Let’s dip! Your gyoza and potstickers will be so delicious! I’ve got Easy Dumpling Sauce Recipes for both Chinese dumplings and Japanese gyoza. Ready in 5 minutes!
No trip to the ramen shop is complete without a plate (or two!) of pan-fried gyoza on the side.
Same goes with a mid-day voyage to Chinatown for dim sum from the pushcarts. I could devour fried wontons and steamed har gao by the truckload.
Dumplings come in many delicious forms. However, the variety of dipping sauces offered doesn’t get the spotlight it deserves.
When buying store-bought dumplings, it can be all too easy to pour soy sauce in a ramekin and call it a day.
But did you know you can make a proper Chinese or Japanese dumpling sauce in 5 minutes with a handful of simple pantry ingredients that will rival the dipping sauces of your favorite restaurants?
Today, I’m excited to tell you about two of my favorite dumpling sauces.
One is a flavor-packed Chinese potsticker sauce loaded with a well rounded mix of salty, tangy heat. And the other is a classic Japanese gyoza sauce that you’ll almost always find next to your perfectly pan-fried dumplings at your favorite izakaya or ramen joint.
What Is Dumpling Sauce?
Dumpling sauce is a condiment that is often used to top or dip dumplings in. It can be made from a variety of ingredients, but typically includes some combination of vinegar, soy sauce, chili oil, and garlic.
A good dumpling sauce will typically have a nuanced balance of savory, tangy and spicy notes. A little peripheral sweetness should be expected from use of either chinkiang vinegar or rice vinegar.
However, it shouldn’t overpower. Rather, a proper dumpling sauce should compliment and elevate your juicy dumplings – while still allowing the thin wrapper and tasty dumpling filling to shine.
Where To Buy Dumpling Sauce
Dumpling sauce can be found in the international aisle of your local grocery store. Or, you can also purchase it online from a variety of different retailers.
Chinese Dumpling Sauce Ingredients
- Garlic: A single minced garlic clove will infuse your Chinese dipping sauce with a pungent, herbaceous undertone that works so well with our next ingredient. Garlic is a versatile ingredient that can be used in many different dishes, so it’s no wonder that it’s one of the most popular ingredients in dumpling sauce.
- Scallions: Finely chopped green onion delivers a bright garden freshness to the mix – and a slight bit of texture when you dip your jiaozi, wontons, har gao and all-purpose potstickers. Green onions add a touch of sweetness and help to balance out the flavors of the other ingredients.
- Soy Sauce: Regular soy sauce is the main savory component of our composed dipping sauce. With a complex set of flavors ranging from salty to earthy to almost imperceptibly sweet, soy sauce is an absolute must for this recipe.
- Chinkiang Vinegar: This Chinese black vinegar has a fruity tangy flavor with a noticeable amount of umami. Typically served in a ramekin with thin strips of ginger alongside dim sum favorites like xiao long bao, this is an iconic ingredient worth getting your hands on. Grab chinkiang vinegar on Amazon.
- Chili Oil: I like to use a chili oil that is sesame based. That way you get a one-two punch of toasted nutty perfection with a bit of fire. However, don’t think of chili oil as simply hot. Think of it more as an underlying slow burn. This is an ingredient you can use at your discretion. I wouldn’t leave it out entirely if you don’t like spicy food. Rather, adding a little at a time until you find a good mix is recommended. This recipe calls for a tablespoon. But you can use more or less as you see fit.
Japanese Gyoza Dipping Sauce Ingredients
- Soy Sauce: Much like the Chinese version, shoyu (醤油) does much of the heavy lifting in this Japanese dumpling sauce. Umami and perfect!
- Rice Vinegar: With a mild sweetness and pleasant tang, rice vinegar is much less harsh than red or white wine vinegars. Typically used in sushi rice, salad dressings and for pickling – this is one ingredient you’ll want to have handy for much more than this gyoza dipping sauce recipe.
- Chili Oil: A teaspoon of chili oil is all you’ll need to round out the flavor with a slight pop of spice. Your gyoza are going to taste amazing!
