Peanut Sauce

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.

Peanut sauce

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

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.

Hand whisking together sriracha, tamari, and other ingredients in small bowl

How to Make Peanut Sauce

This recipe is so simple to make!

Just add all the ingredients to a medium mixing bowl…

Hand whisking together peanut sauce recipe ingredients

…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 make peanut sauce - hand whisking sauce in small bowl

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:

How do you like to use peanut sauce? Let me know in the comments!

Peanut sauce recipe

More Favorite Sauces and Dressings

If you love this recipe, try one of these yummy sauces or dressings next:

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Peanut Sauce

rate this recipe:
5 from 10 votes
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
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

6 comments

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Rate this recipe (after making it)




  1. Sarah
    11.28.2023

    5 stars
    I’ve made this recipe several times now, and it always gets rave reviews from my family and dinner party guests!

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      12.01.2023

      Hi Sarah, I’m so glad everyone loves the peanut sauce!

  2. Sabrina from newkitchenlife.com
    04.24.2023

    thank you for another great sauce, love knowing what ingredients are in it and tweaking a bit here and there, thank you!

  3. 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

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      04.21.2023

      I hope you enjoy the recipe!

  4. Chai Cart
    04.20.2023

    5 stars
    what a delicious recipe, cant wait to try more!

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Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.

We love to eat, travel, cook, and eat some more! We create & photograph vegetarian recipes from our home in Chicago, while our shiba pups eat the kale stems that fall on the kitchen floor.