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

Home Recipes Condiments Perfect Dumpling Sauce

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

by: Sarah

501 Comments

Jump to Recipe

The Perfect Dumpling Sauce Recipe - The Woks of Life (2)

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.

The Perfect Dumpling Sauce Recipe - The Woks of Life (3)

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.

The Perfect Dumpling Sauce Recipe - The Woks of Life (4)

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.

The Perfect Dumpling Sauce Recipe - The Woks of Life (5)

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…

The Perfect Dumpling Sauce Recipe - The Woks of Life (6)

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.

The Perfect Dumpling Sauce Recipe - The Woks of Life (7)

Stir to combine:

The Perfect Dumpling Sauce Recipe - The Woks of Life (8)

And serve this sauce with your dumplings!

The Perfect Dumpling Sauce Recipe - The Woks of Life (9)

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

Looking for more authentic recipes? Subscribe to our email list and be sure to follow us on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube!

4.90 from 168 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

Print

Rate

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

You may also like…

  • Chicken Zucchini Dumplings

  • All Purpose Peanut Sauce

  • Whole Wheat Dumpling Wrappers

  • Plum Sauce

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.

Previous PostHow to Steam Food: 3 Ways to Set Up a Steamer
Next Post Cumin Potatoes (Vegan/Vegetarian!)

Subscribe

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

501 Comments

Newest

OldestMost Voted

Inline Feedbacks

View all comments

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 inside hoisin sauce? ›

Though regional variations exist, most modern hoisin sauce recipes contain some combination of the following ingredients: fermented soybeans, five-spice powder, garlic, red chili peppers, and sugar. "Hoisin" comes from the Cantonese word for seafood, though it's not commonly associated with seafood dishes.

How to make dumplings more juicy? ›

Hand-mincing meat and adding more pork belly results in the juiciest dumplings. Traditionally, some Chinese cuisine uses hand minced meat for their dishes. For example, lots of dim sum items like siu mai, pork buns, beef meatball, and more use hand minced meat to control the texture and fat content of the dish!

What is the sauce that goes with dumplings? ›

Soy Ginger Sauce

Many Chinese restaurants serve pan-fried dumplings with a soy-ginger sauce, which is easy to recreate at home with only four ingredients needed. You simply combine soy sauce, minced ginger, sesame oil, and a little white pepper.

What is the sauce that comes with dumplings called? ›

Gyoza is the Japanese name for pot stickers, but the sauce you and others have described sounds exactly like gyoza sauce. It's a combination of rice vinegar, soy sauce, red pepper flakes, garlic, ginger, green onions, and sesame oil. Here's one recipe.

Is hoisin sauce good for dumplings? ›

These Easy Asian Dumplings with Hoisin Dipping Sauce are one of our favorite appetizers to serve a crowd. The filling is packed with salty cabbage, crisp carrots and shiitake mushrooms, then stuffed into wonton wrappers and pan-fried. They're delicious and completely addictive!

What is another name for hoisin sauce? ›

Hoisin sauce, also known as Chinese barbecue sauce, is a popular ingredient in many Asian cuisines. It's used to marinate and cook meats, and many people add it to vegetables and stir-fry dishes for a sweet and tangy burst of deliciousness.

What's the difference between soy sauce and hoisin sauce? ›

Hoisin sauce is a thick, dark sauce that is slightly sweet and tangy, with a hint of garlic and five-spice flavor. It is commonly used in Chinese cuisine, particularly in dishes like Peking duck and moo shu pork. Contrastingly, soy sauce is a thin, salty sauce made from fermented soybeans, wheat, and salt.

What is the secret to perfect dumplings? ›

Don't Overwork the Dumpling Dough

Stir everything together until the wet and dry ingredients are combined and you don't see any more dry flour. The dough might look a little lumpy, but that's okay! Overworking the dough is one of the easiest ways to end up with tough dumplings.

How to make dumplings better? ›

A teaspoon of sugar adds an extremely subtle hint of sweetness. It also helps the dumplings retain their moisture through the cooking process and slows gluten development, which ensures tender dumplings. A pinch of salt seasons the dumplings and enhances the flavors of the other ingredients.

How do you thicken dumpling sauce? ›

Chicken & Dumpling Recipe FAQ

You can thicken this dish by adding more flour, or even cornstarch. Create a slurry with either of these ingredients and milk or water, then stir into your broth base until you get your desired consistency.

Do you eat dumplings with soy sauce or vinegar? ›

The dumplings' filling is itself flavorful and savory. You can enjoy them without any dipping sauce, like my kids do. My husband likes to eat them with Thai Sweet Chili sauce and I like light soy sauce. Some Chinese love to eat them with Chinese vinegar (black, not white like Western vinegar).

Why are my dumplings hard and not fluffy? ›

Overmixing will develop the gluten in the Bisquick, which will make the dumplings tough. Instead, stir the dough just until the ingredients are combined. Let the dough rest for a few minutes before dropping it into the broth. This will give the gluten time to relax, which will also help to make the dumplings fluffy.

What makes dumplings fall apart? ›

Some doughs are too dry, so the dumplings won't stay sealed. Others can be too wet and sticky and end up tearing. If the filling isn't cohesive enough, it will tumble out when you bite into it. If there's air trapped in the sealed dumpling, it will balloon during cooking, causing an explosive first bite.

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. But which flour you use depends on which dumpling you want to make.

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.

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.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Eusebia Nader

Last Updated:

Views: 6406

Rating: 5 / 5 (60 voted)

Reviews: 83% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Eusebia Nader

Birthday: 1994-11-11

Address: Apt. 721 977 Ebert Meadows, Jereville, GA 73618-6603

Phone: +2316203969400

Job: International Farming Consultant

Hobby: Reading, Photography, Shooting, Singing, Magic, Kayaking, Mushroom hunting

Introduction: My name is Eusebia Nader, I am a encouraging, brainy, lively, nice, famous, healthy, clever person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.