Ingredient Variations
If you don’t have all of the ingredients on hand or would like to alter the flavor to suit your taste, here are a few substitutions and suggestions to try. Your dumpling sauce will be just as delicious!
- If you can’t find chinkiang vinegar at your local Asian grocery store, use one part balsamic vinegar mixed with one part red-wine vinegar. Balsamic brings a thick and sweet fruitiness. The red-wine vinegar delivers zing, while masking some of the cloying sweetness from the balsamic.
- For the Japanese gyoza sauce, you can swap rice vinegar for apple cider vinegar, or use a touch of white vinegar.
- For a gluten-free sauce, use tamari or liquid aminos.
- Make it less spicy by lowering the amount of chili oil used. Or, if you don’t have chili oil or simply don’t like it, use regular sesame oil or toasted sesame oil. Add an additional teaspoon sesame oil to make it more nutty.
- Introduce a touch more sweetness by using a teaspoon of honey.
- To make it less salty, use low-sodium soy sauce.
How To Make Dumpling Sauce
- To make the Chinese dumpling sauce, start by peeling and mincing the garlic. then, add the garlic to a bowl along with the chopped green onions, soy sauce, chinkiang vinegar, and chili oil. Stir and serve.
- To make the Japanese dumpling sauce, whisk the soy sauce, rice vinegar, and chili oil in a small bowl.
- Serve the sauce with your favorite dumplings, pot stickers, spring rolls, or egg rolls, and enjoy!
The best thing about making homemade dipping sauces is how drop-dead easy they are to whip up. Simply measure out the ingredients, whisk them together – and you’re good to go. No muss, no fuss.
The absolute ease in making these Asian sauces belies their true worth though. You see, you can elevate the flavor of your favorite dim sum to crazy heights with just a few pantry ingredients and minimal investment of your time.
How To Store Dumpling Sauce
Both of these dumpling sauces can be stored in an airtight container or a jar. The Chinese dipping sauce will keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. The Japanese dipping sauce will keep in the fridge for longer – up to 6 weeks – because it doesn’t contain any garlic or green onion.
What To Serve With Dumplings
Nothing beats a delicious dumpling. They have an inherent advantage in the food world. They go with almost everything!
I’ll always order gyoza when I go to my favorite Japanese ramen shop for a steaming bowl of tonkotsu ramen. Same goes when I make shoyu ramen or savory miso ramen at home.
And no trip to Chinatown would be complete without a dozen springy jiaozi dumplings to eat before the main courses start to arrive.
If you’re making a Chinese feast at your place, check out these other delicious and easy Chinese recipes:
- Moo Goo Gai Pan
- Chinese Eggplant With Garlic Sauce
- Szechuan Chicken
- Stir Fried Glass Noodles With Shrimp
- Egg Foo Young
Happy cooking, friends!
Other Easy To Make Asian Sauces And Condiments:
Both of these dumpling sauces are delicious and easy to make. So next time you’re feeling like some dumplings, be sure to try out one of these sauces!
Have you made this dumpling sauce recipe? Are there changes you made that you would like to share? Share your tips and recommendations in the comments section below!
PrintEasy Dumpling Sauce
These recipes for Chinese dumpling sauce and Japanese gyoza sauce are so easy to make, you might be surprised that they taste just like your favorite restaurant versions!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 6 tablespoons 1x
- Category: Condiment
- Method: Stirring
- Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients
Chinese dumpling sauce
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 scallion, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons chinkiang vinegar
- 1 tablespoon chili oil
Japanese dumpling sauce (gyoza)
- 3 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon plain rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon chili oil
Instructions
Directions:
Whisk all the ingredients together in a bowl and serve in individual dipping bowls.
Notes
Make it less spicy by lowering the amount of chili oil.
Make it sweeter by adding 1-2 teaspoons honey.
Dumpling sauce should be kept refrigerated in an airtight glass or plastic container. It will keep for up to 4 weeks.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 tablespoons
- Calories: 57
- Sugar: 0.9g
- Sodium: 434.8mg
- Fat: 4.6g
- Saturated Fat: 0.6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1.9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 2.6g
- Fiber: 0.1g
- Protein: 1.3g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
Keywords: gyoza sauce, jiaozi sauce, potsticker sauce
Loved it! I used Mirin since I didn’t have the chinkiang vinegar and it was delish!!
