Gyoza sauce can be served on the side of freshly steamed dumpling or poured directly them!

This simple and quick gyoza sauce is the perfect balance of flavors – sweet and tangy with some crunch from the fried garlic and onion. It has that perfect umami balance from the soy and a bit of sugar and acid makes a crisp balance of flavors.
Ingredients
- Soy Sauce: A key ingredient in Asian dishes. Soy sauce will add that umami flavor and some salt. Be careful not to over pour the soy sauce, as you don’t want it to overpower the other ingredients.
- Rice Vinegar: Adding a vinegar will give your sauce a brightness to your sauce. You can also use black vinegar to add more depth to your sauce.
- Sesame oil: A bit of toasted sesame oil will go a long way. Careful not to add too much oil, as it will coat your palette and that will be all you taste!
- Sugar: Adding white granulated sugar to your sauce will “pick it up” and round out the other flavors. Start with one teaspoon of sugar and add more if you think it needs it.
- Aromatics: Use ingredients such as garlic, green onion and ginger to add layers of flavor to your sauce.
How to Make Gyoza Sauce
Making this gyoza sauce is simple enough that you can make it while your are cooking your dumplings.
First, mince the garlic and ginger. Finely chop the whites of the green onion. Set your aromatics aside into three distinct piles on your cutting board.
Add the oil to a pan or wok and allow it to get hot. Add in the ginger and the green onion and fry until fragrant.

Then add the garlic. Fry for another 2 minutes. Add in the vinegar, soy sauce and sugar and mix well.

This recipe calls for both soy sauce and black vinegar – but you can use all soy sauce to replace the black vinegar if you don’t have access to black vinegar at the time of making this dish.
Allow your freshly made gyoza sauce to cool before adding it to a bowl and garnishing with your desired garnishes.
I like adding the greens of the scallion, sesame seeds and red pepper flakes.
Variations of Gyoza Sauce
If you don’t have all the ingredients to make this sauce – don’t fret! This gyoza sauce is super versatile and easy to change up.
If you don’t have garlic or ginger, or simply don’t like them – just omit!
If you are missing the black vinegar, just replace with soy sauce. On the other hand, if you’re missing soy sauce and only have black vinegar, replace the soy with the vinegar!
If you are looking for a way to add more spice to this sauce, add in whatever chilis are in your pantry. I recommend adding them to a food processor first so make sure they are perfectly ground if they are whole. Add your chilis to the oil with the onion and ginger when frying so they become aromatic and release some of their natural oils when cooking.
The possibilities when making this gyoza sauce are endless – play around with your favorite ingredients in your kitchen to see what you can come up with!
What is Black Vinegar?
Black vinegar can be tough to find in your standard grocery store, as it’s more than just your standard vinegar to cut through fatty flavors.
This standard Asian ingredient has deep umami and aromatic qualities that make it different from regular soy sauce. This ingredient is most similar to soy, as it is also fermented, but is sweeter, and compliments your dish differently.
Even though black vinegar is a traditional Chinese ingredient, it is used all over Asia to transform dishes.
If you are in need of a black vinegar substitute, you can always use soy sauce and a touch of sugar or oyster sauce.
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