An easy recipe for Homemade Dragon Sauce. This tasty versatile sauce is packed with flavor and is the perfect Asian-inspired condiment for a variety of meals.
This sauce is the perfect companion to my tasty and healthy Dragon Bowl recipe!
So what is Dragon Sauce?
Dragon sauce is a popular tahini-based sauce that is creamy, nutty, and packed with Asian flavors. It is a delicious sauce that pairs well with a variety of both plant-based meals and meat-based meals.
This sauce is inspired by a popular vegan restaurant, Aux Vivres, in Montreal that used to serve up my ‘Dragon Bowls’. What made these bowls so popular (and so extra delicious) was this amazing sauce.
It is great to have a jar of this tasty sauce in your fridge to easily add tons of flavor to any meal! This is a great sauce to make for meal prep as it lasts well in the fridge and can be enjoyed with a wide variety of ingredients and meals.
Dragon sauce is great for any season of the year. I love using it on grilled meats in summer and drizzling it over roasted vegetables during Fall. It is a truly versatile sauce that everybody will love and is made with pantry staple ingredients!
I even love adding this sauce to burgers - try it out with my Vegan Beet Burgers!
What is Dragon Sauce Made of?
There are a lot of variations of dragon sauce available, but typically dragon sauce is made using nutritional yeast, a light oil, garlic, tamari or soy sauce, water, a natural sweetener, and sometimes ginger.
The amounts used and the exact combination of ingredients can vary between recipes though. It is a highly adaptable sauce where many alternative ingredients can be used.
Ingredients you'll need & Notes
- Sesame seed oil - This light oil is often used in Asian cooking. You could also use avocado oil or canola oil instead.
- Lime juice - Fresh is best! You can also substitute the lime juice with lemon juice.
- Garlic - Fresh garlic adds loads of flavor to this sauce.
- Ginger - You can adjust the amount of fresh ginger you use according to your preference.
- Nutritional yeast - Adds umami flavor and creaminess.
- Coconut sugar - Brings balance to the flavor of this sauce. You could also use maple syrup, or even honey as a non-vegan option.
- Tahini - Adds delicious creaminess and thickness to this sauce as well as a delicious nutty flavor.
- Water - Emulsifies the sauce and the amount used can be adjusted according to your preferred consistency.
- Soy sauce - Seasons and enhances the sauce's flavor. This can be substituted with tamari if preferred.
- Salt & pepper - Add according to personal preference. Keep in mind that soy sauce can be quite salty so always taste before adding your seasoning.
How hot is Dragon sauce?
Traditional dragon sauce is not typically hot. The original recipe has a creamy texture and is more tangy and sweet in flavor rather than spicy and hot.
If you would like to add some heat to your dragon sauce, fresh chopped chilies or a dash of Siracha will work well!
There are hot sauce variations of dragon sauce and these can be spicy. Chipotle's “dragon sauce” is a combination of sour cream and hot salsa which is mild in flavor. The Chipotle dragon sauce is medium spicy as the sour cream lessens the intensity of the hot salsa.
How to make Dragon Sauce
This sauce is so incredibly easy to make. This recipe requires no blender or food processor, simply just a bowl and a whisk. You can have this sauce ready in minutes! Follow the simple step-by-step instructions below:
STEP ONE
Add all the ingredients to a small mixing bowl.
STEP TWO
Whisk together until well combined.
STEP THREE
Adjust the seasoning and consistency to the sauce according to your preference and then use as desired or store in the refrigerator.
How to store Dragon Sauce
This delicious sauce can be stored in the fridge for up to a week. Prepare the sauce and then store it in an airtight container and use it when desired.
This recipe can be doubled so you can always keep an extra jar in the fridge for later use. I recommend enjoying this sauce at room temperature when possible as this will enhance the umami flavor of the sauce.
What to serve with Homemade Dragon Sauce:
- All kinds of rice and grains.
- Chicken and fish. This sauce can even double as a marinade! I love drizzling it over my crispy Panko Crusted Chicken.
- Tofu or halloumi.
- Roasted, steamed or grilled vegetables. Or even air-fried veggies- try it out on my Easy Air Fryer Pumpkin.
- Noodles. Especially Asian-style noodles such as rice vermicelli, soba noodles, udon noodles, and glass noodles.
- Lentils and pulses of all kinds.
- Crunchy raw vegetables and sprouts such as red cabbage, grated carrot, and bean sprouts.
- Buddha bowls and green salads.
I hope you love this recipe as much as I do! And if you want to see more of my delicious food adventures, follow me on Instagram or Facebook.
Dragon Sauce
An easy recipe for Homemade Dragon sauce. This versatile sauce is packed with flavor and is the perfect Asian-inspired condiment for a variety of meals.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon sesame seed oil
- 2 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 - 2 teaspoon minced ginger
- 3tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon coconut sugar
- 3 tablespoon tahini
- 3 tablespoon water
- 3 tablespoon soy sauce
- Salt & pepper
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients to a small mixing bowl.
- Whisk together until well combined.
- Adjust the seasoning and consistency to the sauce according to your preference and then use as desired or store in the refrigerator.
Notes
This delicious sauce can be stored in the fridge for up to a week. Prepare the sauce and then store it in an airtight container and use it when desired. This recipe can be doubled so you can always keep an extra jar in the fridge for later use.
TIP: Serve the sauce at room temperature for maximum umami flavour.
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