The Ultimate Guide to Sichuan Dipping Sauces

Chuanwei Zhandie (川味沾碟)

Dipping Sauces accompany numerous Sichuan dishes and are essential for dumplings, hotpot, and soups as they provide a salty, umami burst of flavor – often along with a spicy and aromatic hit.

Sichuan Dipping Sauces are super flavorful, easy to make, and filled with complex spicy and aromatic flavors. Dipping Sauces are also highly customizable, and in many situations, the sauces will be unique to the person making them. For instance, at hotpot restaurants, and quite a few dumpling restaurants, there will be a table with numerous sauces, seasonings, and fresh ingredients available. Restaurant patrons will fill small bowls with their favorite ingredients – soy sauce, vinegar, chili oil, sesame oil, chopped peanuts, salt, sugar, etc. However, if you have never made your own dipping sauce, seeing that table covered in sauces and seasonings can be a bit intimidating. Therefore, this guide will offer some great examples of sauces to make.

Spicy Aromatic Dipping Sauce

This is an extremely basic dipping sauce perfect for dumplings and simple soups. The ingredients listed can be found at the sauce table of any dumpling or hotpot restaurant. It's spicy and salty from chili oil and soy sauce, but also packed with flavor from garlic, chives, and cilantro. This recipe makes enough for two people so double as necessary.

Ingredients

Chilies and Aromatics
5 Red Chilies
3 cloves of Garlic
3 green stalks of Small Scallion (小葱)
3 sprigs of Cilantro

Sauces and Seasonings
1/2 cup Light Soy Sauce OR Aromatic Soy Sauce
1 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp. White Sugar

Directions

1.) Wash and slice the Chilies super-fine. Place half in each dipping bowl.

2.) Smash, peel, and dice the Garlic. Place half in each dipping bowl.

3.) Wash and finely slice the Scallion and Cilantro. Place half in each dipping bowl.

4.) Place half of the Sauces and Seasonings (1/4 cup Light Soy Sauce, 1/2 tsp. Salt, and 1/4 tsp. White Sugar) in each bowl.

Spicy Chili Bean Dipping Sauce

This is a stir-fried dipping sauce made primarily to accompany rich soups such as this Clear Oxtail Soup (清炖牛尾汤). This dipping sauce is predominantly spicy and salty from the Sichuan chili bean paste with subtle hints of garlic, ginger, and vinegar. While this dipping sauce can't be easily made at a restaurant sauce table, it can be prepared at home as a fancier dipping sauce for an extravagant soup.

Ingredients

4 cloves of Garlic
1 2-inch block of Ginger
4 Tbsp. Chili Bean Paste

1/4 cup Peanut Oil

Sauces and Seasonings
2 Tbsp. of Soup or Chicken Stock
1 - 2 Tbsp. Chinkiang Black Vinegar
1 Tbsp. Sesame Oil
2 tsp. White Sugar
1 tsp. Light Soy Sauce
1/2 tsp. Dark Soy Sauce

Garnish
3 sprigs of Cilantro
1 green stalk of Small Scallion (小葱)

Directions

1.) Peel the Garlic and Ginger and finely mince them. Set these aside in a bowl along with the Chili Bean Paste.

2.) Heat the Peanut Oil on medium heat until hot but not smoking. Add the Chili Bean Paste and Garlic-Ginger mixture, stir-frying for about 30 seconds until the oil is red and the Chili Bean Paste has broken down into the Oil.

(Be careful not to burn the Chili Bean Paste. If the wok is super-hot, lift it away from the heat or turn off the heat when adding the Chili Bean Paste).

3.) Pour the Chili Bean Paste into a bowl and, once slightly cooled, add the Sauces and Seasonings (Soup, Vinegar, Sesame Oil, White Sugar, Light Soy Sauce, and Dark Soy Sauce), mixing everything thoroughly. Once emulsified, divide the Chili Bean Sauce into 2 to 4 smaller bowls into which your guests can dip their food.

