Vietnamese Peanut Sauce - The Real Recipes (2024)

This mouthwatering Vietnamese Peanut Sauce needs to be in your regular sauce rotation! It is a sweet and umami-packed dip for summer rolls, a dressing for a cold noodle salad or a spread for chicken and tofu.

One of the best ways to elevate your home cooking repertoire is to make simple, yet flavorful sauces. I have a whole slew of great sauces for you to try yourself! Whether I’m making a summery fresh Basil Balsamic Vinaigrette or a Sun-Dried Vinaigrette for make-ahead lunch salads, or meal planning dinners and making a Creamy Chipotle Lime Sauce or Buffalo Ranch Sauce, I always have a delicious sauce refrigerator ready to use.

Vietnamese Peanut Sauce is one of those sauces I love having on hand for crispy tofu satay, grilled chicken, fresh salads or cold noodle bowls. It is made with garlic, hoisin sauce and creamy peanut butter. Several cuisines have their own versions of peanut sauce and what makes a Vietnamese peanut sauce unique (and my personal favorite) is hoisin, which is a thick, sweet and salty condiment used in Cantonese cuisine. When mixed with peanut butter and garlic, you get this deliciously rich, velvety smooth and fragrant peanut sauce.

Ingredients that Matter

This peanut sauce features a handful of simple pantry ingredients. Here are the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe:

• Peanut Butter. For this peanut sauce recipe I recommend using a natural creamy peanut butter. You could use the sweetened kind of peanut butter, but I think there is plenty of natural sweetness in natural peanut butter, plus hoisin has a good amount of sweetness.
• Hoisin. This thick, sweet, tangy and salty condiment is a staple in Cantonese cooking. It is now widely used outside of Chinese cuisine and is one of the most popular Chinese condiments sold in America. In Vietnamese cooking, it’s also widely used in pho in addition this style of peanut sauce.
• Garlic. Use a few cloves of garlic (about 1 tablespoon minced) simmered in a bit of neutral oil to flavor the peanut sauce.
• Neutral Oil. Fry the minced garlic in a neutral oil like vegetable, canola, peanut or even olive oil.
• Water. One of the biggest differences in this style of peanut sauce compared to variations from other cuisines is that Vietnamese style peanut sauce is typically cooked. Use water to simmer the hoisin, garlic and peanut butter until silky smooth.
• Peanuts (optional). You can garnish the sauce with roasted, slightly salted chopped peanuts. It’s an optional garnish, but one I always use when I have peanuts in my pantry.

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

This recipe comes together in about 5 minutes and requires just one pan to make. Here is how this recipe comes together:

Start by heating the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat and add the minced garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until the garlic starts to turn golden brown, about 1 minute.

Add the hoisin and peanut butter and stir to combine then pour in the water.

Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat and cook, whisking occasionally, until thickened and smooth, about 4 minutes. Note that the sauce needs to simmer to thicken and you need to whisk the sauce to combine the peanut butter into the sauce. Before this step the sauce may look separated or too watery, so be sure not to skip this simmering step.

See Also

Honey Lemon Bars with The Bee’s Knees Peanut Butter CrustPeanut Sauce | Leanne Brown & Embodied CookingEasy Chicken Satay with "Real" Peanut Sauce5-Ingredient Peanut Sauce

Remove the sauce from the heat and transfer to a serving bowl. Cool slightly (the sauce will continue to thicken as it cools) and garnish with chopped peanuts, if using.

Hint: Be sure to use a whisk not a spoon when simmering the sauce. Whisking the sauce while it simmers will help incorporate the peanut butter into the sauce.

Substitutions

This recipes uses only a handful of ingredients, but there are some substitutions you can make based on your dietary restrictions or flavor preferences. Consider these substitutions:

• Peanut Butter – I always recommend using natural creamy peanut butter for this recipe, but you could use chunky peanut butter if you aren’t looking for a smooth sauce. You can even use the sweetened, palm oil style of peanut butter if that’s what you have.
• Garlic – Instead of using fresh minced garlic, you can also use store-bought fried garlic. You can find it in the Asian section of your local grocery store or at a specialty or international market. If using store-bought fried garlic, simply combine all the ingredients to a saucepan and simmer until thickened.
• Heat – If you want to add some heat to this sauce, try stirring in about 1 tablespoon of sriracha (note that this is not traditional to this recipe) or even a sambal chili garlic sauce.

Equipment

You really only need two basic pieces of equipment to make this recipe. Use a small saucepan, like this Cuisinart 1.5 Quart Saucepan with Cover. I use a similar size saucepan for everything from making rice pilaf, oatmeal, farina, and more! And, of course, reach for a whisk to ensure the sauce is smooth. I recommend a simple French-style whisk (which, unlike a balloon whisk, has tighter, straighter design) like this 12-Inch Stainless Steel French Wire Whip.

Serving Suggestions

Looking for some great ways to use homemade peanut sauce? Give this a try:

• Serve as a dip for our Red Lentil Patties
• Serve as a dip for our easy and vegan Chickpea Patties
• Serve with our Air Fryer Steak Fries
• Use as a sauce for our Summer Roll and Peanut Tofu Bowls
• Use as a dressing for a salad with our Roasted Black Beans
• Use as a dip for our Tofu Satay recipe

Storage

Store leftover peanut sauce in an airtight container or mason jar in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. I don’t recommend freezing this sauce. Note that the sauce will actually thicken the longer it sits in the refrigerator so you may want to add a splash of water to achieve the desired consistency.

FAQ

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