This easy Thai inspired spicy peanut sauce doesn’t just sit on the sidelines, it steals the show. With a creamy blend of peanut butter, sesame oil, and a fiery kick of garlic chili paste, it’s perfect for dipping, drizzling, or tossing with noodles. Ready in minutes, it’s your secret weapon for turning any meal into something worth talking about.

A small dish of spicy peanut butter sauce next to chicken and herbs.

This creamy Asian peanut sauce is quick and easy to make and it is far better than the store-bought stuff. It is a terrific dipping sauce for pork or chicken satay or you can toss it with noodles for an amazing lunch.

Here is Why This Asian Peanut Sauce Recipe Works

Big Flavor, Minimal Effort: Just toss everything into a blender or food processor and let it do the work, no chopping or whisking required.

Customizable Consistency: Whether you want it thick for dipping or thin for drizzling, a splash of water lets you control the texture like a pro.

Bold and Versatile: Perfect for noodles, salads, spring rolls, or just eating with a spoon (no judgment here).

Keeps Like a Champ: Store it in the fridge, and it’ll be ready to go whenever you need to jazz up a meal.

Dipping chicken into a dish of creamy peanut sauce.

The Ingredients

Pantry: Peanut butter, rice wine vinegar, sugar, sesame oil, soy sauce.
Spices and Seasonings: Garlic chili paste, cayenne pepper.
Produce: Fresh ginger.

Notes: Don’t use regular white vinegar in place of rice wine vinegar. The rice wine vinegar has a milder and slightly sweet flavor.

Fresh ginger adds a bright kick you can’t get from the powdered stuff.

If you want to make this sauce gluten free you can use tamari sauce instead of soy sauce.

The garlic chili paste is a huge component to the flavor profile. It doesn’t just add heat to the peanut sauce recipe, it adds a unique flavor. If you can’t find it, try using sriracha.

Variations

Coconut Peanut Sauce: Substitute 2 tablespoons of water with coconut milk.

Lime Peanut Sauce: Mix in 1 tablespoon of fresh lime juice and a teaspoon of lime zest.

Ways to Use Peanut Sauce

A dip for Pork Satay or chicken satay
Drizzle it over rice
Stir it into noodles
Thin it down to use as a salad dressing
Slather it on this soba noodle and shrimp bowl
Serve it with a grilled chicken breast
Use it as a dipping sauce for spring rolls or dumplings

A jar filled with Thai peanut sauce and chicken kabobs in the background.

Tips for Success

If you like it extra spicy, add more garlic chili paste or a pinch of cayenne. Prefer it mild? Cut back on the chili paste.
Use a blender or food processor so all the ingredients combine into a smooth, creamy sauce.
Add water one teaspoon at a time to control the consistency. Start thick for dipping or go thinner for drizzling.
Flavors can vary depending on the peanut butter or chili paste you use, so adjust the seasoning to suit your preferences.
Use your favorite brand of peanut butter. I like this recipe best when I use natural peanut butter with chunks but it still tastes great with a commercial brand of peanut butter.
If you use a commercial brand of peanut butter then it will not separate if it sits for a while. Natural peanut butter has a tendency to separate after a couple of days. That doesn’t bother me. I just give it a stir.

Storage

In the Fridge: To store leftover Thai peanut sauce, transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to one week. Before using, give it a quick stir, as the ingredients may naturally separate over time.

Freezing: If you’d like to store it longer, this sauce freezes well! Pour it into a freezer-safe container or portion it into ice cube trays for individual servings. Freeze for up to three months.

An appetizer plate with chicken and peanut sauce along with a jar of sauce in the background.

Easy Peanut Dipping Sauce

This Thai peanut sauce is the MVP of sauces. It is quick, versatile, and ready to rescue boring meals. Drizzle it on chicken, salmon, spring rolls, or basically anything edible. You’ll wonder how you ever lived without it.

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A small dish of peanut sauce next to some chicken kabobs.

Spicy Peanut Sauce

This Asian peanut sauce is quick and easy to make and it is far better than store-bought brands. Adjust the heat level to your liking.

4.63 from 16 votes

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Prep Time: 10

Total Time: 10

Servings: -1/2 cups

Calories: 50kcal

Author: Dahn Boquist

Ingredients

½ cup peanut butter
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons garlic Chili Paste like Sambal Oelek
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 to 4 tablespoons of water depending on desired consistency

Instructions

Place all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and process until smooth.
Adjust the consistency to your liking by adding more water a teaspoon at a time if you want it thinner.
If you don’t use the sauce right away store it in a covered dish in the refrigerator.

Notes

For extra spice, add more garlic chili paste or a pinch of cayenne. Want it milder? Simply reduce the chili paste.
Use a blender or food processor to achieve a smooth and creamy sauce.
Adjust the consistency by adding water one teaspoon at a time. Keep it thick for dipping or thin it out for drizzling.
Season to taste, as the flavor can vary depending on the peanut butter or chili paste you use.
Choose your favorite peanut butter! Natural chunky peanut butter adds great texture, but commercial brands work just as well.
Commercial peanut butter won’t separate over time, while natural peanut butter may separate after a few days. Just give it a quick stir, and it’s good to go.