4-Ingredient Dumpling Sauce (Dumpling Dipping Sauce)

This super quick Dumpling Dipping Sauce is easy to make with 4 simple ingredients. It’s savory, tangy, and a little spicy. The perfect sauce for gyoza, potstickers, spring rolls, and more!

Anyone else keep a bag of frozen potstickers in their freezer at all times? ✋✋✋ Like, for emergencies…

I love that I can pop a handful of them into the microwave (or the air fryer) for a quick + easy lunch or snack. And while they only take like 3 minutes in the microwave, that gives me just enough time to whip up a small bowl of my favorite dumpling dipping sauce!

I mean… a plateful of Japanese gyoza is only complete when it’s served with some sauce. This version is tangy, savory, and a touch spicy. It’s the best dipping sauce you can keep in your fridge at all times.

The best part is it takes 1 minute to stir together using 4 ingredients that you likely already have in your pantry.

I usually serve mine up with gyoza or, when I’m in a rush, these air fryer potstickers.

Gyoza is a type of pan-fried Japanese dumpling. They take after traditional Chinese dumplings (called Jiaozi), which stuff meat and vegetables into a thin dough. While Jiaozi can be boiled, fried, or steamed, gyoza is almost always pan-fried and steamed.

These crispy potstickers have gorgeous golden brown bottoms and soft, doughy tops that are begging to be dipped in a sensational sauce.

This dumpling sauce recipe has a little bit of everything to complement every bite: tang, salt, spice, and umami. Serve it alongside your favorite store bought or homemade dumplings or even spring rolls, cucumber salad, and tempura.

Dumpling sauce ingredients

This dipping sauce is made with only 4 ingredients:

• Soy sauce – This salty condiment is the base of the dipping sauce. If you’d like to lower the amount of sodium in the sauce, make sure to use a low sodium soy sauce. 
• Rice vinegar – While this is the best option, apple cider vinegar or white vinegar can be used instead.
• Sesame oil – This adds a savory balance to the sauce.
• Crushed red pepper flakes – Just a pinch of these spicy flakes add complexity and heat.

How to make dumpling sauce

Mix all of the dumpling dipping sauce ingredients together in a bowl and serve! It’s that easy.

Customize the flavor

You can customize the flavor of your gyoza sauce with all kinds of additions. Bring on the spice, make it a touch sweeter, or enhance the savory elements. Use any of these add-ins:

• Chili oil
• Sliced green onions or fresh chives
• Grated or minced garlic cloves
• Grated ginger – I love to buy the tubes of ginger that are stocked near the fresh herbs in the produce section
• Hot sauce or gojuchang
• Sugar – white, brown, cane, or coconut sugar will all work
• Dried chili peppers
• Sesame seeds
• Citrus zest – lime, lemon or even orange

How long does it last?

Store the sauce in an airtight container or jar in the fridge and it will stay fresh for up to 1 week.

Variations

• Gluten free – To make gluten free dumpling sauce, replace the soy sauce with tamari, coconut aminos, or gluten free soy sauce.
• Make it sweeter – By replacing the regular soy sauce and sugar with kecap manis.
• Spicy dipping sauce – Add 1 teaspoon of sriracha, gojuchang, or your favorite hot sauce.
• Lower the sodium – If you don’t have low sodium soy sauce, you can slightly dilute the strong salty flavors with 1 or 2 tablespoons of water.
• Too tangy? Add ½ teaspoon of sugar to tone it down.

Serving suggestions

This is a dipping sauce recipe at heart but it can also be used as a quick dressing for salads and noodle dishes:

• Gyoza
• Air Fryer Potstickers
• Lamb Dumplings
• Wontons
• Vegetable Stir Fry
• Spring Rolls
• Vegetarian Sushi
• Vietnamese Noodle Salad
• Tempura
• Egg rolls
• More → the BEST sides for Dumplings

More dipping sauces

• Potsticker Sauce
• Sesame Sauce
• Gyoza Sauce
• Mojo Sauce
• Peanut Sauce

Did you try this dumpling sauce recipe?

If you loved this dipping sauce for dumplings I would appreciate it so much if you would give this recipe a star review! Also, be sure to snap a picture of your finished dish and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #platingsandpairings and tagging me @platingsandpairings.

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