You can make this easy peanut sauce recipe in just 5 minutes! Sweet and spicy, it's delicious as a dipping sauce and on noodles, salads, and more.
This peanut sauce recipe is so tasty that you’ll want to eat it straight off a spoon! It has an amazing creamy texture, with a nutty, bright, and spicy flavor from peanut butter, lime, and sriracha. The ingredient list is short and sweet, and you can stir it together in 5 minutes. Try it on peanut noodles, rice bowls, or as a dipping sauce for spring rolls. You’ll be hooked!
Peanut Sauce Recipe Ingredients
Though this peanut sauce recipe draws inspiration from Indonesian and Thai peanut sauce, it’s not intended to be an authentic version of those sauces by any means. Often served as a dipping sauce for satay, Thai peanut sauce starts with whole peanuts rather than the peanut butter I use here. It’s also sweeter and more aromatic, frequently made with coconut milk and/or red curry paste. You can check out this Thai peanut sauce recipe for reference!
By contrast, this Americanized sauce is smoother and more savory. Here’s what I use to make it:
- Peanut butter – Creamy natural peanut butter works best here. The smoother, the better. Try subbing almond butter for a fun twist!
- Rice vinegar and lime juice – For tangy flavor. The vinegar’s acidity cuts the rich peanut butter nicely, while the lime juice adds fresh, bright flavor.
- Sriracha – For heat. Chile garlic sauce would work here too!
- Tamari – It adds salty, savory flavor. Sub soy sauce if you don’t keep tamari on hand. Be sure to seek out certified gluten-free tamari if you need this recipe to be gluten-free.
- Toasted sesame oil – For nutty richness.
- Maple syrup – Its sweetness balances the rich, spicy, savory sauce.
- Fresh ginger – It adds a refreshing kick.
- And water – To thin the sauce to your desired consistency.
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
How to Make Peanut Sauce
This recipe is so simple to make!
Just add all the ingredients to a medium mixing bowl…
…and whisk until smooth!
If the sauce is too thick, add water to thin it, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it reaches your desired consistency. Season to taste, and enjoy!
How to Use Peanut Sauce
The sauce will keep for up to 5 days in an airtight container in the fridge. You won’t have any trouble polishing it off! Creamy, savory, and bright, it’s super versatile. Here are a few of my favorite ways to use it:
- As a dipping sauce for spring rolls or summer rolls. It would be delicious on lettuce wraps filled with rice, air fryer tofu, and fresh herbs too!
- As a salad dressing – Drizzle it over a kale salad, simple green salad, or slaw.
- Over roasted veggies – Spoon it over roasted Brussels sprouts, broccoli, asparagus, or kabocha squash. Add a sprinkle of red pepper flakes and/or sesame seeds for garnish!
- As a dip – Scoop it up with carrots or peppers!
- On a grain bowl – Try it on this sushi bowl, this gingery rice bowl, or any of these rice bowl recipes.
- On a simply cooked protein – I love it on this crispy sesame tofu.
- Or on peanut noodles – Load them up with fresh veggies and herbs!
How do you like to use peanut sauce? Let me know in the comments!
More Favorite Sauces and Dressings
If you love this recipe, try one of these yummy sauces or dressings next:
- Spicy Mayo
- Gochujang Sauce
- Sesame Ginger Dressing
- Tahini Dressing
- Carrot Ginger Dressing
- Creamy Chipotle Sauce
- Cilantro Lime Dressing
- Tahini Sauce
Peanut Sauce
Prep Time: 5 minutes mins
Total Time: 5 minutes mins
Serves 4
This peanut sauce recipe is super easy to stir together—no blender or food processor required! It's creamy, nutty, savory, and bright. We love it as a dipping sauce and on noodles, grain bowls, and more.
Ingredients
- ½ cup creamy natural peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sriracha
- 1 tablespoon tamari
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 4 to 6 tablespoons water, as needed
Instructions
In a medium bowl, stir together the peanut butter, lime juice, rice vinegar, sriracha, tamari, sesame oil, maple syrup, ginger, and 4 tablespoons of the water. If the sauce is too thick, add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it reaches your desired consistency.
Use as a dipping sauce for spring rolls or on peanut noodles. Find additional serving suggestions in the blog post above.
Notes
Yield: about 1¼ cups
FAQs
Here are some ways you can use this creamy sauce that go beyond your standard noodle dishes or salads.
- Dip your veggies. ...
- Dress up some tacos or lettuce wraps. ...
- Toss with chicken wings or “cauliflower wings” ...
- Craft a unique and flavorful chicken burger. ...
- Use as a base for soup or stew.
First up, semantics. Sate doesn't actually mean spicy peanut sauce, though we tend to misappropriate the term here, and other dishes have been invented that use this accompanying sauce. Sate refers instead to the skewers of meat, and many variations of it come with a different sauce, and some without any sauce at all.
