We love making all sorts of egg rolls and other dippable snacks at our house, and when we do, sauces are a necessity. I usually have at least two, if not a trio of them, and I developed this easy egg roll dipping sauce just for dipping my crispy, crunchy egg rolls.
When you go out to dine at Chinese restaurants there are lots of sauce options to try with your favorite egg rolls — and you can even take some packets home, of course, sometimes. But what’s better than being able to whip up your own homemade version?
If you’re looking for the best dipping sauce for egg rolls (or dumplings or crab rangoon) give this slightly sweet, savory sauce (with a touch of tanginess) a try.
What is Egg Roll Dipping Sauce?
Egg roll dipping sauce is a simple blend of aromatic spices, with rice wine vinegar, cornstarch, soy sauce, and sesame oil. The Asian-inspired flavors make it perfect for dipping egg rolls, but it’s also great for taking stir fries and soups, or various proteins, to the next level.
The best thing about this slightly sweet and tangy sauce is that it sticks to the egg rolls. Unlike some Asian dipping sauces (like soy sauce), it’s not super thin, so it perfectly coats the egg rolls and all of the meats and fresh veggies, too.
And since it has such a variety of ingredients with so many different flavors in it, it can complement lots of different fillings.
Why You’ll Love Egg Roll Dipping Sauce
A simple sauce that’s full of flavor and perfect for any Asian cuisine- what’s not to love!
- Flavorful – The sauce is perfectly balanced with hints of acidity, saltiness, sweetness, and umami.
- Easy – You only need one pot to make this quick sauce.
- Versatile – Dip egg rolls and gyoza into it or drizzle it over meats, fish, and veggies.
Ingredients
These basic ingredients come together for an incredible sauce you’ll want to keep around on the regular. Most of them are easy to find at a local grocery store, but you can check an Asian market, too.
- Rice Wine Vinegar: The tangy and slightly sweet flavor of this vinegar balances the sauce with its acidity.
- Cornstarch: This thickening agent gives the sauce a smooth consistency, which helps it cling to the egg roll.
- Low Sodium Soy Sauce: Soy sauce imparts a savory, umami flavor that complements the egg roll.
- Dark Brown Sugar: Sugar adds a touch of sweetness to the sauce.
- Fresh Grated Ginger: Ginger brings zestiness and earthiness to the sauce.
- Garlic Powder: Using powder makes it easier to ensure the garlic flavor is easily incorporated into the sauce.
- Onion Powder: Onion powder is also ideal to evenly disperse the flavor.
- Sesame Oil: Sesame oil provides nuttiness. If you don’t typically keep this oil around, consider it. It’s a great way to add extra flavor to lots of foods that are part of Asian cuisine and otherwise.
What To Serve With Egg Roll Dipping Sauce
You can serve this sauce with all sorts of delicious dishes. We love it for egg rolls or fresh spring rolls, of course, but you can also dip Chinese dumplings, crab rangoon, or shrimp rangoon in the sauce.
It’s also a great addition to a steak stir-fry or drizzled over baked salmon. You can even add it to cream cheese to make a unique dip.
You can also serve it with other sauces, like Chinese hot mustard or a Homemade Szechuan Sauce.
How to Make Egg Roll Dipping Sauce
This sauce really is as simple as one, two three!
- Combine ingredients in saucepan. Add the rice wine vinegar and cornstarch to a cold small saucepan and whisk together until smooth.
- Simmer. Turn on the heat to the recommended temperature. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine. All the mixture to simmer briefly.
- Enjoy! Serve immediately or strain before serving.
Variations
Add your own twists to create various flavor profiles. You may want to adjust the sauce depending on the flavor of your egg rolls.
- Heat – If you want to add some spiciness, try adding a little bit of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes.
- Oil – Swap out the sesame oil for another variety.
- Vinegar – Use red wine vinegar instead of the rice wine vinegar.
- Umami – For more umami flavor, add a dash of Vietnamese fish sauce.
- Citrus – Add a squeeze of fresh lime juice for a bit more acidity.
- Garnish – Garnish the sauce with a sprinkle of diced green onions.
Storage and Freezing
This sauce has a relatively long shelf life (2 weeks) compared to other homemade sauces. Store it in the fridge to keep it handy when you need it.
How to Store Egg Roll Dipping Sauce
Keep this sauce in an airtight container or mason jar for up to 2 weeks in the fridge.
Can I Freeze Egg Roll Dipping Sauce?
Freeze sauce for up to three months in a resealable plastic bag or freezer-safe container.
Common Questions About Egg Roll Dipping Sauce
There are numerous delicious dipping sauces that you can use with egg rolls. Consider using a sweet sauce like plum sauce, duck sauce, or sweet chili sauce or other savory options like hoisin sauce, oyster, or soy sauce. Egg rolls go well with a spicy sauce, too.
This sauce combines rice vinegar and cornstarch with sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, and aromatic spices.
Other Savory Sauces
A good sauce can elevate just about any meal. Here are a few of our favorite savory sauces that we know you’ll love.
Ranchero Sauce
Homemade Tzatziki Sauce Recipe
French Choron Sauce
Egg Roll Dipping Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons fresh ginger grated
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil*
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, whisk together the rice wine vinegar and cornstarch (while still cold). Turn on heat to low-medium.
- Whisk in the soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, onion and sesame oil.
- Bring to a low simmer and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Remove from heat and serve as-is or pour through a fine mesh sieve for a smooth sauce.
- Serve with your favorite egg rolls, dumplings or gyoza.
- If you’ve tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
This is a delicious sauce! Rice wine vinegar is so underrated, in my opinion. Thank you for sharing this yummy addition to egg rolls. 🙂
Delicious sauce. Complemented my eggrolls perfectly. I used frozen crushed ginger instead of fresh. Worked great!
This is the best egg roll/potsticker sauce recipe that I ever found. Thank you very much for sharing it!
This is fantastic! I have an egg roll recipe that I absolutely love, and now I have an amazing sauce to go with it!
So easy and delicious. This sauce is a must-have when you are eating egg rolls!
This is amazing! I love that it’s thicker. I don’t like the thin sauces because they just make a big mess. Thanks for sharing!
I so agree!!!
I love the idea of adding a hint of citrus to this sauce. So good!
Way too much rice wine vinegar. Couldn’t use it.
I’m sorry to hear that- we thought it was just right!