Vietnamese Peanut Sauce

This Vietnamese peanut dipping sauce recipe, often referred to as “tương đậu phộng,” is easy to make with only four ingredients. It’s the perfect dipping sauce for a variety of dishes, particularly spring rolls, grilled meats, noodles, or salad dressing.

Growing up, Vietnamese spring rolls were one of Mom’s favorite things to make. I remember eating them almost weekly since they were so easy to make and versatile. Over the years, our spring rolls have evolved with new ingredients and variations to suit our changing tastes. Yet, the one constant has always been the peanut sauce.

This Vietnamese peanut dipping sauce for spring rolls is savory, slightly sweet, nutty, creamy, crunchy, and spicy – everything a good dipping sauce should be.

Reasons Why This is Our Favorite Sauce:

• Rich and flavorful: This sauce uses the right blend of ingredients to create a deliciously balanced flavor.
• Versatile: The sauce’s adaptability shines as it effortlessly elevates various dishes, serving as a dip for spring rolls, a drizzle for grilled meats, or a dressing for salads and noodle bowls.
• Texture and creaminess: This peanut sauce achieves a velvety smoothness courtesy of peanut butter combined with hoisin sauce. Add some crunch with chopped peanuts!
• Balanced and healthy ingredients: this sauce is packed full of proteins!

Equipment Needed

• Liquid Measuring Cup
• Dry Measuring Cup
• Mixing Bowl
• Spoon or Rubber Spatula (to give everything a good mix)

All You Need Are a Few Simple Ingredients!

• Peanut Butter: creamy or chunky peanut butter, depending on personal preference. A creamy peanut butter will make the sauce velvety and smooth. A chunky peanut butter will add a slight crunch.
• Hoisin Sauce: this is also known as “thương ăn phở” or pho sauce. Hoisin sauce can be found in the international aisle, at your local Asian grocery store, or online.
• Lime or vinegar: A slight tanginess to help balance out the sweetness of the peanut butter and the saltiness of the hoisin sauce.
• Water: The boiling water helps soften up the peanut butter and makes it easier to mix. The mixture will thicken up as it cools. Add 2/3 cup of water and then add more, if needed, to reach your desired consistency. The amount of water will vary depending on the type of peanut butter and hoisin sauce you use.
• Crushed Roasted Peanuts (Optional): this gives it a crunchy texture.
• Sriracha Sauce (Optional): you can add spice by adding sriracha, chili garlic sauce, or sliced Thai chilies.

Please scroll ⬇️ to the recipe card for the full ingredient amounts and instructions.

How to Make Vietnamese Peanut Sauce

1. Boil water on the stove or in the microwave.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, add boiling water, peanut butter, hoisin sauce, and lime juice (or vinegar). Mix until well combined. [Note: The sauce will thicken up as it cools down. Add more water, if needed, to reach your desired consistency.]

1. Spoon some into individual dipping bowls. Garnish with crushed roasted peanuts and sriracha.

Variations

Spicy Peanut Sauce: If you love heat, increase the amount of chili garlic sauce, and sriracha, or add finely chopped fresh chili peppers. Adjust the spiciness to your liking.

Nut Variations: If you have a peanut allergy, you can experiment with different nuts or seeds, such as almond butter or cashew butter.

Nut-Free Peanut Sauce: If you want to skip nuts altogether, you can make a nut-free version using sunflower seed butter or tahini (sesame seed paste) as a peanut butter substitute.

Make it creamy: Some people like to use coconut milk instead of water to make the sauce even creamier.

How to Store Vietnamese Peanut Sauce

Store leftover peanut sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It can last several days, and the flavors may even improve. If it thickens in the fridge, you can thin it with a little water before using it.

RECIPE