September 28, 2023

Dumpling Sauce Recipe You Need to Try

Name: Dumpling Sauce Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 2 tbs soy sauce; 1 tbs chili oil; 1 tsp black vinegar; 1 garlic clove, minced; 1 green onion (green part), sliced

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This is a dumpling sauce recipe that you need to try! It’s such a flavorful combination and only takes 5 minutes and 5 ingredients to make!

What Makes a Good Dumpling Sauce?

The answer to this question is very subjective.

To me, a good dumpling sauce has to hit all the taste buds.

It should be mostly salty, spicy, tangy, a little bit sweet, and a whole lot of umami.

A good sign that you’ve made the perfect dumpling sauce is when you want to keep eating it even when you’ve run out of dumplings.

The recipe I’m sharing here is my favorite dumpling sauce combination and it does just that for me!

Dumpling Sauce Ingredients

Before you begin making the sauce, you’ll need the following ingredients:

Soy Sauce: This is the base and main flavor profile for this sauce. Soy sauce provides a salty, savory, umami flavor.
Chili Oil: The spicy element of this sauce. You can make your own homemade chili oil or use your favorite brand.
- Optional: If the chili oil you decide to use doesn’t already have sesame oil, sesame seeds, or sugar in it, add a little bit of each ingredient into your sauce. This helps to add a nutty flavor, texture, and balance out the saltiness.
Black Vinegar: Chinese black vinegar has a malty, umami tang that balances out the sauce very well.
Garlic: I love adding raw grated or minced garlic to sauces. It’s very aromatic and adds a nice kick and punch of flavor.
Green Onion: Green onions have a mild onion flavor that adds a little bit of a bite and freshness to the sauce. I recommend using the green parts only if you don’t want it to be too pungent.

Ingredient Substitutions

If you cannot find some of the ingredients I mentioned or if you have any dietary restrictions, these are some substitutions you can make to create your own version of a perfect dumpling sauce.

Soy Sauce

My go-to soy sauce brand is Kikkoman. You can use your favorite variety like the original or low-sodium soy sauce.

If you are gluten-free, substitute soy sauce for tamari or liquid aminos.

Chili Oil

My favorite chili oil for dipping sauces is Momofuku’s Chili Crunch. This chili oil has a nice spice level with just a touch of sweetness, which is great for creating balanced sauces.

Lao Gan Ma’s Spicy Chili Crisp is a close runner up for me. It’s not very spicy but it is a classic and adds so much flavor to anything.

You can also opt for a homemade chili oil. You can make one by infusing your favorite seasonings, aromatics (i.e. garlic, onion, star anise, etc.), and dried or fried chili peppers in a neutral oil.

Neutral oils are oils that have very little to no flavor. Some examples include vegetable, canola, corn, avocado, safflower, and peanut oils.

I also love a touch of sugar, sesame oil, and sesame seeds in a chili oil.

Chili oil is an essential ingredient for this recipe. While you can substitute for different types of chili oils, I don’t think it should be replaced by a hot sauce.

Black Vinegar

When I say black vinegar, I am not referring to balsamic vinegar but rather Chinese black vinegar.

I am currently using and recommend Gold Plum Chinkiang Vinegar. You can find this at your local Asian grocery store.

However, if you are unable to find Chinese black vinegar, I recommend using rice vinegar.

Although it does not have the same flavor profile and is not an equivalent substitution, rice vinegar works great in sauces. This is easier to find in regular grocery stores as well.

Rice vinegar has a more delicate acidity and tanginess. It is also slightly sweet. Overall, it makes for a very smooth and pleasant sauce.

how to eat frozen soup dumpling trays with dumpling sauce

How to Make Dumpling Sauce

This is my favorite dumpling sauce recipe and it only takes 5 minutes and 5 ingredients to make!

It’s super quick, easy, and not only full of flavor but also well balanced.

It pairs perfectly with different types of dumplings but also great for dipping anything in really!

In truth, this is one of those recipes that you don’t really need a recipe for.

Nonetheless, I will walk you though this step-by-step so you have no doubt that you can create the best dumpling sauce at home.

As always, theres is a recipe card at the end that you can print out, pin to Pinterest, or save for later.

Step 1: Combine Ingredients for Dumpling Sauce

Once you’ve gathered all the ingredients, add them into a small mixing bowl.

These suggested measurements are for 4 servings or about 40 dumplings.

2 tbs soy sauce
1 tbs chili oil
1 tsp black vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
1 green onion (green part), sliced

Step 2: Taste & Adjust Dumpling Sauce

Finally, taste test the sauce.

Everyone’s taste buds and preferences are different so make you sure adjust the dumpling sauce to your liking.

To make it more salty, add more soy sauce. Adding more soy sauce can also help to diffuse the other ingredients if you find that the flavors are too strong.

If you like it spicier, add more chili oil. This will also add more oil and seasonings to your sauce.

Add more black vinegar to make the sauce more tangy and sour. This will also balance out and reduce the saltiness of the soy sauce.

Adjust the amount of garlic and/or green onion to your preference based on how pungent you’d like it to be.

Optionally, add more sesame oil, sesame seeds, and sugar to your liking. I say optional because these ingredients are typically already in chili oil.