Sukang Sawsawan is a spiced vinegar dipping sauce made with vinegar, onions, garlic, and chili. It’s sour, tangy, spicy with a hint of sweetness. Perfect sawsawan for lechon kawali, crispy pata, lumpiang gulay, barbecue, and many more Filipino dishes.
Sukang Sawsawan: vinegar dipping sauce
If you loved the soy sauce and vinegar dipping sauce, you'll definitely love this sukang sawsawan too!
Oh yes, it is definitely sour but the spices and seasonings give it a nice balance of flavor. So, so, good with your favorite fatty dishes! Pangtanggal umay talaga!
What types of vinegar are good for sukang sawsawan?
There are many types of vinegar but these are the ones I recommend:
- cane vinegar
- distilled vinegar
- white wine vinegar
- coconut vinegar
- rice vinegar (I recommend the manuka brand)
Noticed that I didn't include apple cider vinegar in the list. I find its smell and flavor are too overpowering to make it as a dipping sauce. But if you must use it, combine it with a milder vinegar to dilute
Uses for this spiced vinegar dipping sauce
Use this dipping sauce for any of your favorite Filipino food, especially the fatty and oily kind, including:
- Lechon Kawali
- Lumpiang Gulay
- Filipino Barbecue
- Crispy Pata
- Skinless Longganisa
- Chicken Inasal
- Lechon Belly
- Chicken Tocino
- Beef Tapa
- Crispy Fried Pork belly
- Buttered Shrimp
- Halabos na Hipon
I also love this dipping sauce with pork belly adobo as it cuts down the saltiness of adobo. And, I often have it with pork tocino too, to help cut down the sweetness.
How to make it
Start by chopping the onions, garlic, and chili. To reduce the spiciness, remove or discard some of the seeds of the chili.
Place all the ingredients in a bowl. Whisk until the sugar has completely dissolved. Let the sauce stand for around 20 to 30 minutes. This will marinate the raw onions and will make the sauce even more flavorful!
Taste before serving and adjust the seasonings as needed–add more sugar if you want it sweeter or salt if you want it saltier.
That is it! Easy peasy!
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Sukang Sawsawan–Vinegar Dipping Sauce
Ingredients
- ½ cup cane vinegar (see note 1 for substitutes)
- 2 tablespoon water (add more as needed)
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce/ patis
- 2 teaspoon brown sugar (packed, add more if preferred)
- 1 small red onion (finely chopped)
- 2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
- red or green chilies (chopped, to taste)
- salt and pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, add all ingredients. Whisk until sugar is dissolved.
- Let it stand for 20 to 30 minutes. Do a taste test before serving and adjust sugar, water, salt, and black pepper, to taste. The water will help lessen the sourness. Omit if preferred.
Recipe Notes and Tips:
- Vinegar options: distilled vinegar, white wine vinegar, coconut vinegar, and rice vinegar (I recommend the manuka brand).
- Storage: This sauce can be made days ahead. Store in an air-tight glass jar and refrigerate until needed. Remember it should be air-tight as the onion smell can get stronger the longer it marinates.
- Variation: add diced cucumbers.
- Note that this is a small serving recipe. Double the recipe if needed.
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Harv says
Hi do we need fish sauce as I am missing that ingredient?
Thanks
Riverten Kitchen (Mella) says
You can substitute with salt. Start with just a pinch then adjust based on your preference.
- Mella
Sofia says
I know this is traditionally done with red onion, but I only have white on hand. Can I substitute? And should I adjust the other ingredients for taste?
Mella says
Yes, you can also use white onion. And you can definitely adjust to taste.
- M