This gyoza sauce is savory, tangy, slightly sweet, with a hint of spice – perfect for serving as a dipping sauce for potstickers, dumplings, gyoza, and wontons! All you need is 8 ingredients and a few minutes to prepare this dumpling sauce recipe!

I just posted a recipe for homemade mushroom dumplings (after posting my method for homemade dumpling wrappers), so what do you need next? This simple potsticker/gyoza sauce, of course!

With a simple combination of soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and several aromatics, this gyoza dipping sauce is a delicious balance of flavors. It’s salty, tangy, slightly sweet, with a hint of spice – delicious!

Traditional gyoza sauce is made up of a combination of vinegar and soy sauce. However, with just a few additional aromatics and ingredients, you can turn this condiment from “okay” to “oh yay!”

Best of all, it’s cheaper to make than buying a store-bought option (especially as it’s made up of several pantry staples), and you can easily adapt the ingredients to your preferred flavor!

Don’t have all of the ingredients? Don’t worry! This gyoza sauce is also super versatile. Please keep reading to check for all of my notes and variations! Once you’ve tried this homemade dumpling sauce, you’ll never want to use a store-bought option again!

The Ingredients

• Soy sauce: it’s best to use regular soy sauce for this dumpling sauce. However, feel free to use light (reduced-sodium) or dark soy if that’s what you have – but the flavor will vary slightly. I suggest reducing the amount slightly if using dark soy. For a gluten-free option, use tamari.
• Rice vinegar: this is the traditional choice and adds a subtle sweetness that not all vinegar contains. However, feel free to experiment with other varieties. Apple cider vinegar works very well; it could also work with white wine vinegar.
• Sesame oil: this is what I consider the ‘secret special ingredient.’ It has a powerful flavor, so feel free to reduce the amount I’ve suggested, to begin with, and add incrementally to your desired level.
• Chili: I like to use sliced dried chili or red pepper flakes. However, you could substitute fresh sliced chili (seeds removed), chili sauce or paste, a little chili oil, or even a little chili powder. For extra spice, you can combine different options.
• Aromatics: I use a combination of garlic and ginger in this gyoza sauce recipe. Mince them or grate them using a garlic grater dish, so they are interspersed throughout the sauce.
• Sugar: you can use a little honey, maple, or even brown sugar to add a little sweetness to the sauce. Technically, this is optional. However, I think it balances the flavors really well. 
• To garnish: I used finely chopped chives to garnish. However, you could also use finely chopped green onion or fried scallions.

Variations

At its core, this gyoza sauce recipe is super versatile. You can adjust all of the elements to find your perfect level based on how sweet, salt, spicy, etc. that you want it to be. Here are just a few other variations.

• Don’t like spice? Omit the chili flakes.
• Want more spice? Feel free to increase any of the chili options mentioned above and even double-up on a variety (i.e., some chili flakes PLUS a few drops of chili oil). 
• A bit too tangy? Add a little extra sweetness.
• Too salty? You could water it down slightly more with hot water or add a little extra sweetness. Next time, I suggest making it with reduced-sodium soy sauce!
• Hate ginger or garlic? Omit it entirely. 

You could also substitute the pepper flakes and garlic with some chili garlic sauce and allow it to marinate for at least an hour.

How To Make Gyoza/ Dumpling Sauce

First, finely mince or grate the garlic and the ginger and slice the chives (or green onions). 

Then mix all of the ingredients and stir well.

Feel free to start without the hot water and add it bit by bit to your desired level (as it will water down the sauce’s taste). 

Allow it to sit for at least 15 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld and marinate.

Then give the sauce a final taste and adjust any of the elements. Optionally garnish with some sesame seeds (raw or toasted).

Once ready, serve it up with some storebought or homemade dumplings – like these mushroom dumplings or crispy rice paper dumplings and enjoy!

How To Make Ahead and Store

I actually recommend making this gyoza sauce ahead. Though I suggest a minimum of 15 minutes ‘marinating’ before serving the dumpling sauce, it’ll be even better with an hour. Better yet, prepare it and leave it overnight to marinate!

You can store any leftover gyoza sauce in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. If you omit the fresh ingredients until right before serving, then the liquid base should be fine for 1-2 weeks in the refrigerator.

Recipe Notes

• To avoid waste: try to pour out just enough that you need per usage. The unused gyoza dipping sauce can be kept in the fridge for later but once you’ve ‘dipped’ in the sauce, you’ll have to get rid of any leftovers.
• Feel free to omit the fresh garlic or ginger if preferred. Both are optional but “‘level up” the flavor.
• This works for more than just dumplings too! Use it to splash over stir-fries, noodles, roasted and grilled Asian veg, over crispy baked tofu, and more!

More Dipping Sauce Recipes

• Perfect Au Jus
• Hollandaise Sauce
• Chimichurri
• Red Pepper Sauce

If you try this quick gyoza sauce, I’d love to hear your thoughts/questions below. Also, I’d appreciate a recipe card rating below, and tag me in your recipe recreations on Instagram @Alphafoodie!