Rosé sauce is beloved globally as a pasta sauce, typically made by blending marinara with heavy cream. My spicy Korean rosé sauce is a unique twist on the Italian classic, reimagining it as a bold and flavorful dipping sauce for soup dumplings.
This sauce starts with the traditional Korean ingredient of gochujang (a spicy Korean chili paste), bringing a deep, spicy heat that’s instantly recognizable. Combined with heavy cream, the sauce takes on a rich, velvety texture that mellows out the heat, creating a beautiful rosé, orange-ish/pink hue.
The addition of garlic adds a layer of savory flavor, while soy sauce provides the perfect balance of umami and salty. A touch of honey or sugar rounds out the sauce with sweetness, making it the perfect complement to the savory, juicy filling of dumplings.
What Dumplings Should I Use?
Any type of dumplings work great for this dish! Personally, I used soup dumplings, but they do not need to have the soup/broth filling in them. This is totally optional! I used store-bought soup dumplings from MiLa but I also love regular dumplings from Bibigo. I’ve found dumplings from both of these brands at Walmart, Target, and Costco.
In Asia, dumplings (known as gyoza in Japanese) are enjoyed as a side dish or appetizer, often paired with ramen or served with a refreshing dipping sauce. Feel free to also try out my homemade pork dumplings recipe if you really want to up this dish!
What is Gochujang?
Gochujang adds an incredible depth of flavor with its signature blend of heat, sweetness, and umami. Made from red chili peppers, fermented soybeans, glutinous rice, and salt, gochujang brings a spicy kick. This thick, vibrant red paste has a unique fermentation process that gives it a slight tang and an earthy quality, similar to that of miso or soy sauce but with a touch of sweetness from the glutinous rice.
In Korean cooking, gochujang is a beloved staple, used in everything from stews and marinades to dipping sauces. Its versatility has made it popular in fusion dishes, adding a unique Korean twist and depth to many cuisines.
Spicy Rosé Sauce for Dumplings
- Total Time: 15 minutes
Description
Soup dumplings nestled in a spicy rosé sauce, made with gochujang, heavy cream, and soy sauce, offer a rich and fiery twist on a classic, blending Korean heat with creamy indulgence.
Ingredients
- 12–15 soup dumplings (I used soup dumplings, but you can use regular dumplings too!)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3/4 cup water
- 2 tablespoons gochujang (adjust to your desired spice level)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey
- Optional garnish: Chili crisp and chopped green onions
Instructions
- To a large saucepan (with a lid that you will use later) combine all of your ingredients except for your soup dumplings. Stir constantly for 2-3 minutes to thoroughly combine all ingredients.
- In a single layer, place all of your dumplings in the saucepan face-up.
- Turn on the heat to medium-high and place your lid on top. Allow the dumplings to cook (5-6 minutes for fresh dumplings, or 6-8 minutes for frozen dumplings). Serve hot!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
This was so quick and easy to make! And the flavor is the perfect balance of sweet and spicy. Can’t wait to make it again!
Thanks Brenn! So glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Super easy to make and very delicious.
So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing!
I plan to make this, but I do have an allergy to heavy cream. Do you think this would work with coconut cream instead of heavy cream?. Thanks!
Hi Alysia! I would probably use coconut milk over coconut cream. The taste will be slightly different, but still delicious!
THAT was absolutely delightful! I did indeed buy coconut cream before seeing your reply. So I cut it with a little bit of half and half, and it came out so so good. The perfect amount of spice, and those dumplings are amazing! I got them at Sam’s club. I will try coconut milk next time bc the cream was a bit sweeter than I like, but overall a nice balance of flavor. Thanks for the recipe!!
Yay! I’m so glad to hear that! I’ve been curious to know if the coconut cream works. 🙂
EVERYONE NEEDS TO MAKE THIS
So glad you loved it Lucia 🙂
I’ve made this two ways now and both are delicious. The first was per recipe, which was great!
The second I tried coconut cream (forgot to buy normal cream lol), and made a bit extra to try with some tofu. Works fabulously with the coconut cream (and dumplings), and the tofu. You could probably use it as a sauce and throw in some prawns, veggies and noodles too.
A very simple and adaptable recipe!
Yum! Sounds amazing, I’m so glad you got to adapt it as well 🙂 thanks for sharing!
This is so good, quick and easy. I like to make it with a can of unsweetened coconut milk instead of the cream and water. Sometimes I sub maple syrup for the honey. I serve it with scallions, cilantro, and a bunch of sliced radishes.
Sounds amazing! Thank you so much for sharing your kind review. 🙂
This would be great on noodles too, not just dumplings. Really liked the taste.
Yes! I love making this sauce for noodles. I have a recipe for that on my blog here if you’re interested. Thanks for your review, Finn! 🙂
This is now our craving sauce to go with dumplings! I’m wondering now how delicious it would be to sub a can of coconut cream to give it that Indonesian vibe?!
Aww yay! So happy to hear! I’ve heard from a few people that they used coconut cream and it worked out great! If you find it too thick you could always add a little milk and half coconut cream too 🙂
The sauce had such a great flavor! I’ll have to make it every time I have dumplings now
That’s great to hear! Thank you for your review, Leanne!
This recipe was so easy to make (truly less than 20 from start to finish). I swapped all of the liquid for a 13 oz can of coconut milk. The consistency was perfect. I dropped in some frozen whole leaf spinach at the same time as the dumplings to round out the meal. I also did end up adding some additional garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper to give the sauce additional flavor.
Abrielle, I love how you made the recipe your own! So glad you enjoyed it 🙂 thanks for sharing!