Vietnamese Peanut Sauce

Vietnamese Peanut Sauce, or Nước Tương Chấm Gỏi Cuốn, is so easy and quick to make, it’s ready in under 5 minutes and contains only four simple ingredients. Adjust the spice level to your liking with chili garlic sauce or red chili flakes. It’s the ultimate peanut dipping sauce for Vietnamese Salad Rolls!

Vietnamese cuisine is vibrant, fresh, and bursting with bold flavours. From a steaming hot bowl of Phở to tasty Lemongrass Grilled Pork Chops (Thit Heo Nuong Xa) and Grilled Vietnamese Beef Vermicelli Bowls (Bún Bò Xào), there truly is a taste of adventure in every bite.

Vietnamese Peanut Sauce

In the summer, we eat a lot of fresh Vietnamese spring rolls, and I’ve lost count of the times I’ve made this creamy peanut sauce recipe. It’s one of a few recipes that I don’t even have to look at anymore, I just mix it up and get dipping!

Today, I’m sharing the recipe so that you can make your very own restaurant quality Vietnamese peanut dipping sauce too. You’ll be surprised how easy it is. There’s no cooking, just mixing four basic ingredients together, five if you’re feeling spicy. 

It all starts with smooth peanut butter combined with boiling water. The hot water melts the peanut butter, making it easier to combine with hoisin sauce and fresh lime juice. I like mine with a swirl of garlic chili sauce and red chili flakes. However, you can use your favourite hot sauce, or no hot sauce at all.

Truthfully, halfway through writing this post I had to stop and make a few salad rolls and sauce to satisfy my craving! That’s the danger of writing a food blog and it happens more often than you think.

What is Peanut Sauce?

Quite simply, peanut sauce is a (mostly) southeast Asian dipping sauce made from ground peanuts and a variety of other ingredients. There are many variations with which differ in consistency and ingredients according to cuisine.

Besides the four ingredients in this recipe, other typical additions may include coconut milk, garlic, soy sauce, tamarind, galangal, ginger, sugar, fried onion, fish sauce, lemongrass, shallot, and chilies.

Peanut sauce is eaten with grilled skewered meat (such as Indonesian satay), used as salad dressing such as in gado-gado, or as a dipping sauce.

It’s interesting to not that although peanuts are native to North America, they were brought to the Asian continent (through China) in the 17th century. They are now a common ingredient in many Asian dishes.

Ingredients for Vietnamese Peanut Sauce

Unlike Indonesian peanut satay sauce, there are a few very basic ingredients in the Vietnamese version. It is also sweeter due to the hoisin sauce. It is also slightly thicker than satay sauce as it does not contain additional coconut milk.

• Peanut Butter
• Water
• Hoisin Sauce
• Limes

To ensure a smooth consistency, use creamy or smooth peanut butter. You will not need additional sugar as most commercial peanut butter contains sugar. Of course, you can use crunchy peanut butter if that is what is available to you.

Mixing the peanut butter with boiling water ensures a consistently smooth sauce. Once the sauce has cooled and thickened, it is easy to reheat to maintain the proper consistency.

Fresh lime juice is key to creating a fresh zesty acidity in the sauce, while the addition of Hoisin sauce, adds a unique earthy sweetness.

Hoisin sauce is a thick, dark, and salty dipping sauce made from a variety of ingredients including toasted soybeans, fennel, red chili peppers, vinegar, five-spice powder, sugar, and garlic. It is used primarily in Cantonese cuisine as stir fry sauce ingredient, marinade, and dipping sauce.

Some Vietnamese peanut sauce recipes also contain sautéed chopped fresh garlic, hot sauce, and a touch of fish sauce. Feel free to add and season as you like. Additionally, garnish the sauce with chopped roasted peanuts and chili flakes.

How to Make Vietnamese Peanut Sauce

If you can boil water for tea, you can make this sauce. It’s that easy. I prefer to use creamy peanut butter then garnish with a few fresh roasted chopped peanuts. However, feel free to use chunky peanut butter. It will have the same effect!

To make Vietnamese Peanut Sauce, place smooth peanut butter and boiling water in a small bowl or large measuring cup. Carefully whisk to combine. Next, stir in the hoisin sauce and fresh lime juice.

Taste and balance the flavor (if needed) with a little bit of fish sauce (salty & funky), rice vinegar (more acid) or more fresh lime juice.

If you like a little spice, add a squirt of chili sauce or red chili flakes to taste. Stir to combine. Finally, garnish with freshly roasted chopped peanuts.

Make Ahead and Storage Instructions

This Vietnamese peanut sauce recipe can be made a day or two ahead of time. It will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week. Pro tip: Keep homemade sauces and condiments in labelled and dated Mason jars to reduce food waste.

Note: the oils in the peanut butter will cause the sauce to thicken as it cools. To reheat the sauce, reheat gently in a microwave for 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between. Or place the jar of sauce in a bowl of boiling water, stirring occasionally until it returns to dip consistency.

Hi! I’m Bernice Hill and I am the recipe developer, photographer, and writer here at Dish ‘n’ the Kitchen. It is my pleasure to share easy to follow recipes that are delicious, nutritious, and approachable for the whole family.

If you make this Vietnamese Peanut Sauce recipe, I’d love to hear about it in the comments section or in a recipe rating. Be sure to follow me on Facebook and Pinterest for my latest recipes. Also, if you do make this recipe, please share your photos and tag me on Instagram. I hope you like this recipe!