This Inasal Dipping Sauce is traditionally paired with Filipino-style grilled chicken, but I love it with everything. It’s easy to make in 5 minutes and is packed with big flavors thanks to a handful of simple, authentic ingredients. It’s our new go-to sauce for chicken, pork, seafood, tofu, and everything in between.
I’ve always said that the secret to life is a really great sauce. Okay, that might be a tad dramatic, but I just really love a complex, flavorful sauce! If you feel the same, try my Chimichurri Sauce and Homemade Teriyaki Sauce recipes.
Inasal Dipping Sauce
Inasal dipping sauce is one of the only dipping sauces you’ll ever need. It’s a classic sawsawan (a catch-all term for dipping sauces in Filipino cuisine) from the Philippines, made with a few simple ingredients: vinegar, citrus, soy sauce, aromatics, sugar, and chilies.
The flavors are refreshing, savory, and slightly sweet with just enough acidity and heat. It’s the kind of sauce that instantly elevates whatever you dunk into it.
I’ve been calling this Filipino dipping sauce my absolute favorite for a while now. I make it every time I have chicken inasal, the iconic grilled chicken dish from Bacolod City, Philippines. We pretty much love it on everything, though, from grilled chicken to pork to seafood and more.
Ingredients and Substitutions
I tested this recipe with authentic Filipino ingredients and pantry staples. I recommend visiting your local Asian grocery store to pick up a few items you may not have on hand. Trust me, the layers of bold flavors they add to the sauce make it worth the trip.
- Vinegar – Just like the authentic version, I made my dipping sauce with Filipino cane vinegar. It’s slightly sweeter and milder than white vinegar. I buy mine from my local Asian grocery store, but you can also find it online. If you need a substitute, rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar will work (they’ll slightly alter the flavor).
- Soy Sauce – It adds a great umami flavor.
- Aromatics – I finely grated garlic cloves and a shallot for the unmistakable savory-sharp aroma you expect from a good sawsawan.
- Calamansi Juice – If you’ve made my Beef Kaldereta Recipe before, then you probably have this Filipino citrus juice on hand already. If not, you can usually buy it from Asian grocery stores. If you need a substitute, use fresh lime juice with a splash of orange juice instead.
- Sugar – I balanced the flavors with light brown sugar.
- Chile – I added a seeded, finely minced Thai chile for a noticeable but not overpowering punch of heat.
- Cucumber – It’s not traditional, but a diced pickling cucumber adds a refreshing crunch to the sauce. If you want to skip it and stick to a more classic Filipino dipping sauce, that works, too.
How to Make Inasal Sauce
Combine: First, I add all of the ingredients to a medium-sized bowl.
Dissolve the sugar: I stir everything together with a spoon until the sugar fully dissolves.
Rest or serve: I can use the sauce right away or chill it in the fridge to let the flavors develop before serving.
Chef Tip + Notes
This pretty much goes with all of my recipes (especially the sauces), but when I make inasal sauce, I make sure to taste it before serving. The intensity of the vinegar, citrus, chiles, and soy sauce can all vary, so it’s important to taste and tweak the sauce to ensure there’s a great balance of clean, bold flavors. If the sauce tastes too sharp, salty, or spicy, add a little more sugar, calamansi juice, or a splash of water.
- Dissolve the sugar: I always stir the sauce for at least 30 seconds, or until the sugar granules have completely dissolved. This keeps the sauce smooth instead of gritty.
- Mince finely: I use a sharp chef’s knife to finely mince the shallot and a microplane to grate the garlic cloves. Minced aromatics distribute more evenly throughout the sauce, ensuring every bite is as tasty as possible.
- Chill before serving: Each time I make this, I do my best to resist serving it right away. Instead, I chill it in the fridge for 30 minutes or even overnight so the flavors have more time to develop.
Serving Suggestions
Inasal dipping sauce is an absolute must with chicken inasal (Filipino grilled chicken). I first made the sauce while testing the chicken recipe, and oh my gosh, I couldn’t stop eating it.
This sauce is fantastic with anything hot off the grill, like my grilled bone-in pork chops. The tangy flavor is a perfect match for crispy finger foods, like fried shrimp. Keep a batch in your refrigerator and pair it with anything that could use a hit of irresistible umami heat.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: For the best flavor, make the inasal sauce at least a day before serving. Keep it covered in the fridge until you’re ready to eat.
How to Store: I keep the leftover sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 5 days. If you leave out the diced cucumber, it will freeze well for 2 to 3 months. Thaw it in the fridge overnight and give it a quick stir before serving.
More Filipino-Inspired Recipes
Inasal Dipping Sauce Recipe (Sawsawan)
Ingredients
- 1 cup cane vinegar
- ½ cup soy sauce
- 3 finely minced garlic cloves
- ½ peeled small-diced shallot
- 2 teaspoons calamansi juice
- 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
- 1 Thai chile, seeded and finely minced
- 1 small diced pickling cucumber, about ½ to 2/3 cup
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients to a medium-sized bowl.
- Stir with a spoon until the sugar is dissolved.
- Serve or chill.
Inasal Dipping Sauce Recipe (Sawsawan)