This Ultimate Sawsanan is my go-to sawsawan--a Filipino term meaning “dipping sauce”. My family always has this dipping sauce whenever we have grilled or fried food at home, like grilled liempo (pork belly), grilled fish, fried seafood, fried tofu or tokwa, and more.

The Ultimate Sawsawan or Filipino Dipping Sauce

WHAT IS A SAWSAWAN?

Sawsawan is the Filipino word for dipping sauce. We love all different types of sawsawan for different foods but one of my favourites is a soy sauce and vinegar-based one, which are the two essential condiments and seasonings in Filipino cooking. This is what I like to call the ultimate dipping sauce and it's delicious with fried tofu, grilled fish, and other dishes that have a subtle taste. I'm also a firm believer that a good sauce can complete and totally elevate a dish!

This sauce is packed with savoury, sour, and spicy notes with a little sweetness. I love the crunch from the onions and the juiciness of the tomatoes. Scooping this over fried or grilled foods really take it up a notch. 

The Ultimate Sawsawan or Filipino Dipping Sauce

INGREDIENTS YOU'LL NEED FOR THIS DIPPING SAUCE

You can find the full detailed recipe in the card below.

  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp distilled white vinegar
  • 2 tbsp water
  • 1/2 tbsp calamansi juice or 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • Ground pepper
  • 1-2 tsp sugar adjust to desired sweetness
  • 2-3 siling labuyo , bird’s eye chiles, or other chiles of choice
  • 1 medium tomato diced
  • 1 medium red onion diced
The Ultimate Sawsawan or Filipino Dipping Sauce

HOW TO ENJOY THIS SAWSAWAN

I had mine with air-fried tokwa or extra firm tofu and soaked the tofu with the sauce so the tofu absorbs the flavour! I love scooping the onions and tomatoes over the tomato and love it with steamed rice.

GREAT WITH GRILLED OR FRIED FOOD

This is great with fried extra firm tofu/tofwa, other deep fried dishes (with a subtle taste), and grilled dishes!

The Ultimate Sawsawan or Filipino Dipping Sauce
The Ultimate Sawsawan or Filipino Dipping Sauce

MORE VEGAN FILIPINO RECIPES YOU MIGHT LOVE!

The Ultimate Sawsawan or Filipino Dipping Sauce

The Ultimate Sawsawan (Filipino Dipping Sauce)

5 from 7 votes
This is my go-to sawsawan, a Filipino term meaning “dipping sauce”. My family always has this dipping sauce whenever we have grilled or fried food like grilled liempo (pork belly), fried fish, and fried tofu. This sauce is packed with savoury, sour, and spicy notes with a little sweetness. I love the crunch from the onions and the juiciness of the tomatoes. Scooping this over fried or grilled foods really take it up a notch.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Course Condiments, Dips, Sauces
Cuisine Asian, Filipino, Southeast Asian
Servings 3 serving
Calories 19 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp distilled white vinegar
  • 2 tbsp water
  • 1/2 tbsp Calamansi juice or 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • Ground pepper
  • 1-2 tsp sugar adjust to desired sweetness
  • 2-3 siling labuyo , bird’s eye chiles, or other chiles of choice
  • 1 medium tomato diced
  • 1 medium red onion diced

Enjoy With:

  • Fried or air fried extra firm tofu
  • Steamed rice
  • Other grilled and fried food!

Instructions
 

  • Mix the soy sauce, vinegar, water, calamansi juice, pepper, and sugar until the sugar has dissolved. Add the chiles, tomatoes, onions. Mix well and feel free to adjust to your taste.
  • I had mine with air-fried tokwa or extra firm tofu and soaked the tofu with the sauce so the tofu absorbs the flavour! I love scooping the onions and tomatoes over the tomato and love it with steamed rice.
  • This is great with fried extra firm tofu/tofwa, other deep fried dishes (with a subtle taste), and grilled dishes!

NUTRITIONAL INFO

Calories: 19kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1081mg | Potassium: 41mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Calcium: 5mg | Iron: 1mg
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The Ultimate Sawsawan or Filipino Dipping Sauce
Jeeca

Hello there!

Welcome to The Foodie Takes Flight! Hi, I'm Jeeca, a food content creator and recipe developer passionate about creating easy yet tasty and flavour-packed vegan recipes. I share a lot of Asian recipes inspired by my travels and those I grew up enjoying.

18 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    This was absolutely amazing!! I chucked it all in the bowl and couldn’t have imagined it would taste like that – incredible! ?

5 from 7 votes

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