This simple ginger scallion sauce is so flavorful and refreshing. A perfect sauce to serve over practically any meal, and it's made with only 4 ingredients!
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Ginger scallion sauce is a Chinese sauce with very simple ingredients. It's traditionally prepared hot, but can also be made and served cold.
I love simple sauces, and this is such a great one. The ginger and scallion balance each other out so well, and the flavor is fantastic!
Ingredients
Ginger: Use fresh ginger root.
Scallions: Also known as spring onions or green onions.
Salt: I like to use sea salt flakes, which give the sauce some lovely salty crunch. You can also use kosher salt or ground sea salt.
Oil: Your choice of oil depends on whether you want to make a cold or hot sauce. I recommend sunflower oil for a hot sauce, or olive oil for a chilled sauce. See below for a thorough explanation.
Using the right kind of oil
One of the key tricks to this dish is to use the right type of oil. If you're preparing a chilled sauce, you will want to use oil that tastes nice when chilled, such as olive oil.
If however you're preparing hot ginger scallion sauce, you need to use oil with a high smoke point, such as sunflower oil or peanut oil. Olive oil is not suited for this method.
Instructions
Start by chopping the scallions and ginger very finely. Combine them in a bowl, along with the salt.
If making a cold sauce: Simply add the cold oil to the bowl with the other ingredients, and stir to combine. You can serve the sauce immediately, or store it in your refrigerator overnight if you want the oil to absorb more flavor from the vegetables.
If making a hot sauce: Heat up the oil in a pan or skillet on high heat. The oil should be hot enough to fry the scallions. I like to test it by adding a tiny piece of scallion to the oil - it should sizzle if it's hot enough.
When the oil is hot, pour it into the bowl over the scallions and ginger. The hot oil will lightly fry the ingredients immediately. Leave it to cool down ever so slightly, then serve.
💡 TIP! If you're struggling to chop the ginger and scallions finely enough, you can grate them on a microplane grater, or run them through a small food processor.
Top tips
Here are my best tips to help you succeed with the recipe:
- Use oil with a high smoke point if you're making a hot sauce, such as sunflower oil or peanut oil. Olive oil cannot be used for a hot version of the sauce.
- Make sure every piece of ginger is chopped finely. You don't want to bite into a large piece of raw ginger!
Serving suggestions
- Air Fryer Pork Chops - The ginger and scallions are perfect with pork.
- Chinese Garlic Green Beans - Improve your green beans with a flavorful sauce.
- Air Fryer Chicken Breast - Air fried, grilled or roasted chicken all work really well with the sauce.
- Baked or roasted potatoes - The sauce tastes fantastic on plain baked potatoes.
- Spicy beef burger - Use it as a simple burger sauce!
- Stir fries - Add the sauce as a topping for stir fries, or use it in your stir fry sauce!
- Rice - Any plain rice can be made a little more interesting by adding this sauce over the top.
Leftovers
You can store leftover ginger scallion sauce in a sealed container in your refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Use the leftovers as a sauce or dressing on future meals, or incorporate it into other dishes like stir fries or casseroles.
Frequently asked questions
Absolutely! Ginger scallion sauce can definitely be used as a salad dressing. If you're adding lettuce to the salad, you will want to use the chilled version of the sauce.
No. You can shred or grate ginger with the peel still on - it won't affect the flavor.
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Recipe
Ginger Scallion Sauce
Ingredients
- 5 scallions (green spring onions)
- 1 ½ inch ginger (3 cm piece)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ cup oil
Instructions
- Start by chopping the scallions and ginger very finely. Combine them in a bowl, along with the salt.
- If making a cold sauce: Simply add the cold oil to the bowl with the other ingredients, and stir to combine. You can serve the sauce immediately, or store it in your refrigerator overnight if you want the oil to absorb more flavor from the vegetables.
- If making a hot sauce: Heat up the oil in a pan or skillet on high heat. The oil should be hot enough to fry the scallions. I like to test it by adding a tiny piece of scallion to the oil – it should sizzle if it’s hot enough.When the oil is hot, pour it into the bowl over the scallions and ginger. The hot oil will lightly fry the ingredients immediately. Leave it to cool down ever so slightly, then serve.
Notes
- Use oil with a high smoke point if you're making a hot sauce, such as sunflower oil or peanut oil. Olive oil cannot be used for a hot version of the sauce.
- Make sure every piece of ginger is chopped finely. You don't want to bite into a large piece of raw ginger!
- You can store leftover ginger scallion sauce in a sealed container in your refrigerator for up to 3 days.
DeAnna
This was fantastic, I cooked the whites of the scallion and some finely chopped Ginger in the oil, then poured over a pile of scallion greens finely chopped and grated ginger. I also added a touch of sugar, msg, black garlic, mushroom powder and tamari. It was fantastic.