Place a dumpling wrapper on a lightly floured work surface and spoon about 1 tablespoon of the filling in the middle.

What is Potsticker sauce called? ›

What is Gyoza Sauce? Traditionally, gyoza sauce it is half soy sauce and half vinegar, with optional chilli. Our version adds a touch of sesame oil, which pairs perfectly with the acidic tang of vinegar and salty soy. It's so easy to play with the ratios and adapt to your own personal taste.

What is dumpling mix made of? ›

Combine 1 cup all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon fine salt in a medium bowl. Cut in 1 tablespoon softened unsalted butter and 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley, if using. Stir together with a fork until blended. Stir in 1/3 cup milk to form a wet dough.

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