Have you ever ordered dumplings with chili oil at a restaurant? It’s irresistible. Plain chili oil can be just heat, but the ideal dipping sauce for dumplings balances sweet, tangy, spicy notes and a touch of cooking wine for depth.
This recipe uses Laoganma chili crisp as the base. While Laoganma is delicious on its own, adding a few simple ingredients builds a more rounded, restaurant-style flavor. This garlic chili oil dipping sauce takes under three minutes to prepare and will elevate any dumplings.
Tips for making garlic chili oil dipping sauce
The sauce is warmed briefly—most conveniently in the microwave—to dissolve the sugar and to gently warm the garlic. The short heat helps meld and mellow the flavors, bringing out the garlic while softening its raw bite.
Laoganma chili sauce
Laoganma spicy chili crisp is an excellent foundation. Choose the variety without black beans for this sauce; it provides crunchy, savory chili oil notes that form the backbone of the dip.
Sriracha chili sauce
Sriracha or a similar chili sauce adds acidity to balance the richness and heat. Laoganma alone can taste one-dimensional; a splash of Sriracha brightens the sauce and adds adjustable heat if you like it spicier.
Bouillon powder
Instead of plain salt, this recipe uses chicken or mushroom bouillon powder to deepen the umami. Use a chicken bouillon with or without MSG based on preference, or an all-natural mushroom powder for vegetarian-friendly umami.
To prepare, combine the ingredients in a small bowl and warm briefly.
Combine ingredients for garlic chili oil before microwaving.
Heating the sauce
Microwaving is a quick option; you can also warm the mixture gently in a small saucepan. The goal is to fully dissolve the sugar and to slightly tame the raw garlic—this takes only a little heat. If you scale the recipe up, you don’t need to proportionally increase the heating time; heat just until sugar melts and the garlic mellows.
Serve dumplings with garlic chili oil and garnish with cilantro or chopped scallions for freshness and color.
Try the sauce and share your thoughts below—did it lift the dumplings to the next level?
EASY GARLIC CHILI OIL DIPPING SAUCE
Michelle Sam
Ingredients
- 1 clove fresh minced garlic
- ½ tsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp Laoganma spicy chili crisp
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp Shaoxing Chinese cooking wine
- ½ tsp chicken bouillon powder
- ½ tsp Sriracha chili sauceoptional for added acidity and spice
- cilantro and chopped scallions for garnish
Instructions
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Combine all the ingredients in a bowl, except the Sriracha if using.
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Microwave for about 15 seconds on high, just until the sugar dissolves and the garlic softens. Alternatively, warm gently in a small saucepan.
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If desired, stir in Sriracha for extra tang and heat.
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Toss with cooked dumplings or serve as a dipping sauce.
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Garnish with cilantro and chopped scallions, then serve.
Notes
Nutrition