Are you looking for next favorite sweet-and-spicy dipping sauce? One’s that blissfully versatile, super simple to make, and that can be prepared ahead of time? If you’re looking to add some lusciously sweet sizzles to your next meal, look no further than my Szechuan Chili Crisp Dipping Sauce! This simple and delicious recipe takes just minutes to make, uses just five super basic ingredients, and can be prepared ahead of time for added convenience.

Szechuan Chili Crisp Dipping Sauce is a super simple blend of chili crisp oil, sesame oil, duck sauce, vinegar, and soy sauce. Seriously, this dip couldn’t be easier to make, and it can be used as a dip for dumplings, a quick sauce for stir fry noodles, or as a condiment for fried foods, or in rice.

Whether you’re serving Chinese take-out or hosting a fancy dinner party, this sauce is sure to add a little extra flavor to your meal. So, if you’re looking for an easy, versatile, and make-ahead friendly dipping sauce to spice things up, read on to learn how to make Szechuan-inspired Chili Crisp Dipping Sauce.

Ingredient Checklist

Duck Sauce. This is the base of the sauce. It provides thickness, sweetness, and a delicious ‘fruity’ background flavor. Honestly, who doesn’t love duck sauce?
Soy Sauce. I’m using light soy sauce, though dark will work just fine – no need to adjust the recipe if you using dark soy sauce. Yes, low sodium soy sauce works too.
Sesame Oil. This provides the sauce with fat and a delicious ‘nutty’ background flavor.
Chili Crisp Oil. For those keeping up with food trends, you’ve likely noticed that Chili Crisp Oil has been making the rounds lately. For those who might be unfamiliar, Chili Crisp Oil is a type of condiment or sauce made from oil, chili peppers, garlic, and a variety of other seasonings. It’s popular in Chinese cuisine, and is often used to add ‘chili flavor’ and heat – though it isn’t exactly what I’d call ‘spicy.’ Chili Crisp Oil can also be used as a dipping sauce on its own, or simply added on as a condiment right at the table. It’s ultra-versatile. Anything you might want to add a touch spice or ‘chili flavor’ to is a candidate, everything from stir-fry to noodles to fried chicken to simply spooning it onto plain rice. It can also be used to top off salads, or as a topping on pizza. I’d personally describe the flavor as mildly spicy, garlicky, and ‘chili heavy.’ Some brands are also slightly ‘sweet.’
Vinegar. I used apple cider vinegar, both as a matter of preference and since this was all I had on hand. However, rice wine vinegar is ‘probably’ what you’ll want to use for this particular recipe. White wine vinegar would also work fine, though I’d stay away from red wine vinegar. Then again, feel free to experiment, and let me know in the comments how it turned out!

Uses for Chili Crisp Duck Sauce

On Noodles. This sauce would work great as a finisher for noodles. Consider pouring this over something like my Ramen Noodle Stir Fry for added flavor and color. My Soba Noodle Stir Fry would also pair deliciously with this sauce. In either case, you simply pour the sauce over the noodles as a finisher. Conversely, you could also add the sauce during the final phase of the stir frying, and toss until the sauce has mostly reduced, glazing the noodles.
As a Dip. Something like my Korean Beef and Tofu Patties (Wanja-Jeon) would be a delicious pairing for this particular sauce.
With Stir Fry. Add this sauce during the final steps of a stir fry, such as with my Sweet and Spicy Orange Beef Stir Fry, for added flavor and color. It will also add a nice ‘finishing gloss’ to the food, reducing into a decadent glazing.
Dumplings. Where today’s sauce really shines, in my opinion, is as a dip for dumplings. This would pair deliciously with something like my Vegan Dumplings and Fried Rice, where it will play beautifully alongside the savory rice and plump dumplings.