Asian Zing Sauce

This homemade Asian zing sauce is a copycat version of the Buffalo Wild Wings Asian zing sauce recipe. It is a tangy sauce with sweet and spicy flavors. This easy recipe, made with simple ingredients, is vegan and can be made gluten-free. Ready in less than 5 minutes!

Asian Zing sauce is a condiment by Buffalo Wild Wings, a chain of restaurants known for its wings and various sauces. It is characterized by its sweet and spicy profile, combining flavors commonly found in Asian cuisine. It typically includes ingredients like soy sauce, ginger, garlic, sugar, and chili.

I love it as both a marinade and dip for my air fryer cauliflower and air fryer crispy tofu

It is an easy recipe to make ahead and you can easily scale the recipe up or down.

Asian Zing Wings Sauce Ingredients

Full ingredients with measurements are available in the recipe card below at the end of this post

Soy sauce - dark soy sauce works better than light soy sauce. 

Sweet chilli sauce - for spicy flavours, go for a chili garlic sauce or other spicy sauce like hot sauce

Sesame oil - adds wonderful asian flavors to the recipe. We love to use in this Schezwan sauce recipe too.

Brown sugar - optionally use maple syrup or honey and you can adjust the amount to get the sweet flavor that you want

Rice vinegar - if you do not have rice wine vinegar, use white vinegar

Minced garlic and fresh ginger - you could use garlic powder and ginger powder as an easy alternative but the flavors are definitely better with fresh!

Red pepper flakes or chili flakes. You could also use black pepper powder or white pepper powder as an alternative

Corn starch - made into a slurry for thickening

Optional - add lemon juice or lime juice for extra zing and sesame seeds for texture and flavour.

How to make Asian Zing Sauce

In a small saucepan, add the soy sauce, sugar, sweet chili sauce, vinegar, ginger-garlic and chili flakes

In a small bowl, mix a tablespoon of cornstarch with a little water to make a slurry. Add it to the sauce mixture and stir.

On a low to medium heat, heat the mixture until it reaches a simmer then turn off the heat. The sauce will thicken as it cools to room temperature and the flavours will meld. 

Taste the sauce and adjust the sweetness, acidity, or spiciness according to your preference.

Store away or use in your desired recipe.

Pro Tips

• Customization - feel free to customize the sauce to suit your taste. If you prefer it sweeter, add more sugar or sweet chilli sauce; for more heat, add more red chilli flakes.
• Gluten free - to make it gluten free, use tamari or coconut aminos instead of soy sauce. 
• Consistency -  adjust the thickness of the sauce to your liking. If you want it thicker, you can cook it a bit longer or add more cornstarch.
• Marinating - this sauce works well as a marinade too. Marinate meat, fish or tofu for a few hours before cooking.
• Fresh Ingredients - using fresh garlic and ginger will enhance the flavor of the sauce. Consider using a grater for finely minced garlic and ginger.

Serving Suggestion

The versatile and flavorful Asian Zing sauce can be used in various vegetarian dishes. Here are some serving suggestions and usage ideas:

1. Vegetarian Stir Fry:
   • Toss your favorite combination of vegetables (such as bell peppers, broccoli, carrots, snap peas, and mushrooms) in a wok or skillet with a bit of oil.
   • Add the Asian Zing sauce and stir-fry until the veggies are tender-crisp.
   • Serve over rice or noodles.
2. Vegetarian Spring Rolls:
   • Use the Asian Zing sauce as a dipping sauce for vegetarian spring rolls. 
3. Grilled Tofu Skewers:
   • Marinate cubes of tofu in the Asian Zing sauce for a couple of hours.
   • Thread the marinated tofu onto skewers and grill until lightly charred.
   • Serve with additional sauce for dipping.
4. Asian Zing Noodle Bowl:
   • Toss cooked noodles (such as rice noodles or udon noodles) with the Asian Zing sauce.
   • Add sautéed or steamed vegetables, tofu, and garnish with sesame seeds and chopped green onions.
5. Asian Zing Cauliflower Wings:
   • Coat cauliflower florets in a batter (flour, water, salt, and pepper).
   • Bake or air-fry until crispy.
   • Toss the cauliflower wings in the Asian Zing sauce before serving.
6. Vegetarian Sliders or Sandwiches:
   • Use the Asian Zing sauce as a condiment for vegetarian sliders or sandwiches. It adds a sweet and spicy kick to the flavors. I love it in these Instant Pot Bao Buns.

The Asian Zing sauce adds a delightful twist to vegetarian dishes, providing a perfect balance of sweet, spicy, and savory flavors.

Storage

Refrigeration - Asian Zing sauce, should be stored in the refrigerator. Make sure to transfer the sauce to an airtight container before refrigerating. Use within 1 week. If it thickens too much, add a splash of water

Freezing - If you don't plan to use the sauce within a short period and want to extend its shelf life, you can consider freezing it. Freeze in small portions for easy thawing when needed. Use within 3 months. Thaw overnight and reheat gently in a saucepan.

FAQs

Other sauce recipes

Tamarind Sauce

Indian Mint Sauce

Samosa Sauces

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