This vegan Thai peanut sauce is loaded with tangy zesty flavors, it's mildly spicy and can be served with a variety of Asian (and not only) dishes. Ready in 10 minutes to use as a dipping sauce or drizzled over my favorite crispy tofu.
This is the kind of sauce that is very much addictive, once you make it, you’ll want to eat it with everything.
I hope you'll enjoy my version of authentic Thai peanut sauce with your favorite Asian-style dinners! We are absolutely in love with these Asian Lettuce Wraps With Shrimp that we always go overboard with the peanut dressing! It's so good!
Table Of Contents
Using various sauces is an excellent way to amp up any bland-tasting dish. Over time I've shared with you my popular Enchilada Sauce, Marinara Sauce, and Mustard Sauce. Check out our Condiments recipe list to get more inspired.
Ingredients
My few comments on the ingredients + don't forget to read the Tips section!
The full recipe and ingredients can be found in the recipe card below this post.
This peanut sauce recipe is homemade, it’s mildly spicy and packed with aromatics.
I used a good quality creamy peanut butter which will take you only 10 minutes to whip up.
- The essential base - I used creamy peanut butter for the best texture, crunchy peanut butter is not ideal as we want this sauce to be thick and creamy. natural peanut butter would work here too, just make sure to whisk it until smooth, adding cold water helps.
- Fresh Ginger - is one of the main important ingredients in Thai cuisine and I wouldn't recommend skipping it. You can substitute with ginger powder (in this case, buy organic whenever possible).
- Thai red curry paste - adds that little kick of spiciness needed for a true Thai-style sauce. Red curry paste varies A LOT from one brand to another. Mine was quite hot and I used just 1-2 teaspoons in this recipe. Start with 1 teaspoon and increase later. You can of course make the sauce non-spicy, but it is just not the same! The best substitute I could think of is chili garlic paste, chili paste, or chili powder. Also chipotle paste or powder. Add these carefully to taste.
Instructions
This Thai Peanut Sauce is a great alternative for a non-dairy substitute sauce and is suitable for kids.
I used just a bit of red curry paste but for a proper authentic flavor double or triple the amount of red curry paste, chili garlic paste, chili paste or chili powder.
Add all the ingredients to a food processor and pulse until smooth.
If the sauce comes out too thick and dark, add more water it will become creamy very fast.
Add a little splash of freshly squeezed lime juice. Garnish with peanuts, and red pepper flakes if served as a dipping sauce.
Serve as a dipping sauce for tofu, fresh veggies such as broccoli, bell pepper, paprika, cucumber, and celery.
The sauce is perfect to drizzle over thai noodle dishes (pad thai is one of my favorites).
Tips
- You can omit garlic if want a more mild flavor, especially for kids.
- I would recommend chilling the peanut sauce in the fridge for 10-15 minutes allowing flavors to blend better.
- Cover the sauce right away when not used, it will become dry quickly and need to stir again. The sauce will thicken once refrigerated and if you need to thin it out, add a drizzle of water to it and whisk vigorously.
Serving Suggestions
The authentic and spicy peanut sauce has plenty of flavors and is best served with fried tofu, spring rolls, chicken satay skewers, beef satay, crunchy lettuce salads or drizzled over Thai noodles.
This flavorful sauce is also one of the most popular Asian dipping sauces. Think freshly sliced cucumbers, celery, tomatoes, bell peppers, carrots, crackers, and chips. This recipe will also work very well with my pickled daikon radish.
The Yummy Bowl suggestions:
- Veggie or meat skewers
- Fried Rice
- This sauce makes a great salad dressing!
- Grilled Salmon
- Asian Slaw
- Stir Fry
- Dumplings
- Fresh Spring Rolls
- Tempura vegetables or seafood
- Lo mein
- Soba
- Simple peanut noodles
Freezing And Storing Instructions
To Store. Keep refrigerated for up to a week. Bring to room temperature before whisking it again with a little water or a splash of vinegar (apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar) to refresh the flavor.
You only need a little extra liquid to return the desired consistency.
Freeze it. Although I am not a fan of freezer foods, but I have frozen some leftovers for 2-3 months and then used them in noodles or drizzled over fried rice.
Just make sure you thaw it in the fridge and stir well after that.
Easy Vegan Sauces
By the way, we have a great collection of different sauces, condiments, and dips.
Gluten Free Asian Recipes
If you like these types of recipes, gluten-free Asian noodles, or any Asian style recipes be sure to try these readers' favorites too!
I hope you'll enjoy this Vegan Thai Peanut Sauce recipe, please leave a rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo of your food and tag me on Instagram @theyummy_bowl. I love seeing your creations!
Thank you for reading,
Love,
Julia
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Recipe
Easy Thai Peanut Sauce
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- ¼ cup low sodium gluten-free soy sauce (or coconut aminos)
- 3 tablespoon sesame oil (toasted untoasted has a neutral aroma)
- 2 tablespoon white wine or rice wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon or to taste chili powder or red curry paste. Both taste great but will have a slightly different flavor.
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
- 1 medium clove of garlic (minced)
- 1 knob ginger
- ½ cup room temperature water
- I didn’t use salt but you may need to add a small pinch after tasting if needed
- a drizzle of fresh lime juice (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Add all the ingredients to a food processor and pulse until smooth. If the sauce comes out too thick and dark, add more water it will become creamy very fast. Add a little splash of freshly squeezed lime juice. Garnish with peanuts, and red pepper flakes if served as a dipping sauce.
- Serve as a dipping sauce for fresh veggies such as broccoli, bell pepper, paprika, cucumber, and celery. The sauce is perfect to drizzle over thai noodle dishes (pad thai is one of my favorites).
NOTES
PRIVATE NOTES
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
An easy thai peanut sauce, better than the restaurant!
Brittany S
How long can you store it for?
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
in the refrigerator up to a week.
Cindy
Wowza, this is great! I used gojuchang
For the Chile paste. Less honey and probably extra ginger ( 2 thumb size)
I also cut the sesame oil to 2 T
I will make this every time we have Thai. It does thicken in the fridge I popped in in the MW for 30 sec and yes had to add a bit more water.
Served it over a Thai stir fry using “zoodles” in place of rice noodles. ( over abundance of zucchini in the garden this year)
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
Thanks Cindy, love it with zoodles as well!