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Home » Easy Thai Peanut Sauce

Easy Thai Peanut Sauce

by Mike Hultquist · Jun 11, 2021 · 24 Comments

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Easy Thai Peanut Sauce Recipe

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

Easy Thai Peanut Sauce Recipe

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.

Easy Thai Peanut Sauce in a bowl, ready to serve

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?

Ingredients to make my Easy Thai Peanut Sauce Recipe

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

Ingredients in a bowl to make Easy Thai Peanut Sauce, ready to whisk

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. 

Easy Thai Peanut Sauce whisked together in a bowl

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. 

Easy Thai Peanut Sauce in a bowl

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 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!

Creamy, spicy Thai Peanut Sauce in a bowl

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

Easy Thai Peanut Sauce in a bowl with a serving spoon

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.

Easy Thai Peanut Sauce
Print

Easy Thai Peanut Sauce Recipe

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.
Save Recipe Saved!
Course: Appetizer, Main Course, sauce
Cuisine: American
Keyword: dip, peanut butter, recipe, spicy, thai
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Calories: 33kcal
Author: Mike Hultquist
Servings: 20 tablespoons
Tap or hover to scale
5 from 8 votes
Leave a Review

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup creamy peanut butter use ½ cup for more peanut flavor
  • 2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste or use your favorite chili-garlic paste
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons chili-garlic sauce
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 teaspoon lime juice
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne powder or use paprika for a milder heat
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder or use 1 clove garlic, finely minced or grated
  • 1 teaspoon ginger powder or use 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
  • 1 tablespoon water or more as needed for thinning
  • 2 tablespoons roasted peanuts crumbled

Instructions

  • Whisk all of the ingredients together, except for the water, in a small bowl until well combined and the sauce is nice and smooth.
  • Add water a teaspoon at a time until you achieve your desired consistency.
  • Serve!

Video

Notes

NOTES: This Thai peanut sauce will last a week in the refrigerator or longer. It is not ideal for freezing, and best used right away. 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.
Makes ~1-1/4 cup.
20 tablespoons

Nutrition Information

Calories: 33kcal   Carbohydrates: 2g   Protein: 1g   Fat: 2g   Saturated Fat: 1g   Sodium: 199mg   Potassium: 29mg   Fiber: 1g   Sugar: 2g   Vitamin A: 42IU   Vitamin C: 1mg   Calcium: 1mg   Iron: 1mg
Easy Thai Peanut Sauce
Did You Enjoy This Recipe?I love hearing how you like it and how you made it your own. Leave a comment below and tag @ChiliPepperMadness on social media.

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

 

Categories: Asian Tags: Chili Pepper Madness, chili pepper recipe, thai

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Kathryn Luffman says

    January 27, 2022 at 3:12 pm

    Yummy. So good! Made chow mein noodles and a bunch of sautéed vegetables with this sauce. Added chicken. Perfect meal!

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      January 27, 2022 at 3:32 pm

      Nice! Sounds wonderful, Kathryn! I'll take some of that! =)

      Reply
  2. Dean Florence says

    January 17, 2022 at 2:23 pm

    5 stars
    Love this recipe. My wife use to make it for me and changed a few things to make it more High BP and Diabetic Friendly, but you would never know. We keep a bowl/jar in the fridge as a condiment.

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      January 17, 2022 at 7:00 pm

      Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!!!

      Reply
  3. Jennie says

    September 26, 2021 at 8:40 pm

    5 stars
    I added a little more honey, used paprika and a couple tablespoons of coconut milk because we are seniors who like spicy but not the aftereffects. It is a delightful sauce, thank you so much!

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      September 27, 2021 at 5:31 am

      Wonderful! Glad you enjoyed it, Jennie.

      Reply
  4. Amie Theisen says

    September 25, 2021 at 9:15 am

    5 stars
    Do you have a cookbook that I can buy?

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      September 25, 2021 at 1:07 pm

      Amie, yes, I have two main published cookbooks - The Spicy Food Lovers' Cookbook (https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/chili-pepper-cookbooks/the-spicy-food-lovers-cookbook/) and The Spicy Dehydrator Cookbook (https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/chili-pepper-cookbooks/the-spicy-dehydrator-cookbook/). I hope you enjoy them!

      Reply
  5. Debbie L says

    June 17, 2021 at 3:31 pm

    5 stars
    I made this yesterday and used it on my chicken, tofu and vegetable stir fry. It was delicious! The right amount of heat. So incredibly tasty. I didn’t use all the sauce but left it on the table if anyone wanted to add more. And did they add more! Delicious!! I love your recipes. They never disappoint!! Thank you!!

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      June 17, 2021 at 10:16 pm

      Awesome, Debbie! I love to hear it! Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks!

      Reply
  6. Peggy says

    June 12, 2021 at 4:18 pm

    5 stars
    This is really good on shrimp. I put the shrimp on skewers and slather on the sauce and cook on the grill.

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      June 13, 2021 at 6:16 am

      Sounds wonderful, Peggy!

      Reply
  7. Mike says

    June 12, 2021 at 7:14 am

    Will use this to make chicken satay. Chunks of chicken, pineapple, red and green peppers and onion

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      June 12, 2021 at 8:55 am

      Very nice!

      Reply
  8. Kathryn Cuming says

    June 11, 2021 at 12:29 pm

    Could cashews be substitued for peanuts? Like Cashew butter? My partner is allergic to peanuts but not any other nuts.

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      June 11, 2021 at 12:43 pm

      Kathryn, absolutely. The flavor won't be the exact same, but it would work great and be delicious either way. Let me know how it goes for you. Enjoy!

      Reply
  9. Chelsea says

    December 13, 2020 at 4:54 pm

    5 stars
    This is our go to peanut sauce recipe when we can't get to our favorite Thai restaurant... Which has pretty much been all of 2020!! The cayenne was a little too spicy for our taste so now I use paprika with just a dash of the cayenne and it's perfect. We use sriracha in place of chili garlic cuz that's what we have (I thought they were the same thing... Oops) and always go with 1/2 cup of peanut butter but we are big PB fans. Thank you so much for sharing this easy & delicious recipe 🙂

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      December 14, 2020 at 9:37 am

      Great to hear, Chelsea! I love it!!

      Reply
  10. Shon Ingram says

    July 27, 2020 at 2:40 pm

    I had to use wostershire Sauce instead of soy. Very strong now. Needs sugar. Lol

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      July 27, 2020 at 3:02 pm

      Shon, yeah, that's quite a lot of Worcestershire sauce. You can try to add more peanut butter and some of the other ingredients to balance that out.

      Reply
  11. Greg says

    April 26, 2020 at 7:35 am

    5 stars
    Awesome sauce...great recipe

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      April 26, 2020 at 9:21 am

      Thanks, Greg! I love this stuff!

      Reply
  12. Tim Pettit says

    December 15, 2019 at 10:20 am

    5 stars
    I made this last week and used it for a peanut butter chicken stir fry and it was fabulous! Better than anything I have bought in a bottle at the store!

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      December 15, 2019 at 10:27 am

      Excellent, Tim! Glad you enjoyed it! I am super happy with this recipe. So easy and tasty!

      Reply

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