What is peanut sauce made of? ›
Instructions. To a medium mixing bowl add (starting with the amount at the lower end of the measurement range where applicable) peanut butter, tamari (or soy sauce or coconut aminos), maple syrup, lime juice, chili sauce (or chili or red pepper), and whisk to combine.
What is Vietnamese peanut sauce made of? ›
What is Vietnamese peanut sauce made of? Being one of the most popular types of Vietnamese dipping sauces, Vietnamese peanut sauce captivates every palate from the very first bite, thanks to its rich and impressive flavor. The sauce is a flavorful blend of peanut butter, hoisin sauce, hot chili peppers, and water.
Why is peanut sauce healthy? ›
Nutritionally, studies have found that eating peanuts or peanut butter has been associated with a reduced risk of cancer, heart disease and diabetes. They're also an inexpensive protein and healthy fat source. This peanut sauce has a nice kick to it with the Sriracha, which is a chili sauce.
Is peanut sauce an American thing? ›
Peanut sauce, satay sauce (saté sauce), bumbu kacang, sambal kacang, or pecel is an Indonesian sauce made from ground roasted or fried peanuts, widely used in Indonesian cuisine and many other dishes throughout the world.
Is satay sauce the same as peanut sauce? ›
Satay sauce is a slightly spicy peanut sauce. While it's popularly associated with Thai cuisine, it's enjoyed throughout Southeast Asia and has Indonesian roots. It's best known as the sauce for satay, a tasty appetizer of marinated meat (often chicken, pork, or beef) grilled on a skewer.
Is satay sauce Indian or Chinese? ›
Satay sauce is very widely used in Indonesian cuisine as well as in Malaysian dishes. It is an essential condiment used with a good number of Indonesian dishes, and is either served as a dipping sauce or added to the main ingredients of a recipe to get a more pleasing taste.
Does peanut sauce taste like peanut butter? ›
It has an amazing creamy texture, with a nutty, bright, and spicy flavor from peanut butter, lime, and sriracha.
What culture uses peanut sauce? ›
Also just called peanut sauce or satay sauce, this dipping sauce is a flavorful part of Southeast Asian cuisine, especially Indonesian cuisine, where it's called bumbu kacang or sambal kacang. (These translate literally to “nu*t bumbu spice” or “nu*t sambal.”)
Sauces can break for any number of reasons including cooking at high heat, adding too much liquid to a hot pan, or even just waiting too long for everything to combine appropriately.
What is the smelly sauce in Vietnam? ›
Your father was probably talking about the Vietnamese national food condiment called : “Nuoc Mam” which is liquid fish sauce. (FYI, it comes in various grades of quality. It is quite nutritious in vitamins and minerals. Used in its pure state it can be quite smelly.
Why do Vietnamese love fish sauce? ›
It adds a distinct aroma and flavor to the local foods. You can find Vietnamese fish sauce in almost all Vietnamese specialties. It might come as the dipping sauce for “bánh xèo” (sizzling cake), “gỏi cuốn” (spring rolls), and “cá chiên” (fried fish), just to name a few.
What is the famous Vietnamese sauce? ›
Nước Chấm is a quintessential sauce in Vietnamese cuisine. Made from simple ingredients like fish sauce, lime juice, and sugar, this sauce adds a delicious umami flavor to a wide range of dishes. It's a staple item in Vietnamese households and provides an essential finishing touch to many Vietnamese dishes.
What foods go well with peanuts? ›
These stir-fries, desserts and curries are made better with peanuts.
- Chicken in Peanut Sauce. ...
- Crunchy Peanut Biscuits. ...
- Peanut Butter Rocky Road Cheesecake. ...
- Kung Pao Chicken. ...
- West African Tsire Koftas. ...
- Asian slaw salad with marinated beef. ...
- Vietnamese Prawn Rice Noodle Salad. ...
- Chinese pork mince stir-fry.
Fruits and nuts are a classic combination and would taste just right on peanut butter toast. Some ideal ingredients are berries, slivered almonds, chopped walnuts, and banana slices. You can also sprinkle on chia seeds and ground flaxseeds for added crunch and nutrition.
What to pair with pbj? ›
I love my PB&J sandwiches with pretzels, apple slices and an extra scoop of peanut butter on the side to dip my apples in. On one side of the PB&J sandwiches, I put healthy options like apple slices and celery with a small bowl of peanut butter to spread on them as well as some grapes, cheese crackers and potato chips.
What food tastes good with peanut butter? ›
Exploring Surprisingly Delicious Peanut Butter Food Pairings with Peter Pan Peanut Butter
- Classic and Comforting: Peanut Butter and Jelly. ...
- Smooth and Sweet: Peanut Butter and Banana. ...
- Sweet, Savory, and Spicy: Peanut Butter and Sriracha. ...
- Smooth and Crunchy: Peanut Butter and Pickles.
