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.

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

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Peanut Sauce

rate this recipe:

5 from 10 votes

Prep Time: 5 minutes mins

Total Time: 5 minutes mins

Serves 4

Save Recipe Print Recipe

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

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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