The Ultimate Guide to Dipping Sauces for Crab Rangoon

Crab rangoon, also known as crab puffs or crab cheese wontons, are a beloved American Chinese appetizer. These deep-fried dumplings are filled with a creamy mixture of crab and cream cheese and have a wonderfully crispy exterior. While crab rangoon are undeniably delicious on their own, the right dipping sauce can take them to the next level.

Finding the perfect dipping sauce to complement the flavors of the crab and cream cheese filling is key The sauce should enhance the crab rangoon instead of overpowering them The texture of the sauce also matters, You want something that will lightly coat the crispy wonton wrapper instead of making it soggy,

So what sauce should you dip your crab rangoon in? There are many excellent options from common favorites to creative fusion sauces. We tested 10 of the most popular crab rangoon dipping sauces to find out which ones are worth your time. Read on for the ultimate guide to crab rangoon dipping sauces!

Our Favorite Crab Rangoon Dipping Sauces

After extensive testing, we chose our top 5 favorite crab rangoon dipping sauces:

1. Sweet and Sour Sauce: The classic! Sweet and sour sauce strikes the perfect balance to complement crab rangoon.

2. Asian Plum Sauce: The light tang and fruity flavor of plum sauce works wonderfully.

3. Honey Mustard: A slightly unexpected but delicious pairing with a nice zing.

4. Spicy Mayo: For those who like some heat, the creaminess of mayo balances the spice.

5. Duck Sauce: Sweet and tangy, duck sauce is a classic pairing.

Out of all the sauces we tried, these 5 stood out as ideal dips for crab rangoon based on flavor complementarity, texture, and ease of use. But there are many other excellent sauces that also pair well with these crispy dumplings. Keep reading for more options!

10 Popular Crab Rangoon Dipping Sauces

1. Sweet and Sour Sauce

Sweet and sour sauce is the most traditional and popular dip for crab rangoon. This bright orange sauce combines vinegar, sugar, tomato paste or ketchup, and pineapple or other fruit juice to achieve its signature sweet yet sour flavor. The thick, glossy texture of sweet and sour sauce also coats the dumplings well without making them soggy. It’s easy to find ready-made sweet and sour sauce at most grocery stores, but you can also make your own homemade version.

2. Asian Plum Sauce

Asian plum sauce has a similar viscosity and sheen to sweet and sour sauce, with a pleasantly mild, fruity tanginess. The smooth, thick sauce lightly lacquers each crispy bite of crab rangoon. The sweet and slightly sour flavor provides a nice counterpoint to the richness of the filling. Look for plum sauce in the Asian foods aisle of well-stocked grocery stores.

3. Honey Mustard

Honey mustard is an outside-the-box yet tasty dipping sauce for crab rangoon. The sweet honey plays off the creaminess of the filling, while the mustard adds a tangy kick. The thinner consistency of honey mustard compared to some other sauces means it won’t overwhelm the dumplings with each dunk. The bright yellow sauce delivers plenty of flavor without overpowering your appetizer.

4. Spicy Mayo

For those who like a little heat, spicy mayo is a top choice. Mixing sriracha or other hot sauce into creamy mayonnaise creates a dip with a fiery kick that’s tempered by the cool richness of the mayo. The spicy mayo sauce won’t drench the dumplings, so every bite is guaranteed to pack flavor and crunch. Adjust the level of spice by adding more or less hot sauce to suit your tastes.

5. Duck Sauce

Also known as orange sauce or plum sauce, duck sauce has a mild, sweet and sour citrus flavor. The orange-hued sauce combines apricot, plums, cherries, vinegar, sugar and spices for a subtly tangy flavor and syrupy texture. Duck sauce is a classic pairing with crab rangoon and other fried appetizers like egg rolls. Pick up a bottle of this sauce in the Asian foods section of most grocery stores.

6. Soy Ginger Dressing

For a lighter, more savory dipping sauce, try an Asian-inspired soy ginger dressing. Combining soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, and other aromatics creates a sauce that complements crab rangoon with a tasty umami depth. The thin consistency helps the sauce cling to each piece without overpowering it. Make a quick homemade dressing or use a pre-made brand.

7. Hot Chinese Mustard

Mixing hot mustard powder into water makes a zesty condiment sauce that livens up crab rangoon with some heat and vinegar tang. The thin, spreadable mustard sauce adds a nose-clearing kick that cuts through the creaminess of each bite. Add the mustard powder a little at a time until you achieve the level of heat you desire.

8. Sweet Chili Sauce

For those who like a sweet heat flavor, try dipping crab rangoon in a Thai-style sweet chili sauce. The bright, ginger-infused sauce combines spicy chili peppers and garlic with sugar and vinegar for a balanced sweet-sour-spicy blend. The thin consistency lightly glazes the dumplings instead of drowning them. Look for sweet chili sauce in the Asian foods section.

9. Creamy Sesame Dressing

A creamy Asian sesame dressing or sauce makes for a rich, nutty dip for crab rangoon. Combining tahini or sesame paste with soy sauce, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger and other spices creates a luxuriously thick sauce with plenty of flavor. The creaminess perfectly matches the texture of the rangoon filling. Use as a dip or drizzle over the top.

10. Sweet Sambal Oelek

For those who enjoy spicy flavors, sambal oelek is a chili paste that adds fiery heat to crab rangoon dunking. Mix the thick, chili-based sauce with a bit of sugar, lime juice and salt to tame the heat and give it more of a sweet-sour flavor. The thicker consistency ensures the sambal paste sticks to the dumplings with each dunk. Adjust the spice level by adding more or less chili paste as desired.

Tips for Serving Crab Rangoon with Dipping Sauces

• Provide small ramekins of sauce for easy dunking. Soups spoons work better than large serving spoons for dainty dipping.

• Offer a variety of sauces so guests can explore different flavors. Provide 2-3 options for variety.

• Keep sauces on the thinner side so they don’t weigh down the crispy wontons.

• Serve sauces at room temperature. Cold sauces from the fridge need time to warm up.

• Provide small plates for any drips so the sauces don’t soak into the serving platter.

• Offer extra sauce on the side once the original ramekins run low so guests don’t double dip.

• For self-serve appetizer platters, provide the sauces in squeezable bottles so guests can drizzle as needed.

Make Your Own Signature Crab Rangoon Dipping Sauce

Once you’ve tried all the classic sauces, get creative and make your own crab rangoon dip! Try new flavor combinations by mixing and matching ingredients like fruit jams, juices and preserves, condiments, herbs, spices, oils, and more. Aim for a sauce with a medium-thick consistency that will lightly coat the dumplings. Whisk up a sweet and spicy orange sriracha sauce, an herby lemon dill dressing, or a tangy balsamic cranberry compote for an appetizer everyone will devour.