Thai Peanut Sauce Recipe

What takes just five minutes to whip up, requires no heating whatsoever, and can instantly upgrade all sorts of dishes? If you said Thai peanut sauce, you are absolutely correct. After all, that's what we're here to make today — it's right there in the recipe title. And once you whip up this sauce (or actually, we should say whisked, not whipped) you'll find yourself making and enjoying it over and over again, because it's just that good.

"I love this sauce on a veggie and tofu stir fry or simply over steamed veggies," says chef, food writer, and registered dietician Kristen Carli of Camelback Nutrition & Wellness. "It also works great in a veggie and chicken wrap." You could try it on plain white rice, over noodles, on a piece of cooked chicken or fish, over shrimp, or as a dipping sauce for all kinds of snacks and apps as well. The pairing possibilities are truly endless when it comes to this delicious recipe.

Of course, peanut butter is the main player in this recipe. But without all the other ingredients, it's not a sauce worth spreading over all sorts of eats. So, in addition, you'll need soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, a dash of sriracha sauce, garlic powder, pepper, salt, and some water.

A good, creamy peanut butter will work best in this recipe — just make sure it's already well-mixed when you get your portion, as some peanut butters have their oil separate during long times spent sitting on the pantry or shop shelf. (Pro tip: You should occasionally turn your peanut butter jars upside down during storage to help the stuff stay mixed.)

Add the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, sriracha, garlic powder, pepper, and salt together in a smaller bowl, or better yet, in a glass measuring cup with a handle so you can get a good grip. Use a whisk to stir all of these ingredients together well, and note you can always up the heat with more sriracha (or leave it out if you don't like spice). Then, add the peanut butter. At first, slowly and carefully whisk to begin combining all of the ingredients into a sauce.

At first glance, you might be a little frustrated and wonder if you're doing something wrong. Don't fret, because your sauce is perfectly fine. "[The] mixture will appear to not combine. But with patience, [it] will eventually [come together with enough whisking]," says Carli.

So, keep at it! Provided you measured your ingredients properly, just whisk and whisk, and soon enough, everything will blend. Once it does, add the water and — you guessed it — whisk to combine the liquid into that thick sauce. "You can adjust the thickness with extra water," says Carli, which you may want to do for particular dishes like rice or a stir fry. When it comes to other eats like fried tofu or grilled chicken, a thicker sauce is ideal.