We love all types of Asian dumplings, and when we lean towards the Japanese version, we always serve them with this easy Gyoza Sauce. It only takes 5 minutes to whip up, and takes your frozen dumplings to a new level.
There is always a bag of frozen dumplings in our freezer. Often more than one. They are one of our go-to quick meals, and make the base for our easy Dumpling Soup, which we have whenever we crave something light.
But one thing we absolutely never do is eat them with the sauce that comes with them. We always make it fresh.
Ingredient Needed
You can find exact measurements for this sauce in the recipe card. Here is what you will need:
- Soy Sauce – The base of this sauce. You could go for a low-sodium version if you’re watching your salt intake.
- Rice Vinegar – This gives the sauce a little tang. You can use white vinegar if you don’t have rice.
- Chili Oil – We like a little kick in our gyoza sauce! Adjust the quantity to suit your heat tolerance. Although it’s readily available in the Asian section of supermarkets, we always keep around a jar of our Homemade Chili Oil.
- Sugar – Sometimes I use honey for a little different flavor.
- Sesame Oil – This adds a nutty flavor. A little goes a long way, so be careful not to overpower the sauce.
- Sesame Seeds – Great in anything Asian.
- Garlic – Freshly minced.
- Scallion – Just the green parts.
How to Make Gyoza Sauce
1. Chop & measure: Dice up you garlic and scallion, and add them to a small bowl along with the other ingredients.
2. Stir: Whisk everything together until the sauce has emulsified.
3. Serve: Start dipping your gyoza, or any other type of Asian dumplings.
What is the Difference Between Gyoza and Other Asian Dumplings?
Gyoza are Japanese dumplings inspired by Chinese potstickers, but they’ve developed their own personality.
What makes them stand out:
- Wrapper: Gyoza wrappers are more thin and delicate than other varieties.
- Filling: Gyoza features a stronger garlic, ginger, and sesame oil flavor in the pork and cabbage filling.
- Cooking: They are pan-fried, then steamed, whereas Chinese dumplings are often just steamed or boiled. (crispy bottom + juicy top = magic)
- Size: They’re smaller, meant for quick bites.
Serving Suggestions
We often eat gyoza or other dumplings as a lunch or lazy dinner, sometimes with a side of Edamame or Bok Choy. Just cook them from frozen, whisk together our sauce, and start dunking.
For a fun twist, not to mention a big hit at get-togethers, we also use frozen dumplings to make our Dumpling Salad. This sauce makes a great dressing for it.
A Few Tips
- Whisk it well: Make sure the oils emulsify fully into the sauce, to avoid separation.
- Taste and adjust: Everyone has a little different palate, so feel free to tweak the amounts to your liking.
- Scale the recipe: The amounts I have listed make enough sauce for one bag of frozen dumplings (which is about 24oz). If you’re making more, simply multiply all of the ingredients.
Variations
It’s always good to have a few variations at your disposal. Especially when you eat dumplings as often as we do. Here are some way we add some variety:
- Add ginger: It’s an Asian staple, and we often add 1-2 teaspoons of freshly minced ginger.
- Give it a citrus twist: A few tablespoons of lemon juice or orange juice go nicely here.
- Make it spicy: When we really want to give our sauce some kick, we add more chili oil. Start with 2 tablespoons for the spicy version, then continue tasting and adjusting until you get your desired heat level. If you want really fiery, try our Spicy Dumplings recipe.
Storage
This sauce keeps well refrigerated for about a week, stored in an airtight container. If desired, you can warm it up a little in the microwave, or on stovetop, before enjoying.
More great Asian sauces:
Stir Fry Sauce
General Tso Sauce
Sweet and Sour Sauce
Bulgogi Sauce
Yum Yum Sauce
Teriyaki Sauce
Hunan Sauce
Yakisoba Sauce
Japanese Gyoza Sauce Recipe
This easy Gyoza Sauce comes together in just minutes and instantly upgrades any dumplings. Bold, balanced, and way better than the packet that comes in the bag.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon chili oil
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 1-2 scallions, green parts chopped
Instructions
- Whisk together all ingredients in a bowl.
- Serve with gyoza, dumplings, wontons, or potstickers.
Notes
- Leftovers: This sauce keeps well refrigerated for about a week, stored in an airtight container. If desired, you can warm it up a little in the microwave, or on stovetop, before enjoying.
- Make sure the oils emulsify fully into the sauce, to avoid separation.
- Everyone has a little different palate, so feel free to tweak the amounts to your liking.
- The amounts I have listed make enough sauce for one bag of frozen dumplings (which is about 24oz). If you’re making more, simply multiply all of the ingredients.
Nutrition Information
Yield 4 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 60Total Fat 5gSaturated Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 5gSodium 846mgCarbohydrates 2gFiber 0gSugar 1gProtein 1g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Welcome to GypsyPlate! I'm Alpana, former worldwide tour manager and professional caterer, now full time blogger. I love exploring cuisines from around the world, and my recipes have been featured on sites such as MSN, Parade, Brit + Co, CNET and AOL. You can explore my entire collection of sortable recipes in my Recipe Index or learn more about me here.
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