Best Dipping Options for Egg Rolls: Discover & Try Recipes

There’s nothing quite like egg rolls when it comes to a satisfying snack that’s tasty and filling, and when you pair those egg rolls with the ideal dipping options and the many different sauces available, you’ll realize there’s a whole new world of flavors out there ready and waiting for you to try. 

It’s exciting, even if you’re not what you might call a ‘foodie’ because this is your chance to try something new and combine it with the most wonderful beloved snack. Whether you crave sweet, spicy, or savory notes, you can find the ideal dipping sauce for egg rolls that will suit you perfectly. We’ve got some for you below, as well as plenty more information about these tasty treats. 

Exploring the World of Egg Rolls

Egg rolls have been around for a while, and perhaps longer than you think. As you might expect, they originate from China, but far from the original versions which were fairly plain (although never boring!), today there are various different ways to make, eat, and enjoy egg rolls, including, of course, the plethora of dips they can be served with. 

Traditionally, East Asian egg rolls (or spring rolls as they’re more commonly known) are light snacks, but in the West, they’ve become much heartier and larger, which means there’s more deliciousness to go around. 

Fillings range from succulent meats to crips vegetables – as well as combinations – and there’s really an endless supply of possibilities when you’re thinking about how to fill your egg roll. That’s why choosing the ideal dipping sauce is so important because whatever the sauce is has to match and complement the filling; some will work better than others, depending on the flavor profiles involved. 

Top Dipping Sauces for Egg Rolls

You know you love egg rolls, but how much more would you love them with a great dipping sauce? The answer is a lot, which is why we’ve gathered some of the best egg roll dipping sauce recipes you’re likely to find. Here they are. 

1. Honey Sesame Sauce 

There is something unbeatable about sweet and savory together, and this sauce is the ideal combination, especially when paired with egg rolls. 

Ingredients: 

• ½ cup honey
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp rice wine vinegar
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• ½ tsp fresh ginger (grated)
• Toasted sesame seeds (to garnish)

Method: 

1. Add the honey, sesame oil, soy sauce, and vinegar to a bowl and whisk together. 
2. Pour the mixture into a serving bowl and sprinkle the ginger and sesame seeds on top. 

2. Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce

Peanuts make a great snack on their own, but they’re also a major ingredient in some dipping sauces, including this one that goes perfectly with egg rolls. 

Ingredients: 

• ⅓ cup soy sauce
• ¼ cup peanut butter
• 2 tsp honey
• ½ tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 ½ tsp garlic (minced)
• ½ tsp ginger (grated)
• Sriracha chili sauce to taste 

Method: 

1. Pop all the ingredients except the sriracha chili sauce into a blender and blend until smooth. 
2. Once blended, add the chili sauce to your taste. Remember to only use a small amount at first and add a little at a time until it tastes perfect. 

3. Plum Sauce 

It’s amazing how well fruit pairs with savory dishes, and if you’ve never tried it before, this plum sauce is the perfect place to start. 

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup plum jam
• 2 tbsp sweet chili sauce 
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tsp soy sauce 
• ½ tsp garlic powder

Method: 

1. Add the plum jam, rice vinegar, soy sauce, garlic powder, and 1 tbsp of sweet chili sauce to a bowl and mix until smooth.
2. Pour the mixture through a strainer into a second bowl. 
3. Add the remaining sweet chili sauce and mix. 

4. Vietnamese Dipping Sauce 

This is a traditional Vietnamese dipping sauce that’s tangy and tasty with just a little heat and it’s perfect for egg roll dipping duties. 

Ingredients: 

• 6 tbsp water
• 2 ½ tbsp granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 ½ tbsp lime juice
• 1 clove garlic (minced)
• 1 bird’s eye chili (sliced)

Method: 

1. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl until the sugar has completely dissolved. 
2. Taste and add more sugar or more chili as needed. 
3. This sauce can be used immediately, but if you need to store it, keep it in a sterilized jar in the fridge. 

5. Homemade Sweet and Sour Sauce 

You probably already know what sweet and sour sauce tastes like, and you probably already know it’s great with egg rolls, but did you know you can make your own at home? Here’s the recipe. 

