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Easy Peanut Sauce

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This easy peanut sauce is a salty, sweet, spicy dip and dressing for dumplings, spring rolls, Thai noodles, and satay. A peanut butter base combined with Asian pantry ingredients make this simple sauce everyone’s favorite Thai condiment. It’s naturally vegan with gluten free options!

Easy 5 minute Peanut Sauce dip and dressing for your favorite Thai foods #vegan #glutenfree #thainoodles #springrolls #summerrolls #peanutsauce #thai #satay

Easy Peanut Sauce

Not long ago, someone asked me how I make peanut sauce.

I’ve made it for years and realized I needed to get it up on the blog.

There’s no secret formula, just everyday ingredients, combined to make…the best Asian condiment evrrrrrr!

You can make it a million ways! Everyone needs at least one reliable recipe that rocks your Asian food cravings in under 5 minutes.

Ways to use peanut sauce

  • Thai spring rolls (also called summer rolls)
  • salad dressing or buddha bowl topping
  • dumpling sauce
  • lettuce wrap topping
  • stir fry sauce
  • satay marinade or satay dipping sauce
  • vegetable crudités dip
  • Thai peanut Zucchini Noodle dish

I mean, what other sauce (besides ranch dressing) has this many uses?!

How to make peanut sauce

1. Place soy sauce, grated ginger, rice vinegar, maple syrup, finely grated garlic, cayenne pepper, and peanut butter in a bowl. Feel free to substitute your favorite gluten free soy sauce.

2. Whisk ingredients together until well-combined.

3. Add small amounts of water and continue whisking until you reach your desired consistency.

* see full recipe below

Pro tip: It’s way too easy to make this sauce way too watery. So, be diligent about adding only “small” amounts of water to reach the right consistency.

Easy 5 minute Peanut Sauce dip and dressing for your favorite Thai foods #vegan #glutenfree #thainoodles #springrolls #summerrolls #peanutsauce #thai #satay

Does peanut sauce have dairy?

This sauce is naturally vegan and naturally dairy-free!

There’s no need to add animal products to it, as it’s so scrumptious on its own.

Next to hummus, I can’t think of a more popular plant-based condiment that’s so universal to non-vegans everywhere!

How do you make authentic Thai peanut sauce?

My recipe for peanut sauce is very simple, made with ingredients like soy sauce, ginger, garlic, spicy pepper, and rice vinegar.

If you want more distinctive Thai flavors, start by substituting coconut milk for the water in this peanut sauce recipe. Then add any of the following ingredients in very small amounts:

It’s fun to experiment with these ingredients. if you overuse any of them…mmmmmh, not so fun and harder to correct, so go easy!

How do you thicken peanut sauce?

Oh snap! You went and made your sauce too thin, did ya? We’ve all been there.

If this happens, simply whisk in more peanut butter to adjust it.

You can even use peanut butter powder to make the adjustment…it acts like flour, which is very cool!

It’s spendy…because it doesn’t include peanut oil. It has a million uses, just like peanut butter.

Easy 5 minute Peanut Sauce dip and dressing for your favorite Thai foods #vegan #glutenfree #thainoodles #springrolls #summerrolls #peanutsauce #thai #satay

Easy Peanut Sauce Ingredients:

  • natural peanut butter
  • soy sauce (gluten free tamari)
  • rice vinegar
  • maple syrup
  • ginger
  • garlic
  • cayenne pepper (or red pepper flakes)
  • water

Tools I use for this recipe:

Looking for ways to use peanut sauce?

Veggie Quinoa Banh Mi Bowl

Turmeric Chickpea Buddha Bowl Recipe

Vegan Thai Peanut Zucchini Noodles

Easy 5 minute Peanut Sauce dip and dressing for your favorite Thai foods #vegan #glutenfree #thainoodles #springrolls #summerrolls #peanutsauce #thai #satay

Easy 5 minute Peanut Sauce dip and dressing for your favorite Thai foods #vegan #glutenfree #thainoodles #springrolls #summerrolls #peanutsauce #thai #satay
Print REcipe
5 from 24 votes

Easy Peanut Sauce

This easy peanut sauce is a salty, sweet, spicy dip and dressing for dumplings, spring rolls, Thai noodles, and satay. A peanut butter base combined with Asian pantry ingredients makes this simple sauce everyone’s favorite Thai condiment. It’s naturally vegan and SO easy to make!
Course Condiment
Cuisine Asian
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 1 cup
Calories 150kcal
Author Traci Antonovich

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup Natural Peanut Butter unsweetened
  • 2 Tbsp Reduced Sodium Soy Sauce or Tamari (for gluten free)
  • 1 Tbsp Rice Vinegar or lime juice
  • 2 tsp Maple Syrup
  • 2 tsp Ginger finely grated
  • 1 clove Garlic finely grated
  • 1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
  • 1/3 cup Water or more as needed to adjust consistency

