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Cooking adventures in a small, closet sized, kitchen. - I came to realize that my meals were boring and that I had been eating the same few dishes over and over again for years. It was time for a change! I now spend my free time searching for, creating and trying tasty new recipes in my closet sized kitchen.

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Thai Peanut Dressing

[heart_this] · Jan 22, 2018 · 29 Comments

Thai Peanut Dressing

A quick and easy, pantry, Thai style peanut dressing that is so irresistibly delicious!

I have been a fan of Thai style peanut sauces and dressings ever since I first came across them! The base of a Thai peanut dressing is peanut butter and the main components are the perfect blending of sweet, salty, sour and spicy. Although I enjoy making a more traditional peanut sauce, this is a pantry friendly version that includes ingredients that are common to most kitchens and it whips up in a few minutes. This peanut dressing gets the sweet components form brown sugar (or honey), the saltiness from soy sauce, the sour components from vinegar (or lime juice) and the spiciness from chili sauce (such as sriracha). The dressing is then seasoned with garlic and ginger and it is thinned out to a dressing like consistency with coconut milk (or water). I like to add a touch of cilantro and toasted sesame oil for extra layers of flavour and aroma. This Thai peanut dressing is so easy to make and it’s great on salads, rice bowls, in sandwiches and for dipping!

Thai Peanut Dressing
Thai Peanut Dressing
Thai Peanut Dressing
Thai Peanut Dressing

Thai Peanut Dressing
Thai Peanut Dressing

Thai Peanut Dressing

Prep Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 10 minutes Servings: 16(1 cup or 16 1 tablespoon servings)

A quick and easy, pantry, Thai style peanut dressing that is so irresistibly delicious!

ingredients
  • 1/4 cup peanut butter
  • 1/2+ cup water (or coconut milk)
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce (or fish sauce)
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar (or cider vinegar or lime juice)
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar (or honey or palm sugar)
  • 1 tablespoon chili sauce (or to taste)
  • 2 teaspoons garlic, grated
  • 2 teaspoons ginger, grated
  • 2 tablespoons peanuts roasted and chopped
  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon cilantro (optional)
directions
  1. Puree everything in a blender or food processor.
Option: Replace the chili sauce with birds eye chilies.
Note: Add enough water (or coconut milk) to get the consistency to that of a pourable dressing.
Nutrition Facts: Calories 39, Fat 2g (Saturated 0.5g, Trans 0), Cholesterol 0, Sodium 125mg, Carbs 2g (Fiber 0.4g, Sugars 1g), Protein 1g

Nutrition by: Nutritional facts powered by Edamam
Use in:
Thai Lemongrass Chicken and Avocado Salad with Spicy Peanut Dressing
Thai Grilled Chicken Satay Salad
Spicy Peanut Chicken Rice Bowl
Roasted Pumpkin and Green Bean Quinoa Salad in Thai Peanut Dressing
Thai Peanut Chicken Buddha Bowls
Thai Grilled Steak Salad
Lemongrass Grilled Chicken Rice Noodle Bowls

Similar Recipes:
Thai Sweet Chili Dressing
Thai Spicy Peanut Sauce
Vietnamese Peanut and Hoisin Sauce
Mole Sauce
Sweet Chilli Sauce
Vietnamese Dipping Sauce (Nuoc Cham)
Cold Sesame Noodles
Homemade Tonkatsu Sauce

Condiment, Dressing, Food, Gluten-free, Recipe, Thai, Vegetarian

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Anonymous says

    January 23, 2018 at 12:37 pm

    How long can the Thai Peanut Dressing keep for? And please provide recommended storage (ie, container type, does it need to be refrigerated etc)

    Much appreciated!

    Reply
  2. Anonymous says

    January 23, 2018 at 1:42 pm

    Will this keep in the fridge?

    Reply
  3. kevin says

    January 23, 2018 at 1:48 pm

    Anonymous: Yes, it keeps well in the fridge!

    Reply
  4. Anonymous says

    January 23, 2018 at 2:13 pm

    For how long?

    Reply
  5. kevin says

    January 23, 2018 at 3:00 pm

    Anonymous: I would say use it in 5 days. Enjoy!

    Reply
  6. Gloria Baker says

    January 24, 2018 at 1:56 am

    Hi Kevin Im glad you always make lovely and yummy recipes, all looks delicious, hugs!
    Gloria

    Reply
  7. smolaki says

    February 12, 2018 at 6:30 pm

    How many grams is 1 cup?

    Reply
  8. kevin says

    February 12, 2018 at 7:08 pm

    smolaki: about 250g

    Reply
  9. Anonymous says

    May 23, 2018 at 7:47 am

    Yeah bookmaking this wasn't a risky conclusion great post!

    Reply
  10. Julie says

    February 17, 2019 at 12:54 am

    This sauce was so delish!
    Will be making this again.

    Reply
  11. Barbara says

    January 26, 2020 at 8:21 am

    Please be specific about the chili sauce. Is it American style… Thai sweet chili… chili garlic… something else?

    Reply
    • kevin says

      February 3, 2020 at 11:58 am

      I usually go with sriracha, sambal oelek, franks red hot, etc. Adjust the amount for your desire heat level and enjoy!

      Reply
      • Shirley says

        March 24, 2024 at 9:11 am

        Thanks for sharing

        Reply
    • AM says

      February 9, 2024 at 10:36 pm

      Use whatever you like . It isn’t rocket science…just food science, so let your tastebuds do the work here.

      Reply
  12. Kathie Adams says

    February 7, 2020 at 4:18 pm

    Does this stay emulsified or do you have to shake it?

    Reply
    • kevin says

      February 10, 2020 at 12:51 pm

      This dressing stays well mixed!

      Reply
  13. Ian Schafer says

    June 27, 2020 at 2:12 am

    No way can I use all this in 5 days do you think it would be alright to freeze ???

    Reply
    • kevin says

      June 27, 2020 at 9:34 am

      You can freeze it! Enjoy!

      Reply
  14. Terri says

    October 19, 2020 at 12:21 pm

    Why do I torture myself and look and drool at your AMAZING page when I’m hungry. *sad sobs*. <3

    Reply
  15. Cynthia Maréchal says

    February 15, 2021 at 10:08 am

    Une des meilleure vinaigrette que j’ai faite, merci vraiment.

    Reply
  16. Tricia Morris says

    November 3, 2021 at 8:20 am

    Mind blowing. Went ahead and made a double batch, and I’m so glad I did. Loved that I had several ingredient options, and when doubling the recipe, I used 1/2 and 1/2, like with the rice vinegar and lime juice. Just the right amount of zing!

    Reply
  17. Mina says

    June 10, 2023 at 4:28 pm

    Thanks, Kevin. Since covid 1) I have retired and 2) my favorite go to lunch spot closed. They made a mixed green salad, added strips/chunks of grilled chicken and angel hair spaghetti and covered it with spicy peanut dressing. I have been looking for an easy to make peanut sauce and yours fits the bill perfectly.No unusual ingredients that can’t be bought at my local grocery. Again, thanks!

    Reply
  18. Jennifer says

    July 24, 2025 at 5:12 pm

    Do you use natural peanut butter for this or sweetened?

    Reply
    • kevin says

      July 25, 2025 at 7:40 am

      I use sweetened but unsweetened works as well; taste test and balance with more brown sugar (or honey or palm sugar) if needed.

      Reply

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About Me

Kevin: I came to realize that my meals were boring and that I had been eating the same few dishes over and over again for years. It was time for a change! I now spend my free time searching for, creating and trying tasty new recipes in my closet sized kitchen.
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