Looking for a rich, decadent, luxurious, and very tasty sauce for your Asian-inspired dishes? Try Asian Peanut Sauce!
Peanut sauce is one of my favorite ingredients in Asian cooking, be it Thai peanut dipping sauces, or an Indonesian peanut sauce served over tempeh or with noodles!
Never happy to leave well enough alone, I have, over the years, developed my own Asian-inspired peanut sauce. There are no claims to authenticity to any particular region's peanut sauce, just echoes of what I have loved in other Asian peanut sauces all put together.
Asian Peanut Sauce can be used on so many things:
- Soba noodles
- Baked tofu or satay skewers
- A stir-fry of mixed veggies, cabbage, scallions, tofu or edamame, all over rice or noodles (see our featured image above!)
- On a tofu scramble, for example see Tofu, Sweet Potato, and Eggplant Scramble with Peanut Sauce or Simple Tofu Scramble
- A dipping sauce for Mung Bean Pancakes, dumplings, or spring rolls
I hope you enjoy Asian Peanut Sauce as much as I do!
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Ingredients
- Peanut butter
- Coconut aminos
- Ginger
- Garlic
- Red pepper flakes
- Sesame oil
- Rice vinegar
- Lime juice
- Red miso
See recipe card for quantities.
The peanut butter is the key to peanut sauce! You can also roast peanuts and grind them yourself, but peanut butter is easier!
Coconut aminos give an umami and soy sauce vibe, while also providing a touch of sweetness. Asian peanut sauces usually have some sweetness to them that can come from added sugar.
The ginger and garlic give a bite to the sauce.
The red pepper flakes give a touch of heat.
Rice vinegar give a brightness to contrast with the richness of the peanuts and sesame oil.
Sesame oil gives a nuttiness and rich mouth feel to the sauce.
The lime juice gives a citrus kick to the sauce, further brightening it.
The miso provides even more umami. I often use it as a replacement in dishes that traditionally use fish sauce.
Instructions
Step 1: Heat up the pan. Add the oil once the pan is hot. When the oil is shimmering, add the ginger. Cook for about 2 minutes.
Step 2: Add the garlic and sautee for about 5 minutes.
Step 3: Add the coconut aminos and peanut butter to the saucepan.
Step 4: Mix the aminos, peanut butter, garlic, and ginger together.
Step 5: Cook the sauce for about 5 minutes, stirring periodically.
Step 6: After the sauce has cooled for about 5 minutes, add the rest of the ingredients.
Step 7: Mix the sauce well!
Substitutions
Allergic to peanuts? I have made this recipe with almond butter and it was excellent!
Variations
Want to get some serious funk on? Replace the miso with doenjang! You can read about it in our recipe for Doenjang Sauce.
The coconut aminos can be replaced with soy sauce, or tamari (if you want gluten free). You might want to add a bit of sugar then since Asian peanut sauces tend to be a touch sweet.
Equipment
- A small saucepan
- A silicon spatula
- Measuring cup and spoons
- A knife
Storage
This sauce will stay good in the fridge for 3-4 days if stored in an airtight container. I am not really sure, I never let it last that long.
It will freeze well and should keep for a couple of months. Perhaps freeze it in an ice cube tray, transfer to a freezer bag, and use a few cubes at lunch.
Top Tip
Make sure you add the miso and lime juice after the dish has cooled. The lime juice will lose volatile oils that help you taste lime, weakening the lime taste, if you add it while cooking. Miso will lose its enzymes (if using unpasteurized) if it is cooked at too high a temperature.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Asian Peanut Sauce:
Recipe
Asian Peanut Sauce
Equipment
- 1 small sauce pan
- 1 silicon spatula
- 1 measuring cup and spoons
- 1 knife for chopping ginger
Ingredients
- ¼ cup ginger chopped, I leave the peel on
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ cup peanut butter can be smooth or chunky, depending on your desired texture for the sauce
- ¼ cup coconut aminos
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil preferably toasted
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
- ¼ cup lime juice
- 1 tablespoon miso red
Instructions
- Heat up a small saucepan. Once the pan is hot, add a small amount of cooking oil. When the oil is shimmering, add the ginger. Sauté for 2 minutes.¼ cup ginger
- Add the garlic to the saucepan. Sauté for 5 minutes.4 cloves garlic
- Add the peanut butter and coconut aminos to the saucepan. Mix well. Cook over low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.¼ cup peanut butter, ¼ cup coconut aminos
- Remove pan from heat and allow to cool for about 5 minutes.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well!1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, 3 tablespoons rice vinegar, ¼ cup lime juice, 1 tablespoon miso
- Enjoy!
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