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup pineapple juice
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup rice vinegar
• ¼ cup ketchup
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• Red food coloring (optional)
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 3 tbsp water 

Method: 

1. Add the pineapple juice, sugar, vinegar, ketchup, and soy sauce together in a saucepan and mix well. 
2. Heat over medium heat while whisking to ensure everything is combined. 
3. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer. 
4. Mix the cornstarch and water in a small bowl until the cornstarch has dissolved.
5. Slowly add the cornstarch mixture to the sweet and sour sauce, whisking constantly until it’s the right consistency. 
6. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. 

Homemade vs. Store-Bought Sauces

So, is it better to make your own sauces for dipping egg rolls into, or is it wiser to buy your sauces already made from a grocery store? It’s a tough question – both options have good points and less good points, after all. Let’s take a look at what those points – good and bad – are, so you can decide what’s best for you. 

Time

Although making a dipping sauce isn’t all that time-intensive, you do need to factor in the time it takes not just to make the sauce, but to go to the store as well – that can take a while if you need to find a number of different ingredients (especially if they’re more unusual ones). If you’re short on time, just buying one jar or pot of sauce is much quicker. Plus, you can buy it days or even weeks before you need it, saving you time on the day itself – ideal if you’ve got friends coming over. 

Flavor

There’s no doubt about it: when you’re making homemade egg roll sauces, they just taste better. You can buy some great readymade sauces, but they won’t have the same fresh taste as something you’ve made yourself, so if that’s important, you’ll need to make your own. 

More Variety

You’re sure to be able to find a few different dipping sauce variations when you go to the store, but there won’t be the vast number there would be if you searched for recipes online and decided to make your own or even just experimented and made your own sauce without a recipe. In other words, when you buy the sauce from the store, you will be limited. 

Boost Store-Bought Sauces

If you do need to buy egg roll dipping sauce from a store, there are some great ways to elevate the taste and boost the flavor, which might improve things for you. You can add a dash of lime juice, for example, or throw in some extra minced garlic, or perhaps sprinkle some chopped herbs into the sauce. Then there’s the heat – if you like things hot and you can’t get that heat from the store, just add it yourself with some chopped up chillis or chili powder, for example. 

Balancing Flavors: Sweet, Sour, Spicy

If you’re looking for the perfect egg roll sauce, you should be looking at ways to balance flavors properly, and that means ensuring you have sweet, sour, and spicy profiles mixed together in just the right way. 

You can use honey or sugar for sweetness, rice vinegar for sourness, and a hint of chili sauce or sriracha for that special kick, for example, and you’ve immediately got a fabulous sauce that’ll work beautifully with egg rolls – and plenty more besides. Experiment with the different ingredients but always make sure you’ve got some of the three basic elements (sweet, sour, and spicy), and you can’t really go wrong. 

Healthy and Dietary-Friendly Sauce Options

Do you feel guilty when you’re dipping your egg rolls because you know your favorite sauce isn’t one hundred percent healthy? If you do, you won’t be the only one, and that’s why you’ll be glad to know there are some excellent healthy (or healthier) options to try out. 

If you want something healthy and fresh, what about trying tzatziki, which is made from Greek yogurt, meaning it’s low-fat. A mango salsa could also be fabulous, especially when you factor in the sweet and sour element we mentioned above. 

If you prefer a gluten-free or vegan lifestyle, a tamari-based dipping sauce or something that includes tahini would be perfect. 

As you can see, there are always going to be options for you, and you don’t have to eat something you’re not happy with or miss out altogether – you can have your dipping sauce and eat it too. 

Presentation and Serving Ideas

If you think you can’t make egg rolls and dipping sauces look elegant and chic, you need to think again because that’s precisely what you can do. If you’re cooking for a party or a group of friends, place the dipping sauce or sauces on a table with the egg rolls in the middle – have more than one bowl so there’s enough to go around and everyone can reach the sauce, no matter where they’re standing. 

For a bit of fun, you could even put the dipping sauce into squeezy bottles so it’s poured onto the egg rolls rather than the egg rolls being dipped into it (it’s more hygienic that way too). 

Final Thoughts

After reading all of that, you’re probably feeling peckish, and since you now know how to make some great dipping sauces for egg rolls and how to elevate the ones you can get from the store, you’re ready to enjoy a tasty snack and really make the most of it – just get the balance of flavors right and you’re on the right track.

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