This peanut sauce recipe is easy to make in just 5 minutes! Creamy, 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! Inspired by the Thai peanut sauce from my go-to takeout spot, 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, so you can stir this sauce together in 5 minutes. Try it on peanut noodles, rice bowls, or as a dipping sauce for fresh spring rolls. You’ll be hooked!
What is in Thai Peanut Sauce?
Though this peanut sauce recipe draws inspiration from Indonesian and Thai peanut sauce, it’s not entirely authentic. 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, my homemade peanut sauce is smoother and slightly more savory. Here’s what I use to make it:
- Peanut butter – Natural creamy peanut butter works best here. The smoother, the better.
- 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.
- 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 spicy, savory flavors in the 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.
Ingredient Substitutions
- For peanut butter: Almond butter and cashew butter work well too.
- For sriracha:Â Chili garlic sauce or chili crisp is great.
- For maple syrup: If you don’t have maple on hand, use honey, agave nectar, or brown sugar as a sweetener instead. You may need to add slightly more water to reach a creamy consistency.
How to Make Peanut Sauce
This recipe is so simple to make!
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, tamari or soy sauce, rice vinegar, lime juice, sriracha, sesame oil, maple syrup, and ginger. Whisk in 4 tablespoons water.
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
Creamy, savory, and bright, this peanut sauce is 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 or dip for veggies – Scoop it up with carrots or peppers!
- 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!
- On a grain bowl – Try it on any of these rice bowl recipes.
- On a simply cooked protein – I love it on this crispy sesame tofu or baked tempeh.
- Or on peanut noodles – Load them up with fresh veggies and herbs!
How do you like to use this sauce? Let me know in the comments!
How to Store
Store leftover sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
It may thicken in the fridge, so thin it with water as needed before serving.
More Favorite Sauces and Dressings
If you love this recipe, try one of these yummy sauces or dressings next:
Peanut Sauce
Ingredients
- ½ cup creamy natural peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sriracha
- 1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
- 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.
This is the best peanut sauce! I use less syrup since do not want it too sweet
I love this recipe with asian noodles. I’ve made it several times. It’s delicious I usually use chunky peanut butter though, because I like the peanuts. I’ve had it warm and cold. This time I had the noodles with roasted vegetables mixed with a bit of ginger, Thai basil, and Hoisin sauce this time and it was great.
Hi Could this sauce be used in a hot dish with noodles and veggies?
Hi Susan, yep! It could.
Easy and delicious with the peanut noodles!
So glad you enjoyed it!
Loved it and so easy to put together
So glad you loved it, Elaine!
This sauce is very good and comes together in a flash. I too add garlic to the sauce as this is how I’m used to making it. My old recipe had me cooking it in a saucepan, but apparently I’ve been wasting my time with that…this no cook recipe is so easy!!
Can you freeze this?
I thought this was the best peanut sauce Ive not only made, but have had. Ive found the recipes here consistently of great quality. I have no fear when I try a recipe from L9ve Abe Lemons. Thanks you!
Hi Elizabeth, I’m so glad you loved the peanut sauce and the other recipes you’ve tried! Thanks so much for your comment.
I found this too vinegary. It also tasted like it was missing an essential flavor (lemongrass, maybe?). Though, to be fair, I wanted an Indonesian peanut sauce and it could be the strong vinegar flavor is more a Thai thing? A lot of the internet says Indonesian and Thai peanut sauces are the same, but if this is a good representation of Thai peanut sauce, they are not.
Hi Elizabeth, I’m sorry this one wasn’t for you.
I have mede this many times and I always added minced garlic then it’s really good. I don’t like it without garlic either it feel like missing something like you said.
this peanut sauce is absolutely perfect. Very balanced. Super yummy.
I just made this. I can’t eat chili so left out the sriracha. Also trying to lose weight so made it 6 portions by adding more water to reduce the calories a bit. Really happy with it! Had it with wholemeal noodles and broccoli, it coats them beautifully. It’s not rich or sickly like others I have tried, it has a perfect umami savoury flavour. Very comforting. Thank you so much!
Simple and tasty. Craving it honestly after trying for the 1st time.
I don’t usually do the email for your recipes or whatever but honestly it felt good to do so and you got me on your peanut sauce. I have wanted a tasty almost Asian taste. I make spring rolls and lettuce wraps!! So thank you muchly and I’ll let you know how much I loved it!!
Hi Julie, I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
This sounds FABULOUS –
Alas, I cannot eat peanuts.
Have you tried it with almonds?
Any other suggestions?
Manay thanks,
Barbara
Hi Barbara, you could use almond butter or cashew butter here. Hope you enjoy!
Here I found Peanut and Almond and many more sauces already made, they are more like to add to your food, but I tried to use for my pasta also rice and the result was very nice. check nusauces.com
Excellent taste. Followed the instructions but added Penzy’s Ethiopian Style Pepper Blend and a full tablespoon of grated ginger and maple syrup to take it up a notch!
Excellent! Followed per instructions except added cayenne (some like it hot!). Used as dipping sauce for summer roll. Next time I will double the recipe to keep on hand
Hi Vi, so glad you enjoyed the sauce!
I’ve made this recipe several times now, and it always gets rave reviews from my family and dinner party guests!
Hi Sarah, I’m so glad everyone loves the peanut sauce!
thank you for another great sauce, love knowing what ingredients are in it and tweaking a bit here and there, thank you!
Thanks so much for the step by step guide on how to make a good peanut sauce. I spent 2 years in Thailand teaching English and got hooked on the stuff. There is definitely ab art to making it and after trying your recipe I can tell you it was almost like I was back in Thailand. Kop kun ka
I hope you enjoy the recipe!
what a delicious recipe, cant wait to try more!