Best Ever Peanut Sauce

This peanut sauce is the perfect balance of salty, sour, sweet and umami to make it irresistible! Great as a dipping sauce or a dressing.

A great peanut sauce is truly a great thing. The creaminess, intense nuttiness, and balance of flavors make it a great addition to so many recipes!

This version is great as a thick dipping sauce that will really stick to food. It’s equally great thinned out as a dressing or drizzle for salads, wraps, and more!

Reasons to love this recipe!

• It keeps in the fridge for up to a week!
• Goes well with everything from stir fry to salad!
• This healthy sauce is naturally paleo, vegan, and gluten free!

Ingredients and substitutions:

• Peanut butter – you can use smooth or crunchy. Crunchy adds a nice texture! OR swap it for almond butter – a delicious twist!
• Orange juice – the star ingredient that makes this peanut sauce stand out. It adds incredible sweetness and brightness. You can swap it for coconut milk and increase the lime juice to brighten the sauce back up.
• Lime juice – freshly squeezed! Or use unseasoned rice vinegar.
• Maple syrup – or honey, agave, etc.
• Liquid aminos – or tamari, reduced sodium soy sauce, etc.
• Sriracha – adjust this to taste, making the sauce spicier or more mild. You could also use sambal oelek, but keep in mind that it is spicier, so use less if you are sensitive to spice. Another substitute is a teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes.
• Garlic
• Ginger – I prefer the flavor of fresh here, but you could use 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger.
• Water – optional to thin. If making a dipping sauce, I like to leave it as is. If using as a dressing or drizzle, I add 1-2 tablespoons water. Note that the peanut sauce will thicken as it sits. It’s best to make it and them wait 3-5 minutes to see the true consistancy before adding water.

How to make peanut sauce:

Whisk: Add all the ingredients to a bowl and stir. I usually use a 2 cup liquid measure, then measure all the ingredients into this glass and stir it up – no bowls dirtied!

Keep whisking until the sauce is thick and creamy. It will look like it won’t come together, but keep whisking – it will!

Thin: Let the sauce sit for 3-5 minutes to thicken. If using as a dip, serve immediately. If using as a sauce or dressing, thin it out with 1-2 tablespoons of water.

Storage?

Store leftover peanut sauce in the fridge for up to one week. It may thicken in the fridge, so stir in a teaspoon of water at a time until thinned back to your desired consistancy.

What makes an irresistible peanut sauce?

To me, a good peanut sauce needs to hit the four tastes of salty, sour, sweet and umami on top of having a lot of peanut flavor.

For saltiness, we add soy sauce. The orange and lime juices bring in a sour flavor. Sweetness comes from the maple syrup and orange juice. And we get umami from the liquid aminos, garlic, peanut butter.

All these flavors come together to create an incredibly flavorful peanut sauce!

Want to make spicy peanut sauce?

I am in! Add more sriracha to kick up the spice or swap it for sambal oelek, a spicier chili paste!

Ways to use Thai peanut sauce!

The flavors of this peanut sauce pair with SO many dishes!

• Try it as a satay sauce for tofu or chicken
• Use it as a stir fry sauce! It makes your stir fries creamy and delicious!
• Dress a pasta salad – a reader fave!
• Drizzle it over lettuce cups for a pop of flavor.
• Use it as a dip for spring rolls and vegetables.

More delicious sauce recipes!

• 5 Minute Chipotle Sauce – great on tacos.
• Addicting Gochujang Sauce – incredible on these noodles.
• Healthy Sweet and Sour Sauce – made for sweet and sour tofu.
• Easy Maple Tahini Dressing – adds flavor to any salad or grain bowl.

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