It takes just 10 minutes to make a great Orange Dipping Sauce at home! This sweet-spicy, lightly-tangy, marmalade-based sauce can be as hot (or not) as you want it to be. Perfect for serving with Coconut Shrimp!
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I love a good dipping sauce. In fact, I often find myself judging a dippable appetizer at least 50% by the sauce served alongside it. The dipping sauce can make or break the bite!
Like the Sweet and Sour Sauce I serve with Crab Rangoon, this Orange Dipping Sauce plays on sweet and tangy notes. The difference in this recipe is the addition of a little (or a lot – your choice) heat by way of chili sauce.
Orange Chili Dipping Sauce has become a favorite in my house, especially for Game Day appetizers. It’s a cinch to stir together, using ingredients I almost always have in the pantry (and are easy to find at the regular grocery store if you don’t have them on hand), one bowl, and just 10 minutes. Win!
The 5 Ingredients You’ll Need
The base of this orange dipping sauce is sweet orange marmalade. The “sweet” label is important here. While the hallmark of a good British marmalade is its balance between sweet and bitter flavors, I like to save those jars for my biscuits and scones. Sweeter versions work better in this recipe.
I most often use Smuckers Sweet Orange Marmalade to make my dipping sauce. If you’re using another brand, you’ll want to read the ingredients list. If you see “bitter” or “sour” oranges listed, I recommend skipping those jars for this recipe.
To your orange marmalade base, you’ll add thinly-sliced scallions, soy sauce, fresh lime juice, and Sriracha.
Do you know what makes marmalade marmalade? For an interesting read, check out What’s the Difference Between Jam, Jelly, and Marmalade? from MasterClass.
Customizing the Heat with Sriracha
The amount of Sriracha (Thai chili sauce – read more about it in my Pantry Guide) you use is totally up to your heat preferences. We like about a teaspoonful, which is enough to give the sauce a little heat without knocking you over.
For a really mild sauce, you can dial the quantity down to 1/2 teaspoon, or if you like a hotter sauce, feel free to dial it up! Sriracha does contain vinegar that adds a bit of tang to the recipe. If you’re going light with it, you might need to add a little extra lime juice, to taste.
Serving and Storing Orange Dipping Sauce
I wrote this recipe to serve with Coconut Shrimp–it’s a classic pairing! The sauce is the perfect sweet-spicy balance against the crispy coconut-breaded shrimp for a restaurant-quality appetizer.
We also like to serve this orange dipping sauce with breaded chicken fingers, and spring rolls. I’ve even used it to glaze chicken baked chicken thighs, drumsticks, and wings!
You can make the sauce up to 3 days in advance, so it’s great for easy entertaining. Store it tightly-covered in the refrigerator. I like to serve it closer to room temperature, so I’ll usually take it out of the fridge 30 minutes before serving to take the chill off.
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Orange Dipping Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup sweet orange marmalade
- 2 tablespoons thinly-sliced scallions
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice (plus additional, to taste, if needed)
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon Sriracha (or more, to taste)
- kosher salt (optional, to taste)
Instructions
- In a bowl, stir together orange marmalade, scallions, soy sauce, and lime juice. Stir in sriracha, to taste (start conservatively with 1/2 teaspoon for a mild sauce, and increase to your heat preferences). If needed, add a little extra lime juice (quantity will depend on how much sriracha you've added) and season to taste with salt.
- The sauce can be served right away or stored, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Nutrition Estimate
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
About our recipes
Please note that our recipes have been developed using the US Customary measurement system and have not been tested for high altitude/elevation cooking and baking.
Truly delicious! Madee this tonight as a dipping sauce for some breaded chicken breast strips. Yummmmm! 5 stars in my book.
great recipes