This easy Thai Peanut Sauce is creamy, savory, sweet, and full of flavor! Perfect for spring rolls, noodles, salads, bowls, and dipping.
This Thai Peanut Sauce is one of those sauces you’ll want to drizzle on everything! Creamy, savory, a little sweet, and packed with flavor, it takes just minutes to make and instantly transforms even the simplest meal.
Use it as a dipping sauce for Spring Rolls, toss it with noodles for our Thai Noodle Salad, or drizzle it over Buddha bowls, roasted vegetables, tofu, or chicken. It's an easy little sauce to have in your back pocket.
And there's a secret ingredient that gives it an extra layer of flavor and keeps you coming back for another spoonful. More on that below!
This is my go-to peanut sauce. Made it over a dozen times and never fails to impress! With Thai noodle salad, salad rolls, dip for crispy tofu… the list goes on. Highly recommended!
Why You'll Love this Peanut Sauce!
- Perfectly balanced. Creamy, savory, tangy, and slightly sweet, without being heavy or cloying.
- The secret is fresh orange juice. It adds a bright, fresh sweetness that brings the whole sauce to life and keeps you coming back for more.
- Ready in 5 minutes. Just whisk everything together-no cooking required.
- Light and drizzleable. It's creamy without being overly thick, so it beautifully coats noodles, salads, vegetables, and bowls-and makes a fantastic dipping sauce.
Thai Peanut Sauce Ingredients
- Peanut butter - Use natural, unsweetened peanut butter; creamy or crunchy both work. Substitute almond butter for a peanut-free version.
- Fresh orange juice - The secret ingredient! It lightens the sauce and adds a fresh, subtle sweetness that makes this peanut sauce especially craveable.
- Garlic & ginger - Fresh is best here, adding aromatic warmth and depth.
- Fresh lime juice - Adds bright acidity and balances the richness of the peanut butter.
- Soy sauce - Brings salty, savory umami flavor; use tamari or liquid aminos for gluten-free.
- Toasted sesame oil - Adds nutty, toasty depth and richness.
- Maple syrup or honey - Adds just enough sweetness to balance the salty, tangy flavors; use maple syrup to keep it vegan.
- Cayenne or sriracha - Adds a touch of heat; adjust to your taste.
How to make Peanut Sauce
Peanut Sauce is speedy and easy to make. Simply add the ingredients to the blender and blend until smooth! Adjust salt and heat levels to your liking!
Storing Thai Peanut Sauce
Peanut Sauce can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days, in a sealed glass jar. It can also be frozen for up to 6 months!
Chef's Tips
- Adjust the consistency. Natural peanut butter varies quite a bit in thickness. If the sauce is too thick, whisk in a little water or orange juice until perfectly drizzleable.
- Balance to taste. Peanut sauce is all about balance! Add more lime for tang, soy sauce for saltiness, maple syrup for sweetness, or sriracha for heat.
- Use fresh citrus. Fresh orange and lime juice really make this sauce sing-especially the orange juice, which is the secret to this recipe.
How to Use Thai Peanut Sauce
Use this Thai Peanut Sauce as a dipping sauce for Spring Rolls, toss it with noodles for our Thai Noodle Salad, or drizzle it over Buddha bowls, grain bowls, tofu, chicken, and roasted or raw vegetables.
It's also delicious thinned with a splash of water or lime juice and used as a creamy peanut dressing for salads and slaws. We also have this Thai Peanut Dressing.
Please rate this recipe and share your feedback in the comments below. ❤️ Have a fabulous week.-xo Sylvia
More Sauces You’ll Love!
- For a thicker style, Satay Sauce, I really like Suwanee‘s 5-minute Satay Sauce.
- Basil Vinaigrette
- Thai Peanut Dressing
- Sesame Ginger Dressing
- The Best Miso Dressing
- Flavorful Ponzu Sauce
- Green Tahini Sauce
Description
Creamy Thai Peanut Sauce with the perfect balance of savory, sweet, tangy, and spicy flavors. Whip it up in minutes and use it for dipping spring rolls, dressing noodles and salads, or drizzling over bowls, vegetables, tofu, and more. Vegan and gluten-free adaptable.
Ingredients
- 6 thin slices of ginger- cut across the grain, about the size of a quarter. (No need to peel)
- 2 fat cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup fresh orange juice (roughly 1 large orange)
- 1/3 cup lime juice ( 2 limes)
- 1/4 cup soy sauce or Gluten-free Braggs Liquid Amino Acids (Note: Tamari will turn this unpleasantly dark)
- 1/3 cup maple syrup, ( or honey, palm sugar or agave,)more to taste
- 1/3 cup toasted sesame oil (6 tablespoons)
- 1/2 cup unsweetened peanut butter (chunky or smooth, or sub almond butter!)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- optional: 1 -2 teaspoons cayenne pepper (or a squirt of sriracha sauce)
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a blender – ginger, garlic, orange juice, lime juice, soy sauce, maple, sesame oil, and peanut butter and salt, and blend until smooth. Taste. Adjust sweetness, salt and cayenne to your liking.
