Easy Thai Peanut Sauce

This quick and easy Thai peanut sauce recipe is perfect for peanut noodles, chicken satay, or as a flavorful sauce or dressing. Ready in 5 minutes, made with creamy peanut butter, chili-garlic sauce and lots of seasonings

We're whipping up a super easy Thai Peanut Sauce in the Chili Pepper Madness kitchen, my friends. I think you're going to love this recipe.

It's perfect for dishes like Thai Chicken Satay or chicken skewers, or tossing with noodles for a quick meal, but it's also a wonderful dipper for grilled meats and vegetables. I've used this as a simple salad dressing with great results.

In fact, it's my new go-to spicy peanut sauce that can be used in so many different ways.

Thai peanut sauce is more traditionally made with roasted peanuts, coconut milk, fish sauce and lots of fresh ingredients and seasonings, but this is an EASY version made with peanut butter and easily obtained dry and wet ingredients.

The flavor is very similar to a more traditional Thai peanut sauce, but so much easier to make when you're in a hurry.

It is perfect for those who LOVE peanut butter and like things a bit spicy. AND who are strapped for time.

Let's talk about how to make Thai peanut sauce, shall we?

Thai Peanut Sauce Ingredients 

• Peanut Butter. Use your favorite. Traditional Thai peanut sauce is made roasted peanuts for more texture. You can add some in later if you'd like.
• Soy Sauce. Coconut aminos is a good substitute.
• Rice Vinegar. 
• Thai Red Curry Paste. Or use your favorite chili-garlic sauce.
• Sesame Oil.
• Honey.
• Lime Juice.
• Seasonings. Cayenne powder (or use paprika for a milder heat), garlic powder (or fresh garlic), ginger powder (or use fresh ginger)
• Roasted Peanuts. Optional. Add some into yours if you're looking for more texture, which is more like a traditional Thai peanut sauce.
• Water. For thinning your peanut sauce.

How to Make Thai Peanut Sauce - the Recipe Method

Add all of your ingredients to a medium sized bowl - creamy peanut butter, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, chili-garlic sauce, sesame oil, honey, lime juice, cayenne powder or paprika, garlic and ginger. Also, crushed or chopped roasted peanuts, if desired, for a bit of extra texture.

Time to Whisk! Whisk all of the ingredients together, except for the water, in a small bowl until well combined and the sauce is nice and smooth.

Thin Out Your Sauce. Add water a teaspoon at a time until you achieve your desired consistency. You can also use a bit of coconut milk or fish sauce.

Taste and Adjust. Give your peanut sauce a taste. Good? Need something else? Go ahead and adjust the ingredients to your personal preference. I'm making mine extra spicy. 

Boom! There it is, my friends! This is the easiest Thai peanut sauce you'll ever make. No need to crush and grind and wait for flavors to mingle and develop. This version is super easy with peanut butter and wet ingredients you already have in your pantry or refrigerator. Use it right away!

This Thai peanut sauce will last a week in the refrigerator or longer. It is not ideal for freezing, and best used right away. 

Recipe Tips & Notes

• Peanut Butter. Use 1/4 cup for more pronounced spicy pepper flavor, or use 1/3 cup to 1/2 a cup for more peanut flavor. I would start with 1/4 cup then test it, as you can easily add in more peanut butter to adjust to your personal tastes. You can also try it with tahini or almond butter for a spin on the recipe.
• Spice it Up. Sriracha is a nice addition for this sauce either with or instead of chili-garlic sauce. Try it with gochujang as well. It's delicious! You can also stir in some spicy red pepper flakes to up the zing factor, or drizzle in a bit of your favorite hot sauce. I love it!
• Other Ingredients. Crumbled roasted peanuts will add texture to your peanut sauce. Coconut milk, tamarind juice and fish sauce are great additions as well. I love an extra clove of garlic (or three!). Maple syrup or honey can add a touch of sweetness for you.
• Ratios. You can very easily adjust the ratios of the ingredients when making Thai peanut sauce. Consider this more of a base recipe. Looking for more peanut flavor? Add more peanut butter or peanuts. Want spicier? Add in extra red curry paste, gochujang, hot sauce, or spicier seasonings. Extra chili-garlic sauce is quite nice, too. I personally enjoy a bit more sesame oil in mine. So good!
• Serving Suggestions. Use it as a dipping sauce, drizzling sauce, or you can heat it in a pan with cooked vegetables and/or chicken for a meal. It's great with any sort of noodle dish or noodle salad, a dip for spring rolls, even making stir fries with rice noodles (Thai Peanut Noodles) and lots of vegetables. And yes, easy chicken satay! Fire up that grill!

That's it, my friends! I hope you enjoy my version of Easy Thai Peanut Sauce. Let me know how you like it and how you use it!

Recommended Cookbook

If you enjoy Thai cooking, I recommend this cookbook - Hot Thai Kitchen: Demystifying Thai Cuisine with Authentic Recipes to Make at Home, by Pailin Chongchitnant. It's a great resource with lots of traditional Thai recipes. Very instructive! (Affilliate link, my friends!)

Try Some of My Other Popular Recipes

• Thai Shrimp Curry
• Thai Sweet Chili Sauce
• Chicken Korma
• Spicy Beef Vindaloo
• Coconut Chicken Curry
• Khao Soi – Northern Thai Coconut Curry Soup
• Sweet and Spicy Cashew Chicken
• Easy Chickpea Curry
• Curry Recipes
• Easy Hoisin Sauce
• Nuoc Cham
• Pad Thai
• Pad Thai Sauce

Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.

NOTE: This recipe was updated on 6/11/21 to include new information and video. It was originally published on 12/4/19.