Thai Peanut Sauce

This yummy peanut sauce is smooth and creamy, sweet and spicy, perfect for noodles, chicken satay, or stir fry. Made with simple, real food ingredients, you can use this savory Thai peanut sauce for salads, spring rolls, and more!

It never fails. Every year when the temperatures start to warm, I crave salads.

My Costco-Copycat Sweet Kale Salad is really good, and so is my Panzanella Salad with Homemade Caesar Dressing. But this time I was craving something very specific: chicken salad with Thai peanut sauce.

I also wanted an easy peanut sauce recipe that could work as a sauce OR a dressing. You know the kind I’m talking about, right? It’s thin enough for drizzling onto some crunchy vegetables and getting solid coverage as a dressing, but thick enough to dip spring rolls or chunks of grilled chicken.

And if I can take that one sauce recipe from salad weather to warm-and-cozy weather, that’s a winner!

WHY MAKE THIS PEANUT BUTTER SAUCE RECIPE

Whether you’re craving salads like me or you just want to try something new, you’ll want to make this peanut sauce. It’s:

• Quick and easy to make. Load up the blender or food processor and blitz everything together.
• Made with simple ingredients. Mostly real food pantry staples here.
• Something a bit different. If you’re tired of the same old flavors, try this Thai peanut sauce!
• Amazing flavor! A bit sweet, a bit spicy, and plenty of salt with complex umami flavor.
• Versatile. You can serve recipes for satay peanut sauce in so many different ways, all from the same easy sauce recipe!

THAI PEANUT SAUCE RECIPE INGREDIENTS

The key ingredients for this Thai peanut sauce recipe are simple and healthy!

• Creamy Peanut Butter. I use unsweetened natural peanut butter – you may need to reduce the sugar if you use conventional peanut butter. You could substitute almond butter if absolutely necessary, but I didn’t think it tasted quite as good.
• Rice Vinegar. You can also use apple cider vinegar instead.
• Lime Juice. This gives the peanut sauce a bit of tangy flavor.
• Olive Oil. Olive oil keeps the sauce smooth and creamy.
• Soy Sauce. I used coconut aminos in place of soy sauce, but you can use liquid aminos or tamari if you’re gluten-free.
• Salt. If you’re going to use salt, make sure it’s a good one like Ava Jane’s Kitchen that doesn’t have microplastics! You can get a free 8oz. bag of sea salt right now (just pay shipping and handling!).
• Crushed Red Pepper Flakes. Just a little bit for some heat. A squirt of sriracha works too!
• Fresh Grated Ginger. Fresh ginger adds a warm, spicy flavor with a hint of sweetness.
• Fresh Garlic. No need to mince garlic here since we’re throwing everything in the blender!
• Sugar. To balance out the salt and the acidity.
• Honey. Or use maple syrup as sweetener for a vegan peanut sauce.
• Cilantro. The finishing touch to take this peanut sauce taste from good to great!

Note: I’m NOT using fish sauce or sesame oil in this Thai peanut sauce. I love both ingredients, but this recipe is perfect without them!

That said, every ingredient listed is necessary. I’ve tried reducing and subbing, and the results were not nearly as good. But I bet you have most or all of these in your kitchen right now.

HOW TO MAKE SATAY PEANUT SAUCE RECIPE

Follow these simple instructions to make this yummy satay peanut sauce recipe.

Step 1. Add all the ingredients to a blender or food processor EXCEPT the cilantro.

Step 2. Once it is creamy, add cilantro.

Step 3. Pulse until the cilantro is in small pieces. If you like a thinner sauce, add a touch more olive oil.

Use your peanut sauce right away or store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 4-5 days. The sauce might separate a bit in the fridge, so just give it a good shake or whisk before using.

SIMPLE PEANUT SAUCE CRUNCH SALAD

You can make your own peanut butter sauce crunch salad by starting with 4 cups of thinly sliced Napa cabbage (which is MUCH milder in flavor than typical green cabbage) and adding 4 more cups of crunchy vegetables. Some examples:

• Matchstick carrots (use a julienne peeler to cut them quickly!)
• Bell peppers (I suggest red, orange, or yellow for the mild flavors)
• English cucumber (seeded)
• Broccoli stems (buy the whole bunch and use the florets in easy Homemade Alfredo Sauce!)
• Sliced Brussels sprouts
• Matchstick radishes
• Mix and match with what you have, what’s on sale, what’s in your garden, and what your family likes. Once you top it with this peanut butter sauce, your people will forget they’re eating a big bowl of vegetables.

If you like a more complete salad recipe, try Crunchy Vegetable Quinoa Salad or Roasted Veggie Kale Salad!

TO SERVE RECIPES FOR SATAY PEANUT SAUCE

There are so many great ways to use peanut butter sauce. Some of my favorite ways include:

• Add it to any Asian dish (like pad Thai!)
• Use it as a stir-fry sauce
• As a dipping sauce for chicken satay or Steamed Shrimp
• In any noodle dish
• As a salad dressing (try it as a substitute dressing on this Buffalo Chicken Ranch Salad – same veggies and protein, totally NEW TASTE!)
• With spring rolls or dumplings
• Mix with coconut milk for an AMAZING creamy sauce
• On lettuce wraps
• In an Asian slaw or veggie salad like the one above

PROTEIN-PACKED WAYS TO ENJOY PEANUT SAUCE

Peanut sauce makes a great addition to the two P’s: protein and produce.

My go-to protein for peanut sauce is chicken. Any chicken will do, but I recommend All-Purpose Slow Cooker Chicken, especially in the summer. All the benefits of having chicken ready for your favorite meals, without having to heat up the house!

Peanut satay sauce also tastes amazing with shrimp skewers, beef lettuce cups, or drizzled over a veggie-packed steak salad. Really, you can’t go wrong here combining the sweet and spicy peanut sauce with vibrant, crisp produce and satisfying protein.

Whether it’s chicken, noodles, or salad, this Thai peanut sauce is sure to make your meal spectacular.

THAI PEANUT SAUCE RECIPE FAQS

MORE ASIAN-STYLE RECIPES

• Instant Pot Beef and Broccoli
• Asian Mason Jar Salad with Rice And Miso Dressing
• Instant Pot Korean Beef
• Sweet And Sticky Chicken
• Chinese Noodle Soup

WATCH HOW TO MAKE THAI PEANUT SAUCE