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An all-around dipping sauce, or sauce in general, perfect for dumplings, noodles, cold tofu, even as a dressing for cucumber salad, and more! You’ll want to soak or dip everything in this sweet-savory-spicy sauce with all the aromatics and extra heat from chili oil!

THIS ALL-AROUND SAUCE IS PERFECT FOR

You can really use this for anything and everything! But I’d say it pairs best with East Asian or Southeast Asian flavors—or you know, you can always let your creativity run wild! 

A few of the many uses for this sauce:

1. Cold or Steamed silken tofu
2. Dumpling Sauce
3. Dressing for Cucumber salad
4. Stir-fry sauce for noodles 
5. Sauce for stir-fried tofu

See below for how I made these!

👩🏻‍🍳 CHEF’S TIP

• You can make this sauce 2-3 days in advance. It keeps well in the fridge! Just mix well and leave to sit at room temperature before using.
• For an extra tang, you can add a splash more vinegar too!

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 green onion sliced
• 1.5 tbsp neutral oil
• 1/2 tbsp soy sauce or more to taste
• 1 tbsp vegetarian oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar or distilled vinegar
• 1-2 tbsp chili oil adjust to desired heat
• 1 tsp dark soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp roasted sesame seeds

To make the sauce

• Heat neutral oil then pour over garlic and green onion in a heat proof bowl.
• Place the rest of the ingredients in the bowl and mix until well incorporated. Feel free to adjust everything depending on your desired taste!

To enjoy the sauce, you can make:

• Cold/Steamed silken tofu
  • Simply open a package of silken tofu and place it on a deep plate/bowl. Drain any excess water.You can opt to steam this for a warm version or keep it cold, straight out of the package! Pour the sauce over then top with fried shallots. Serve then enjoy with rice, or noodles.

• Dumplings
  • Use this sauce as a dipping sauce for your steamed or pan-friend dumplings or opt to pour the sauce over your dumplings to let them soak up the flavors!

• Cucumber salad
  • Smash the cucumber (smashing gives it added texture), and then slice into smaller pieces of your choice. You can place the cucumber on a strainer with a catch basin underneath then sprinkle some salt. Add a pinch of salt and toss to coat the cucumber. Leave to sit for 10-15 minutes to draw out extra water. Remove the cucumber and then transfer to a bowl. Pour over the sauce/dressing and mix well.

• Noodles
  • Cook noodles of your choice. I simply microwaved 2 portions of frozen udon until chewy. You can opt to directly pour the sauce over and mix well or you can also heat up a wok and stir-fry some tofu or vegetables in some oil. Once tender, add the sauce. Add the cooked noodles to coat with the sauce. The sauce will thicken from the sugars and coat the noodles well. Enjoy!

• Stir-Fried Tofu
  • Pan-fry slices of tofu on a pan with oil until golden brown on both sides. Pour the sauce over and allow the sauce to come to a gentle boil. It’ll start to thicken from the sugars and coat the tofu.Another option is to use the sauce for dipping instead of pouring it to mix with the tofu.

MORE RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE

• Easy Spicy Miso Noodles
• Cold Silken Tofu with Sweet Chili Sauce
• Vegetable Dumplings
• Chinese Chive Pies
• Pan-Fried Cabbage and Noodle Buns
• Wontons in Chili Broth
• Scallion and Sesame Buns

Easy All-Around Dipping Sauce

5 from 1 vote

An all-around dipping sauce, or sauce in general, perfect for dumplings, noodles, cold tofu, even as a dressing for cucumber salad, and more! You’ll want to soak or dip everything in this sweet-savory-spicy sauce with all the aromatics and extra heat from chili oil!

Print Recipe Pin this Recipe Rate this Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 15 minutes mins

Course Appetizer, Condiments, Finger Food, Main Course, Salads, Side Dish, Sides, Snack

Cuisine Asian, Chinese, Filipino, Fusion, Hokkien, Taiwanese

Servings 3 servings

Calories 112 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 green onion sliced
• 1.5 tbsp neutral oil , I used avocado oil
• 1/2 tbsp soy sauce or more to taste
• 1 tbsp vegetarian oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar or distilled vinegar
• 1-2 tbsp chili oil adjust to desired heat
• 1 tsp dark soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp roasted sesame seeds

Serve/Enjoy with:

• 1 block soft or silken tofu
• Fried shallots for topping
• Dumplings
• Noodles
• Cucumber Salad

Instructions

 

To make the sauce

• Heat neutral oil then pour over garlic and green onion in a heat proof bowl.
• Place the rest of the ingredients in the bowl and mix until well incorporated. Feel free to adjust everything depending on your desired taste!

To enjoy the sauce, you can make:

• Cold/Steamed silken tofu: simply open a package of silken tofu and place it on a deep plate/bowl. Drain any excess water.

  You can opt to steam this for a warm version or keep it cold, straight out of the package! Pour the sauce over then top with fried shallots. Serve then enjoy with rice, or noodles.
• Dumplings: use this sauce as a dipping sauce for your steamed or pan-friend dumplings or opt to pour the sauce over your dumplings to let them soak up the flavors!
• Cucumber salad: smash the cucumber (smashing gives it added texture), and then slice into smaller pieces of your choice.

  You can place the cucumber on a strainer with a catch basin underneath then sprinkle some salt.

  Add a pinch of salt and toss to coat the cucumber. Leave to sit for 10-15 minutes to draw out extra water. Remove the cucumber and then transfer to a bowl. Pour over the sauce/dressing and mix well.
• Noodles: Cook noodles of your choice. I simply microwaved 2 portions of frozen udon until chewy.

  You can opt to directly pour the sauce over and mix well or you can also heat up a wok and stir-fry some tofu or vegetables in some oil.

  Once tender, add the sauce. Add the cooked noodles to coat with the sauce. The sauce will thicken from the sugars and coat the noodles well. Enjoy!
• Stir-Fried Tofu: Pan-fry slices of tofu on a pan with oil until golden brown on both sides.

  Pour the sauce over and allow the sauce to come to a gentle boil. It’ll start to thicken from the sugars and coat the tofu.

  Another option is to use the sauce for dipping instead of pouring it to mix with the tofu.

Storage Tips and More

• You can make this sauce 2-3 days in advance. It keeps well in the fridge!

  Just mix well and leave to sit at room temperature before using.
• For an extra tang, you can add a splash more vinegar!

NUTRITIONAL INFO

Serving: 1serving (sauce) | Calories: 112kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Sodium: 445mg | Potassium: 40mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 40IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 0.3mg

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