Sweet And Tangy Korean Style Dumpling Sauce Recipe

I’ve got a simple Korean Mandu Dipping Sauce I turn to for dumplings, coming together in minutes, balancing sweet and tangy without overwhelming, with a quick option to add heat.

I love a sauce that seems simple but does a lot. My Sweet And Tangy Korean Style Dumpling Sauce feels like that.

The bright lift of rice vinegar plays off the savory depth of low sodium soy sauce in a way that makes even plain dumplings suddenly interesting. Its not cloying or overly sour and you can nudge it toward heat if you want.

I often compare it in my head to a street vendor’s Korean Mandu Dipping Sauce or even the jarred Bibigo Dumpling Sauce, except this one has a little more edge and keeps you guessing.

Ingredients

• Soy sauce: Adds savory salty depth and some sodium, contains tiny protein traces, low fiber.
• Rice vinegar: Bright acidic tang, almost zero calories, helps balance sweetness and cut richness.
• Sugar or honey: Provides quick sweet energy, adds viscosity, honey gives trace vitamins and minerals.
• Toasted sesame oil: Intense nutty flavor, mostly fat so calorie dense, adds warm toasty depth.
• Garlic: Pungent, adds sharp savory bite, contains allicin with potential health benefits.
• Scallion: Fresh oniony crunch, low calories, adds brightness and mild herbal note.
• Sesame seeds: Tiny crunch, adds subtle nuttiness, small amounts of calcium fiber and healthy fats.
• Gochugaru or gochujang: Chili flakes give smoky heat, gochujang adds umami sweetness and fermented depth.

Ingredient Quantities

• 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar or honey (use whichever you got)
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon water (to thin, if needed)
• 1 small clove garlic, minced
• 1 scallion, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon gochugaru or red pepper flakes for heat (optional) or 1/2 teaspoon gochujang if you want it spicy)

How to Make this

1. In a small bowl combine 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce and 2 tablespoons rice vinegar.

2. Add 1 tablespoon granulated sugar or honey. If using sugar whisk until it dissolves, if using honey warm it a few seconds or stir really well so it mixes.

3. Stir in 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil and 1 tablespoon water to thin, add more later only if needed.

4. Add 1 small clove garlic, minced, and 1 scallion thinly sliced, stir to combine.

5. Sprinkle in 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds.

6. For heat add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon gochugaru or red pepper flakes, or use 1/2 teaspoon gochujang if you want it spicy; if you use gochujang whisk extra well and add a splash more water to loosen.

7. Taste and adjust: add a pinch more sugar or honey if too tangy, more soy sauce if it needs salt, or a little extra vinegar if you want more tang; dont be shy to tweak it to your taste.

8. Let the sauce sit 5 to 10 minutes so the flavors meld, then give it one more stir. If it seems too thick add up to another tablespoon water.

9. Serve with dumplings. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days and rewhisk before using.

Equipment Needed

1. Small mixing bowl — for combining the sauce (or a small jar if you want to shake it instead)
2. Measuring spoons (tablespoon and teaspoon) for accurate soy, vinegar, sugar, oil and seeds
3. Small whisk or fork to dissolve the sugar or whisk in gochujang well
4. Teaspoon or small spoon for stirring and tasting as you tweak the flavor
5. Paring knife and small cutting board to mince the garlic and slice the scallion
6. Microwave-safe bowl or small saucepan to warm honey briefly if you choose honey
7. Small container or jar with lid for storing leftovers in the fridge
8. Chopsticks or tongs for serving with dumplings (or a small serving spoon if you prefer)

FAQ

Sweet And Tangy Korean Style Dumpling Sauce Recipe Substitutions and Variations

• Soy sauce (2 tbsp): Tamari for gluten free, coconut aminos if you need soy free and want it a bit sweeter, or regular soy sauce if low sodium not around just use a splash less and maybe add a little water to dilute.
• Rice vinegar (2 tbsp): Apple cider vinegar works well, white wine vinegar is milder, or swap for fresh lemon juice if you dont have any vinegars.
• Sugar or honey (1 tbsp): Brown sugar gives a deeper taste, maple syrup or agave work as liquid sweeteners, or use a simple syrup if thats what you got (cut any extra water you add).
• Gochugaru / Gochujang (heat): Crushed red pepper flakes for a similar heat, sriracha or chili garlic sauce for spicy and savory, or a pinch of cayenne plus a touch of sugar if you want to mimic the sweet heat.

Pro Tips

– Toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan until they smell nutty, then let them cool before adding. It makes a big difference, trust me, the little toasty crunch lifts the whole sauce.

– If you use honey warm it up a bit or mix it into a spoon of the warm vinegar first so it blends easy. Sugar will dissolve if you whisk hard, but honey gives a rounder flavor so pick based on what you got.

– Want it spicy and deep? Stir your gochujang or red pepper into a tiny splash of hot water first so it loosens up, or bloom red pepper flakes briefly in a teaspoon of hot oil to pull out more flavor.

– Let the sauce sit 5 to 10 minutes before serving so the garlic and scallion mellow and flavors marry. If it tastes too sharp after sitting, add a tiny pinch more sugar or a splash more soy until it sings.

– For better cling on dumplings add a teaspoon of neutral oil or a little more water to reach desired thinness, and use the white part of the scallion for bite and the greens for color. Store in the fridge and give it a good stir before using.