Instructions

  • In a small mixing bowl, whisk together PEANUT BUTTER, SOY SAUCE, RICE VINEGAR, MAPLE SYRUP, GINGER, GARLIC, and CAYENNE until well-combined.
  • Slowly pour in small amounts of WATER and continue whisking until sauce reaches desired consistency. (Note: you may not need the full amount of water stated in ingredient list).
  • Add any of the following ingredients to kick up the Thai peanut sauce flavors even more: sub coconut milk for water, lime juice, chili garlic sauce, fish sauce [not vegan], lemongrass paste, tamarind paste, galangal, or Thai red curry paste

NOTE: If the sauce is too thick for your liking, add a little water to thin it out. If it's too thin, add a little peanut butter to thicken it.

    RECIPE NOTES

    Yield: 1 cup
    Serving size: 2 Tbsp or 1 oz
    Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy and are estimates based on unbranded ingredients acquired from a nutrition database. For accurate calculations, please refer to brand packaging information and consult your nutritionist.

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Facts
    Easy Peanut Sauce
    Amount Per Serving (2 Tbsp)
    Calories 150 Calories from Fat 108
    % Daily Value*
    Total Fat 12g 18%
    Saturated Fat 2g 10%
    Sodium 245mg 10%
    Potassium 164mg 5%
    Total Carbohydrates 6g 2%
    Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
    Sugars 3g
    Protein 6g 12%
    Vitamin A 0.9%
    Vitamin C 0.1%
    Calcium 1.2%
    Iron 3%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Did you make this recipe? Tag me!Mention @thekitchengirl or tag #thekitchengirl
    Traci Antonovich
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    Traci Antonovich

    Recipe author and food photographer at The Kitchen Girl
    I'm on a mission to help you eat healthy AND save money through simple, everyday recipes, product reviews, and budget-friendly kitchen tips.
    Traci Antonovich
    Follow TKG

    Latest posts by Traci Antonovich (see all)

    Comments

    1. GC says

      07/05/2019 at 10:49 am

      Delicious sauce! I used it as a dipping sauce for dumplings. I had to use double the amount of water though for it to have a nice consistency.
      ★★★★★

      Reply

    2. PJ says

      04/30/2019 at 6:31 pm

      I tried two other recipes before yours. Both batches went down the garbage disposal. Yours was absolutely perfect! It was exactly the flavors that I was looking for! Thank you so much. These made my lettuce wraps scrumptious!!
      ★★★★★

      Reply

    3. Glenda says

      03/22/2019 at 11:07 am

      Delicious! Thank you! Will use for my spring rolls, pasta, stir fry, and so much more .
      ★★★★★

      Reply

      • Traci Antonovich says

        01/27/2019 at 6:44 pm

        Thanks Sheri, unfortunately I'm not able to do that, but you're more than welcome to leave another review with the stars...or not. I'm just happy you love the recipe! :)

    5. Sheri says

      01/27/2019 at 12:42 pm

      My favorite restaurant features a Buddha bowl with luscious peanut sauce. My budget, unfortunately, doesn’t accommodate dining in as frequently as I’d like, which put me on the hunt for a comparable homemade alternative. I’ve tried a lot but your recipe hits the nail on the head! I particularly appreciate that it’s not overly sweet. The recipe is flavorful as given but adding any of the suggested, optional ingredients allows you to customize to taste. Made enough for 3 generous servings. Great job!
      Reply

      • Traci Antonovich says

        01/27/2019 at 6:43 pm

        Thanks Sheri! Well this makes my day...and I too love peanut sauce that's isn't too sweet. This recipe is so flexible for someone to add sweetness, or spice, or more traditional ingredients. Thanks again for your feedback :)

    6. Carmy says

      01/15/2019 at 7:36 am

      I've never added cayenne pepper to my pb sauce before. I'll have to try that. I almost always have some in my fridge since it goes with everything! It is a staple for us! Especially when making stir frys!
      ★★★★★

      Reply

      • Traci Antonovich says

        01/15/2019 at 9:45 am

        Awesome and thanks! Yeah the cayenne is a nice way to not add extra salt and/or fat (via Sriracha, chili paste, or chili oil)...even though I love all of those things ;)

    7. Christina says

      01/14/2019 at 6:53 pm

      I love that this is dairy free! And that ginger in there is genius. I need this for spring rolls, egg rolls, and basically everything worth dipping! LOL. Looks creamy and flavorful!
      ★★★★★

      Reply

    8. Tina says

      01/14/2019 at 9:33 am

      Ditto on the best Asian sauce ever, seriously. It's so easy to make and those photos should give anyone the confidence to try to make this sauce if they have never done it before. Saving this for later, yours looks amazing.
      ★★★★★