4.) Wash and roughly chop the Cilantro and finely slice the Scallion. Garnish the bowls of dipping sauce with the Cilantro and Scallion.

Spicy Sesame Dipping Sauce

This is a complex tangy spicy sesame sauce similar to my sauce for Bang Bang Shredded Chicken (棒棒鸡丝). The sweet and sour combined with the smooth creaminess of sesame paste is quite satisfying. While the ingredients may seem excessive, most (if not all) can be found on a sauce table at a hotpot restaurant. Therefore, this is a great sauce for hotpot. The amount listed below is enough for one person enjoying hotpot.

Ingredients

Sesame Base
3 Tbsp. Sesame Paste
2 Tbsp. Pure Chili Oil (红油)
1 Tbsp. Oil Chili Flakes (油辣子)
1 Tbsp. Sesame Oil

Powder Ingredients
1 1/2 Tbsp. White Sugar
1 tsp. Chicken Bouillon Powder
1 tsp. Ground Red Chili Powder
1 tsp Sichuan Pepper Powder
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. MSG

Sauces
1 Tbsp. Light Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp. Chinkiang Vinegar

Garnishes
1 sprig of Cilantro
1 green stalk of Small Scallions (小葱)
1/2 Tbsp Toasted Sesame Seeds
1/2 Tbsp Crushed Peanuts (Optional)

Directions

1.) First, begin with the Sesame Base by combining the Sesame Paste with the various oils (Chili Oil, Oil Chili Flakes, and Sesame Oil) in a bowl and stir vigorously to emulsify.

2.) Add to the Sesame Base all of the Powder Ingredients (Sugar, Chicken Bouillon, Chili Powder, Sichuan Pepper, Salt, and MSG) mixing intermittently to incorporate them.

3.) Next, add the final Sauce Ingredients (Soy Sauce and Vinegar) and mix thoroughly.

4.) Roughly chop the Cilantro and Scallion and sprinkle them along with the other Garnishes (Sesame Seeds and Peanuts) over the sauce.

Sour Fragrant and Spicy Dipping Sauce

This is the ultimate dipping sauce, perfect for soups, dumplings, and hotpot. All of the ingredients are readily available at hotpot restaurants and most dumpling restaurants. It’s hot and sour, but also bursting with aromatic flavor from garlic and cilantro. Crushed peanuts and sesame seeds both a great texture and enjoyable crunch. Other ingredients, such as finely sliced scallion, beef crumbles, and Meat Sauce (杂酱) which can be found at some hotpot restaurants, are great additions to this sauce. For a great soup to pair this dipping sauce with, check out my recipe for Pork Bone and Radish Soup (萝卜炖排骨汤).

Ingredients

Sauces and Oils
1/2 cup Light Soy Sauce
1/2 cup Chili Oil
1/2 cup Chinkiang Black Vinegar
1/4 cup Sesame Oil

Seasonings
1 Tbsp White Sugar
1 Tbsp Salt
1/2 Tbsp MSG

Fresh Ingredients
2 cloves of Garlic
2 Red Chilies
1 large bunch of Cilantro

Nuts and Seeds
1 Tbsp. crushed Peanuts
2 tsp. Sesame Seeds

Directions

1.) Pour all of the Sauces and Oils (Soy Sauce, Chili Oil, Vinegar, and Sesame Oil) into a large bowl and whisk vigorously to emulsify.

(This could also be done in a bottle with an air-tight lid by shaking it repeatedly).

2.) Add the Seasonings (Sugar, Salt, and MSG) to the sauce and mix again until all the particles have dissolved.

3.) Peel and finely mince the Garlic, finely slice the Red Chilies, and finely chop the Cilantro. Mix all of these fresh ingredients directly into the sauce.

4.) Sprinkle crushed Peanuts and Sesame Seeds over the sauce, or else mix into it, and serve in 2 or 3 separate small bowls.

 

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