Peanut Sauce

Peanut Sauce is a simple and amazingly tasty condiment that you’ll want to have in your fridge often. It’s smooth, sweet, savory, and pairs perfectly with an so many delicious dishes. You only need a handful of simple ingredients and about 5 minutes of your time!

Peanut Sauce

If you thought that peanut sauce was only for meant for Chicken Satay, think again! This smooth, slightly sweet, and savory sauce pairs excellently with vegetables, fresh spring rolls, chicken satay, noodles, and so much more. You can even make it slightly thinner and use it as a salad dressing!

My love for peanut sauce goes pretty far back, but I’m sure there are lot of people who don’t know quite what it is. Well, you’re in for a real treat!

Peanut sauce is a great dip/sauce that’s associated with South Asian cuisine, mostly Thai cuisine. Peanut sauce is sometimes referred to as “satay sauce,” because it’s traditionally served with chicken satay. The original peanut sauce recipe is made with ground and roasted peanuts, but we will be using peanut butter in this easy recipe.

Using peanut butter is a Western take on this South Asian classic, but have no fear – it’s still SO delicious! There are, of course, slightly different versions of peanut sauce that can be found throughout other South Asian regions, such as Malaysia and Indonesia.

Each region would use their own special ingredient twists, just as we will be doing here. This simple peanut sauce is creamy, complex with sweet yet savory notes, and incredibly quick and easy to make.

How to Make Peanut Sauce

Ingredients You Need:

• Coconut Milk – make sure to use unsweetened coconut milk. Unsweetened coconut milk is meant for cooking, while sweet coconut milk is meant for blended drinks.
• Peanut Butter – use creamy, not chunky peanut butter.
• Rice Vinegar – it’s great for balanced and slight tangy flavor of the sauce.
• Soy Sauce – use low sodium soy sauce, gluten free soy sauce, or tamari.
• Lime Juice – For the best flavor, use freshly squeezed lime juice.
• Garlic – freshly minced or pressed garlic will yield the best flavor.
• Ginger – make sure to use fresh ginger as well.
• Sugar – some white granulated sugar adds just the right amount of sweetness to this well balanced peanut sauce.

Is peanut sauce gluten free?

This sauce can easily be made gluten free by swapping out the low sodium soy sauce for gluten free soy sauce, tamari, or even coconut aminos! In some stores, you can even spot gluten free soy sauce on shelves. Just be sure to check the labels! Many people don’t realize that there’s wheat in soy sauce, which disqualifies it from being part of a gluten free diet.

I’ve made this sauce with both tamari and coconut aminos, and can attest that the flavor is delicious no matter which route you take.

Cooking Directions:

Whisk the coconut milk.

When you first open a can of coconut milk, there will be two layers. There is a solid layer on the top and a liquid layer on the bottom. Before using your coconut milk, be sure to remove both layers completely from the can and thoroughly whisk it all together before scooping out what you need.

Combine the ingredients.

In a medium sauce pot, combine all of the ingredients together. Whisk the mixture together slowly over medium to medium-low heat until smooth.

Bring to simmer, then serve!

As you slowly stir, the sauce will begin to simmer. As soon as the first bubbles appear, remove the sauce pot from the heat and serve your peanut sauce. Enjoy!

Frequently Asked Questions

How to Serve Peanut Sauce?

Use this homemade sauce as a dip for vegetables, fresh spring rolls, chicken satay, lettuce wraps, coconut shrimp, and so many other dishes!

You can even make it a little thinner by adding a splash more of coconut milk or water and use it as a dressing or sauce to mix with noodles, tofu, or rice. No matter which way you choose to enjoy this peanut sauce, you’re going to absolutely love it.

Storing Homemade Peanut Sauce:

Be sure to store any leftover peanut sauce you may have in an airtight food storage container with a lid. It’s important that you keep this sauce in the refrigerator and not at room temperature. Properly stored, it should stay fresh for up to a week!

If you need to reheat it, DO NOT use a microwave. Simply reheat your leftover sauce in a small sauce pot over medium to low heat while whisking slowly. If you notice that the oils separate, simply whisk quickly for a few seconds to emulsify it all back together.