The Perfect Dumpling Sauce Recipe - The Woks of Life (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to perfect dumplings? ›

Overworking the mixture, thus having heavy dumplings is a common mistake people make. Dumplings need very gentle handling, so mix only until the ingredients are just combined, and if your recipe involves rolling them out with extra flour, avoid using too much.

Start by dissolving a teaspoon of sugar into a tablespoon of water. Then add 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 teaspoon rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon chili oil, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds, and ½ teaspoon sesame oil. And serve this sauce with your dumplings!

The dumplings' filling is itself flavorful and savory. You can enjoy them without any dipping sauce, like my kids do. My husband likes to eat them with Thai Sweet Chili sauce and I like light soy sauce. Some Chinese love to eat them with Chinese vinegar (black, not white like Western vinegar).

These Easy Asian Dumplings with Hoisin Dipping Sauce are one of our favorite appetizers to serve a crowd. The filling is packed with salty cabbage, crisp carrots and shiitake mushrooms, then stuffed into wonton wrappers and pan-fried. They're delicious and completely addictive!

Hand-mincing meat and adding more pork belly results in the juiciest dumplings. Traditionally, some Chinese cuisine uses hand minced meat for their dishes. For example, lots of dim sum items like siu mai, pork buns, beef meatball, and more use hand minced meat to control the texture and fat content of the dish!

Don't Overwork the Dumpling Dough

Stir everything together until the wet and dry ingredients are combined and you don't see any more dry flour. The dough might look a little lumpy, but that's okay! Overworking the dough is one of the easiest ways to end up with tough dumplings.

Ingredients & Substitutes

Chinese Black Vinegar: this is a black vinegar that is also known as Chinkiang Vinegar and it comes in a yellow bottle below. Or substitute with rice vinegar. Sesame oil: or substitute with a neutral oil like avocado oil, vegetable oil, canola oil, grapeseed oil or peanut oil. Not olive oil.

What is Gyoza Sauce? Traditionally, gyoza sauce it is half soy sauce and half vinegar, with optional chilli. Our version adds a touch of sesame oil, which pairs perfectly with the acidic tang of vinegar and salty soy. It's so easy to play with the ratios and adapt to your own personal taste.

My go-to soy sauce brand is Kikkoman. You can use your favorite variety like the original or low-sodium soy sauce. If you are gluten-free, substitute soy sauce for tamari or liquid aminos.

In a small bowl, whisk the soy sauce with the rice vinegar, chile-garlic sauce, and sesame oil, then serve.

Is hoisin sauce better than soy sauce? ›

Ultimately, it's the texture that helps you tell the two apart. That's because hoisin tends to be thicker and taste sweeter. But if you need a thickener for your noodle dish or your next stir-fry, hoisin is your best friend. It can also be a secret weapon when you're making a tasty dipping sauce.

They're both sweet, salty and sometimes spicy but hoisin has a distinctive Chinese five spice flavor that teriyaki lacks. If you ate something normally made with hoisin you would find the flavor to be noticeably different. If you can live with that, then go for it.

Ready-made alternatives for hoisin sauce

Soy sauce and tamari sauce are also perfect for adding flavor to vegetables and stir-fry dishes. Barbecue sauce is a great substitute for meat dishes. Or, use duck or orange sauce for dipping.

Bring Water To Boil and Cover

Once your water comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium or medium-low. You want a gentle boil that won't disturb your dumplings as they steam. Make sure you cover them! This allows for as much steam as possible so that your dumplings can definitely get cooked.

And for a pork-veggie filling that's compact, cohesive, and moist—but not dense or wet—mix the meat vigorously to release myosin, a sticky meat protein that helps the filling hold together. Using just the right amount of filling helps ensure that your dumplings can form a proper seal and won't burst open while cooking.

Cover up. As you fold your dumplings, keep them covered with a slightly damp kitchen towel. This prevents the dumplings from drying out (dry skins can split when cooked).