- Note: Unripe limes can make this too tart. Adjust by adding more sweetness. Find your perfect balance.
- Use this on salads, or as a dipping sauce for spring rolls and satays.
Notes
- The Orange Juice makes this… and is a MUST!
- Peanut sauce will last up to 5 days in a sealed jar in the fridge.
- Peanut Sauce can be frozen, just whisk well after thawing.
- For added depth or “umami”, feel free to add a tiny splash of fish sauce. Not necessary though!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3 tablespoons
- Calories: 189
- Sugar: 9.1 g
- Sodium: 695.1 mg
- Fat: 14.9 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 12.2 g
- Fiber: 0.8 g
- Protein: 3.8 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
I used almond butter, almonds, whole chunks of an orange and maple syrup. Everything else the same. Fantastic!! Sooo good with the spring rolls.
Perfect Krystal!
Being a Canadian I added Maple Syrup instead of honey.
Maple syrup is a tremendous, but underrated and under used substitute for all things sweet.
I use maple syrup a lot as well- love it as a sweetener and it is perfect in this recipe.
Amen to maple syrup being used in this recipe, from the maple syrup capital of the world! 🍁 🥜 🥗
This will be my first review I have ever left on a recipe website. My hobby is cooking, and I try a lot of online recipes. My favourite food is Vietnamese/Thai. I have tried endless Thai peanut sauce recipes and I give this 5 stars because it is closest to the best sauce I have tried in authentic restaurants. Thank you for this. The layers of flavour are throughout, and I can’t believe I made it! I blended with a stick blender, and it is runnier than needs to be. Next time I’ll blend part way and stir the rest to keep it thicker. But it was beautiful!
thanks- glad you liked it!
Hello! Would this make a good marinade? I am thinking of using it for tofu and brussels sprouts.
I’m not sure? I havent used it that way! Let us know if you try it. Go to Bali Bowls and maybe look at that marinade? Similar!
It really is the best ever! I love the little kick from the cayenne pepper.
Thanks Kristen- glad you liked it!
Thank you for delicious recipe!
Thanks Gabi
Excellent recipe! And very helpful tips too!
I have been SCEARCHING for so long to find a peanut sauce that I even like. This taste like the Thai restaurants peanut sauce that I go to in town. So pleased, thank you!!
Hi, confirming this recipe calls for 6 *tablespoons* of toasted sesame oil? Seems like you would have said 1/2 cup if that were correct. Sounds delicious, but need to confirm. Thanks!
6 tablespoons is closer to 1/3 cup. 🙂 8 tablespoons in a 1/2 cup.
The peanut sauce was absolutely amazing! My kids loved this! I always have my kids (ages 14 & 17) rate my meals and they both said this was in their “top 5” for vegan meals! They got a kick out of the see through “weird” rice wraps. Lol! 😉
So easy to make and tastes amazing! My family loves it! 🙂
This is so good. The second time I made this sauce, I replaced the palm sugar with Jaggery. Even more delicious!
Loved this recipe, I added shrimp to some. Delicious peanut sauce recipe, lots left over, that I will put in the freezer.
this recipe is definitely the best!!!! and so very easy! Much easier and much better than any peanut sauce I have made before.
I have made this 3 times since new years eve- and it’s the BEST. Tried making it without the orange as I was out of oranges yesterday- it just wasn’t the same. Recommend following the recipe to the point! This sauce is soooo good.
So tasty and fresh! Shredding the veggies finely makes it easier wrapping the spring rolls tightly so that they don’t fall out so easy when dipping them in the sauce.
Can i use coconut aminos instead?
yes, absolutely.
This honestly is so delicious! I too was leaking the sauce off the processor, actually was drinking it too! Yumm!! Thank you.
This really is the best ever peanut sauce! It is super easy to make, too. Just throw it in a blender! I’ve tried other recipes that require cooking the sauce. This sauce is so simple and good!
Thanks, I think its the best Peanut Sauce too. I may be biased though.
Awesome!!!
haha. xoxo Glad you liked it Joelle.
Delicious! We love this recipe. We have tweaked it a bit after making it several times. I now use a couple dates and 1/3 cup of water instead of the honey/sugar. And we think it’s too hot with even one teaspoon of cayenne, so we use a half teaspoon. We’re so grateful we found this recipe! Thank you so much for it!
Could you use maple syrop instead of honey? Or will it change the flavor?
yes!
Just made this tonight for dipping the spring rolls in and it definitely is the best peanut sauce ever!
Can you make this with lemon instead of lime
juice?
Yes!
This sauce is awesome, my husband and I love it!