★★★★★
Thank you Jenn! 🙂
Very easy to make and tastes amazing!!
★★★★★
I made these before I had Black Vinegar and they were marvelous. By far the best i’ve had. Then I got some Black Vinegar and Chili Crisp from Fly by Jing and now the Chinese one is out of this world. There is a link for the vinegar earlier in the page. I urge you to buy it.
★★★★★
I love all your sauces and share the links with my cousins who love ‘my’ recipes/cooking! These recipes are looking delicious and I can’t wait to incorporate them into our rotation. I currently use a dipping sauce made from balsamic vinegar and red rooster chili garlic sauce. Sometimes a splash of soy sauce or sesame oil to mix it up (but the sesame oil floats on top and I don’t get the tang from below).
Loved it! Didn’t have the chilli oil so substituted sesame oil and pepper flakes, extra garlic because hey we’re Italian lol, added some honey and grated ginger because hubby loves it. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
★★★★★
I made the Chinese Dumplin Sauce tonight for some Mini Wontons and my family (and I) couldn’t get enough of it! So much better than any other I have tried. We did increase the fire oil just a bit since we enjoy a little more heat, so delicious! Thanks for sharing this recipe!
★★★★★
This is perfect – I tried the Chinese dumpling sauce and we loved it. Thanks for sharing!
★★★★★
Thank you Courtney! 🙂
Have been looking for a good sauce for several years. This was perfect! Tasted as good, if not better then what I’ve had in real Chinese restaurants. You know, the ones that serve the Asia people in the area. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Thank you Dale! 🙂
Made both, they tasted very similar but both yummy!
★★★★★
Question – If I make too much of the dipping sauce, how long is it good for if kept in the refrigerator?
Hi Jenny! The sauce will keep for about 4 weeks, refrigerated 🙂
Looking forward to trying this recipe, and learning new ones, with the pandemic all around us, I am embracing cooking at home.
★★★★
That’s wonderful Clayton, and welcome to Pickled Plum! 🙂
Hi, Just came across this recipe and wanted to know exactly what type of soy sauce should you use for the dumpling sauce? Light, dark, and thick soy sauce?
Hi Daniela! I use regular soy sauce but you light also works 🙂
Hi Daniela, I am assuming that Caroline was referring to the choice that most Western white people have, which is “regular” or reduced sodium. I interpret your question to be light soy sauce vs dark soy sauce, and for my version of this type of sauce I would use light because dark would be too strong for me, but that’s largely my preference.
I had frozen dumplings on hand and wanted a light supper. No dipping sauce . So going by my memory of dumpling sauce from my fav Chinese restaurants… I got creative. I made sweet and sour vinegar (equal parts apple cider vinegar, water, and brown sugar…Heated until sugar is dissolved in micro. ) Next came the soy sauce… I used the same amount of it… as I had used making the sweet and sour vinegar… 1/2 c soy, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 c water, and 1/2 cup vinegar. Mixed the ingredients together. Added one clove of minced garlic , and a sprinkle of Asian ginger/pepper spice I always have on hand! Wonderful result!
These sauces look delicious!
I came across this post at work today, because I was looking for a dumpling recipe I could make in batches and bring to work and store in my locker. I’m a 911 Dispatcher, and can’t leave for meals during my shift. My locker has turned into a bit of a condiment storage place (my co-workers affectionately laugh at me, but I’m the first person they come to if they need soy sauce!). I had some frozen soup dumplings that didn’t have a sauce included, and I wanted something with umami and acid. I had some oyster sauce and some ponzu in my locker, so I combined those two until the flavors were balanced, and then added a bit of sesame oil. While not a traditional dumpling sauce, it was delicious and I will definitely be combining these flavors to add to some of my dishes at home! I see sautéed spinach with this combination in my future!
★★★★★
I love your story Dani (I laughed out loud about your locker turning into a condiment storage place!), thank you for sharing 🙂