
Harry’s Delicious Dumpling Dipping Sauce
Delicious Dumpling Dipping Sauce. How do you like that alliteration? Trust me, it’s true! This secret sauce has an exceptional flavor, one taste, and I promise … you’ll be sold. Prepare to tuck this recipe away, Harry’s Delicious Dumpling Dipping Sauce is a keeper. Say that five times, fast. ????
Authentic Chinese Recipes
If you’ve been following along with my series on authentic Chinese recipes, you know that our family has been the lucky tasting beneficiaries of delicious Chinese cuisine over the last four years. We’ve enjoyed numerous dishes from our friend and former international student, Dave (Zhengzheng Ren).????
Dave always loves to make one of his favorites; a Chinese Pork Dumpling Recipe (click HERE). These dumplings are filled with fresh veggies and delicately seasoned pork. They are easy to make and quite delicious. Here’s a look at the dumplings being made below. You should try it!
The Best Dumpling Sauce Recipe
Dave’s friend, Lingkai Zhao, or Harry, (as we call him) introduced us to this game-changing dipping sauce recipe. It takes the dumpling recipe to a whole new level. We call it, Harry’s delicious dumpling sauce, and I know you are going to love it! It has an extraordinary flavor that you’d expect from your favorite restaurant.
Harry learned this recipe from his parents, both educators, who live in China. Harry’s home city is Yinchuan, China in the Province called Ningxia. He attended high school with Dave and now is attending the University of Wisconsin – Madison.
Dumpling Dip that’s Better Than Store-Bought
Yes, of course, you could go buy a bottle of dipping sauce or soy sauce at the grocery store, but to us, it’s worth this 10-minute step. Now that we know about Harry’s recipe and it’s amazing flavor, we’ll never do store-bought again. This sauce is super simple and quick to make. It pairs well with dumplings or adds a wonderful side of flavor to Asian appetizers; such as wontons, egg rolls, or spring rolls.
Ingredients for Dumpling Dipping Sauce
Here’s what you will need:
Cooking Oil The guys all grew up in China using vegetable oil, but for a healthier version, I like to use avocado oil. You cannot tell the difference in taste! So, the choice is yours.
Garlic Fresh garlic is best here! But if all you have is garlic in a jar, by all means, use that! You can mince your fresh garlic using a garlic press, which makes an even, more consistent minced size (Read: better looking) or just use a knife. The jury is still out which is faster? My vote is going with the press.????
Crushed Red Chile Pepper Use this pepper right out of the bottle, then spice your sauce up or down depending on your tastes.
Sesame oil This oil is derived from sesame seeds. It has the most amazing nutty smell and flavor. I could drink it, but that’s probably not a good idea. Sesame oil is best as a finisher, so this is added at the end of the recipe. Lee Kum Lee Pure Sesame Oil is the one we have been using.
Chinese Vinegar is a staple in Chinese cooking. It is slightly acidic, has more depth than white wine vinegar, and is not as sweet as balsamic. It is originally from a town in the Eastern part of China called Zhenjiang. Chinkiang vinegar is also called “black vinegar” for short, and labeled as “Chinkiang” or “brown rice vinegar”. It is typically used as a base for a dumpling dipping sauce, found in noodle dishes or stir-fries. Gold Plum Chinkiang Vinegar.
Regular or Light soy sauce These two names are used interchangeably. This is the most common type of soy sauce you will find in the United States. Light soy sauce is what you find at the typical grocery store or get with Chinese takeout. It is quite thin in consistency, light in color, and salty in flavor. Dave likes this Lee Kum Lee Premium Soy Sauce.
Dark soy sauce This type of soy sauce is darker in color, slightly opaque, and thicker in texture than light soy sauce. It tastes richer, sweeter, less salty, and savory than its lighter counterparts. Lee Kum Lee Premium Dark Soy Sauce.
Sugar and Salt No explanation needed here. Two common tastes and flavorings.
Chicken base Optional. A highly concentrated chicken stock used for making casseroles, soups, sauces, and stews. It is available in powder or cube form. You can find chicken base (sometimes labeled chicken soup base) in most grocery stores, Asian markets, or on Amazon.
Green Onions Optional. This adds a little flavor and a pop of garnish color!
Try this sauce today with Dave’s Chinese Pork Dumplings. Click HERE for the recipe.
Without further ado, here is Harry’s famous recipe. (Famous in our house anyway.)

Harry’s Delicious Dumpling Dipping Sauce
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 1 cup 1x
- Category: Dips
- Method: Mixing
- Cuisine: Chinese
Description
This is the most delicious dipping sauce ever!
Ingredients
2 tablespoons of oil
1–2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon of crushed red chile pepper
1/2 teaspoon of sesame oil
3 tablespoons Chinese vinegar or Chinese Worcester
2 tablespoons regular soy sauce
1 teaspoon of dark soy sauce
sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon chicken base or bouillon, optional
1 green onion, sliced, optional
Instructions
Add minced garlic and crushed red pepper to a small bowl. Heat oil over high heat for 1 minute, then immediately pour the oil over the garlic and chile pepper.
Next add the sesame oil, Chinese vinegar (or Chinese Worcester), regular soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, salt, chicken base (optional), and green onions (optional). Stir. Enjoy with Dumplings!
Notes
The flavor of this sauce gets even better over time, so make this sauce first before you make your dumplings. If you can’t, no worries, it’s still delicious!
Keywords: Chinese, Dipping, Sauce, Dumplings, Wontons, minced garlic, crushed red chile pepper, sesame oil, Chinese Worcester, Chinese Vinegar, Regular Soy Sauce, Dark Soy Sauce, Chicken Base or Bouillon
Hungry for more Authentic Chinese Recipes?
Click below to try other wonderful recipes from China:
Chinese Chicken and Potato Stew
Easy Chinese Style Sauteed Shrimp
Chinese Braised Pork in Brown Sauce
Storing Leftover Dumpling Dipping Sauce
On the rare occasions, that you have leftover dumplings, store the leftover dipping sauce in the refrigerator, in an airtight container. It keeps well for 4-5 days. Do a sniff test first.
Lastly, thank you, Harry, for bringing this delicious dumpling dipping sauce into my world. I am forever grateful.❤️
Don’t forget to try this sauce with Dave’s Chinese Pork Dumplings. Click HERE for the recipe
If you try this recipe, please let us know what you think in the comment box below or if you share a picture, please tag me @bebraveandbloom or use #bebraveandbloom on your photos.
Thanks!
xo,
Cindy
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Allen
Posted at 02:22h, 17 NovemberThis sauce is the real deal. Amazing flavor.
★★★★★
cindy munson
Posted at 03:43h, 17 NovemberI agree. Thanks for trying the recipe!
Kelly
Posted at 18:44h, 19 AugustOMG! Unbelievable flavor. Loved this.
★★★★★
cindy
Posted at 18:54h, 19 AugustThanks, Kelly! We love it too.