      Reply

    9. Debra says

      01/14/2019 at 8:29 am

      THanks for the wonderful suggestions on what to use this sauce for. I actually can't imagine anything it wouldn't be good on. A seriously great sauce...and the tip about adding the water sparingly was just what we needed!
      ★★★★★

      Reply

    10. Dana says

      01/14/2019 at 8:14 am

      I could often just eat this stuff with a SPOON. I lovelovelove PB mixed with a bit of heat, then brought to a savory dish. This really is the perfect kind of dip for summer rolls. I can never get enough of those refreshing little things! I usually use Sriracha sauce or sambal oelek for the heat, and honey for the sweet.
      ★★★★★

      Reply

    11. Trish Bozeman says

      01/14/2019 at 6:32 am

      Oooooh YES! We've been eating raw veggies as snacks this month and I'm needing a new way to make them exciting. This would be so awesome to dip them into! YUM!
      ★★★★★

      Reply

    12. Annemarie says

      01/14/2019 at 4:51 am

      I LOVE the peanut sauce I get with my Thai food and I've been wondering how to make it! And it turns out that I have everything in the house needed to make it. Bonus! Now to make some satay to go with it...
      ★★★★★

      Reply

    13. Tracy says

      01/13/2019 at 7:34 pm

      Oh man I wish I had seen this sooner! Last week I had some delicious spring rolls from a local Thai restaurant. The spring rolls themselves were great, but omg that peanut sauce was SO disappointing!! It ruined the rolls. If only I had this recipe - I could have whipped up a WAY better sauce for them! Pinning to make sure I always have access to it in case I'm stuck with bad peanut sauce again!
      ★★★★★

      Reply

    14. Sean@Diversivore says

      01/13/2019 at 9:39 am

      Hooray for a simple, adaptable peanut sauce that's made with simple ingredients! I frequently find that sauces like these tend to be made by just mashing together a couple of other sauces, and at that point I don't know why you wouldn't just buy a peanut sauce. But this is great - it's all stuff I've got, and it's got a great final texture, and plenty of room to adapt to taste. I know that I'd personally include fish sauce given that I'm not aiming for vegan, but it is nonetheless really nice to have the option to keep it meat-free, given how tricky that tends to be with Southeast Asian food. Cheers!
      ★★★★★

      Reply

      • Traci Antonovich says

        01/13/2019 at 9:59 am

        Thanks Sean! Yes, adding fish sauce makes it distinctively more Thai...and I love it like that too :) Glad you notice how simple the ingredients are. Hope you love this one!

    15. Marisa Franca says

      01/12/2019 at 11:10 am

      We've gotten into this huge Oriental food kick. I'm craving spring rolls, Thai noodles, etc. The sauce would certainly be handy to have on hand whenever we get the urge to make our Asian dishes. Thank you!! I think we'll do Thai tonight.
      ★★★★★

      Reply

    16. Gloria says

      01/09/2019 at 1:56 pm

      This looks so good. I can just imagine the uses already. Perfect way to spice up rice, veggies and meat too. Homemade is best, and this proves it.
      ★★★★★

      Reply

    17. Patty says

      01/08/2019 at 6:25 am

      I love peanut sauce but never thought of making it at home, this will be my new favorite with lots of hot sauce, thanks!
      ★★★★★

      Reply

    18. Amanda Wren-Grimwood says

      01/08/2019 at 6:15 am

      Asian food has to be my favourite so I'll definitely be making this as there are so many dishes that go with a peanut sauce.
      ★★★★★

      Reply

    19. Beth Neels says

      01/08/2019 at 6:13 am

      I have never had a peanut sauce! I have to give this a try, because it's so easy! And delicious!
      ★★★★★

      Reply

    20. Sues says

      01/08/2019 at 5:50 am

      I absolutely love peanut sauce and this recipe looks like perfection!! That's so many things this would be delicious on... And I'd definitely be using it as a dressing on ALL my salads!
      ★★★★★

      Reply

    22. Cliona Keane says

      01/07/2019 at 11:50 pm

      This sounds like it will go with so many of my favourites! We are big lovers of homemade Asian cuisine in our house so this will be going on my list of must-makes.
      ★★★★★

      Reply

    24. Taylor Kiser says

      01/07/2019 at 8:00 pm

      Homemade is always better; and it's so easy to make! Looks delicious! Very versatile too!
      ★★★★★

      Reply

    25. Shanika says

      01/07/2019 at 7:10 pm

      This Peanut Sauce would be perfect on a lot of great dishes! Pinned for later!
      ★★★★★

      Reply

    26. Caroline says

      01/07/2019 at 6:41 pm

      Peanut sauce is one of my favorites, and the whole family loves chicken satay - it's a staple in the summer. Yours sounds tasty without being too complex too.
      ★★★★★

      Reply

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