This sweet and tangy Easy Thai Peanut Sauce recipe is a delicious sauce that can be used for so many dishes! It's a simple recipe that is easy to make at home in just 10 minutes.
Thailand is one the my favorite countries that I've visited, and I can't wait to go back! Thai cuisine is so delicious, and I love coming home to recreate some of my favorite Thai recipes, like Beef Pad Thai, Thai Basil Shrimp, and Pad See Ew.
Peanut sauce is a staple in Thai cooking. Did you know it is super easy to make from scratch?
If you have ever made your own peanut sauce from scratch, you know that there IS a difference. And it is usually well worth the extra little effort it takes.
Luckily, sauces, dips, and seasonings usually don't require many ingredients or time to make. This recipe makes the best peanut sauce that you can use for so many different dishes!
Jump to:
🌟 Why this homemade peanut sauce rocks
There are four main reasons homemade peanut sauce is better than store-bought:
- You know exactly what is going into the sauce. This delicious recipe calls for simple ingredients that are pantry staples.
- You can control the amount of sugar and salt, two ingredients that tend to be at the top of store-bought items. Condiments, dressings, sauces all tend to have high sugar content in store-bought varieties.
- Homemade usually tastes a LOT better. Because there aren't fillers or weird preservatives, homemade sauces, dips, dressings, and condiments don't have that weird artificial flavor. This is a very flavorful sauce!
- This peanut butter sauce only takes 10 minutes at the most to make!
🥜 Ingredient notes
Thai Peanut Sauce is honestly super easy and so fast to make. I promise!
You just need a few simple ingredients that you can find at your local grocery store.
- creamy peanut butter
- minced fresh ginger
- minced fresh garlic
- brown sugar - you can use light or dark brown sugar
- soy sauce - you can substitute coconut aminos
- rice vinegar
- sesame oil
- honey - you can substitute maple syrup or agave nectar
- water
Other great additions: you can also experiment with adding lime juice, lemon juice, fish sauce, hoisin sauce, tamarind paste, coconut milk to your peanut dipping sauce for different flavor profiles.
If you want more of a spicy peanut sauce with medium heat, try adding chili garlic sauce, Thai chili peppers, sriracha sauce, thai red curry paste, and/or red pepper flakes to suit your personal preference.
✅ How to make Thai peanut sauce
This is a very easy peanut sauce recipe that you can make at home in 10 minutes or less.
- Place all of the ingredients into a medium bowl.
- Whisk vigorously together until fully combined and to your desired consistency.
If you'd like to thin out the sauce, add a little more water.
If you want a thicker sauce, add more peanut butter.
👩🏻🍳 Recipe FAQs
Since this peanut sauce recipe contains honey, which is a byproduct of insects, it is not technically vegan. However, you can leave the honey out if you wish to make a vegan Thai peanut sauce.
To make this recipe keto, replace the brown sugar and honey with a keto-friendly no-sugar substitute. Or, simply leave it out. You can also use almond butter which contains slightly fewer carbs than peanut butter.
Thai peanut sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. Take it out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes before you intend to use it so it comes up to room temperature and is softer and easier to use.
🍽 Serving ideas
You can use this Thai Peanut Sauce in SO many ways.
- It's the best Thai peanut sauce for veggies, shrimp summer rolls, or fresh spring rolls
- Use it in a stir fry
- As a peanut satay sauce for Thai chicken satay
- As a sauce for Thai peanut noodles
- Toss with the ingredients of your fave Buddha bowls
- Thin it out even more and use it as a salad dressing for Thai Chicken Salad
I especially love this Thai peanut sauce for spring rolls. These Rainbow Salad Rolls are simple to make at home, and so good for dipping into homemade peanut sauce!
More Thai recipes
Be sure to check out all of our Asian recipes on the blog. And if you're hungry for more Thai food, try one of these Thai recipes:
Did you make this recipe? Don't forget to leave a 5-Star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card, and if you really loved it, please leave a comment further down on the page. Thank you!
Easy Thai Peanut Sauce
Ingredients
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 Tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon light brown sugar
- 1 large garlic clove, peeled and minced
- 1 1" ginger piece, peeled and minced
- 2 Tablespoons water plus more if necessary
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients until smooth.
- If you'd like a thinner sauce, add water one tablespoon at a time until you achieve desired consistency.
- Serve immediately, or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to five days.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is a general estimate. Actual nutrition details may vary depending on the exact foods & brands you use to make this recipe. It does not take into account any substitutions, toppings, or optional ingredients.
This recipe was first published on January 16, 2018. It was updated with more helpful content, new photos, and an updated recipe card on January 24, 2023.
Meg says
I love flavorful, simple recipes like this. Looks really easy to make and know that I'll be trying it soon!
Marlynn | UrbanBlissLife says
Yay! Thanks, Meg!
Erin (Platings and Pairings) says
Cheers for any sauce that takes only 10 minutes to make, but especially this one because it sounds amazing!
Marlynn | UrbanBlissLife says
Thanks so much, Erin!
Catherine @ Ten Thousand Hour Mama says
Peanut sauce stir fry is one of our regular dinners, partly because the amazing sauce gets my husband to eat vegetables! Thanks for the recipe - I usually end up winging mine, but these guidelines will make the outcome more consistent. ;)
Marlynn | UrbanBlissLife says
It's always nice to have accurate measurements. Thanks! :)
Pech says
This sauce is also great with grilled skewers of meat! I agree, homemade is a lot better then the bottled sauces, and you can adjust it slightly depending on how you like it, plus only make the amount you need vs the larger bottles
Marlynn | UrbanBlissLife says
That would be delicious! And so true!
Monica | Nourish & Fete says
Yum! I love making my own sauces and dressings, for all the reasons you mentioned, but have never tried making my own peanut sauce. I don't know why, because it would be amazing on and with so many different things! Pinning this one for sure. :)
Marlynn | UrbanBlissLife says
It's a good one to mix things up! Thanks, Monica!
Teri Stephens says
Holy cow! I have got to try this soon. This would be perfect in a stir fry, over some noodles. So yummy.
Marlynn | UrbanBlissLife says
Thank you, Teri! Let me know if you try it! :)
Pam says
This looks just great, and I agree with you. Homemade with pure, simple ingredients is always best!
Marlynn | UrbanBlissLife says
Right? I always prefer it that way. Thanks! :)
Jenni says
I seriously LOVE peanut sauce, and this one looks awesome! I love how simple and easy it is! Definitely trying this out!
Marlynn | UrbanBlissLife says
Thanks so much, Jenni!
Melissa Chee says
I love Thai peanut sauce! What a great recipe :)
Marlynn | UrbanBlissLife says
Thanks, Melissa!
Beth says
I make all of my own sauces but oddly enough, I have never made peanut sauce and I love it! Not sure what my husband would think, but we can't always think about our spouses, can we? I'm definitely giving your recipe a try!
Marlynn | UrbanBlissLife says
True! :) Let me know how you like it!
Kelsey says
This looks delicious, I usually make peanut sauce with no recipe and a lot of guesswork, it turns out about 60% of the time. Your recipe uses similar ingredients and I know it will turn out right, so I am definitely pinning!
Marlynn | UrbanBlissLife says
I'm glad! Thanks, Kelsey!