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This easy peanut sauce recipe has tasty Vietnamese-inspired flavors, and it’s simple to make with just a few ingredients! It’s really the best pairing with salad rolls possible.
Try my Easy Bang Bang Sauce or Easy Fried Rice next.
Why you’ll love it
I’m not exaggerating when I say that I could drink this peanut dipping sauce. It’s just really, really tasty. It’s smooth, rich, and savory with a gentle sweetness. It enhances every bite of summer rolls or spring rolls, and it’s great with your hot pot or salad bowls as well.
This peanut sauce has a bit of a storied history in my life. I adapted this version from my sister, who many years ago adapted it from my mom’s recipe, who many years ago adapted it from a cookbook we can’t remember the name of. I’ve landed on the perfect version!
What you’ll need
- Oil – use peanut oil or vegetable oil
- Garlic – for a punch of aromatic flavor
- Tomato paste – it adds a special quality and depth of flavor that’s hard to describe! It’s very important to the recipe.
- Water – the liquid aspect
- Sugar – a touch of sweetness
- Hoisin sauce – think of this as the BBQ sauce of Asian cuisine. It’s savory and sweet and all-around delicious. Find it easily in the Asian foods aisle.
- Peanut butter – use a creamy one
Helpful tips
- Watch the garlic carefully and stir it frequently so it doesn’t burn. Burned garlic tastes bitter and can ruin the sauce.
- The sauce taste and thickness will vary a bit depending on what brands of hoisin sauce and peanut butter you use. I recommend using creamy peanut butter for best results.
How to make peanut sauce
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Heat the oil in a saucepan, and fry the garlic until lightly golden, stirring often. Add in the tomato paste and cook, stirring it, for a couple of minutes without letting the garlic scorch. Add in the water, sugar, hoisin sauce, and peanut butter.
Increase the heat, and stir until the peanut butter is incorporated. Let it bubble for a minute or so. Reduce the heat, and simmer until thickened (it’ll thicken more as it cools). Season with salt as needed. Let it cool, then refrigerate.
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- Mince the garlic effortlessly with a garlic press.
- I like these nested magnetic measuring spoons.
- These angled measuring cups are very user friendly!
Substitutions and variations
- I recommend making it as suggested the first time, then tweaking it next time to your personal tastes if needed.
- If you don’t want to go out and buy a bottle of peanut oil just for this recipe, you may use another neutral tasting oil (e.g., vegetable oil).
- For a little kick, add in a teaspoon or more of chili paste!
What to serve with peanut sauce
- I love to serve this sauce with Vietnamese fresh spring rolls and deep fried spring rolls or egg rolls. My local place makes good peanut sauce, but I find there’s never enough of it!
- My sister loves making deconstructed summer roll bowls, which is essentially salad roll ingredients (minus the rice paper) tossed with this recipe as a peanut dressing. Try lettuce, Vietnamese vermicelli noodles, cilantro and mint, bean sprouts, cucumber, avocado, and shredded carrots.
- One of her friends loves this recipe for her family’s Chinese hot pot!
Leftovers and storage
- Store in a tightly covered container for up to 4-5 days in the fridge. Give it a good stir before using.
- I don’t recommend freezing it because the texture can change.
If you made this Vietnamese-style peanut sauce, please leave a star rating and review below! What did you serve it with? Or tag me on Instagram stories.
Peanut Sauce
Ingredients
- 1/2 tablespoon peanut oil or vegetable oil
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste double concentrated
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar see note
- 1/2 cup hoisin sauce
- 3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Fry the garlic for a few minutes, stirring often, until it's starting to get golden.
- Add in the tomato paste. Cook for a minute or two, stirring often. The tomato paste should be sizzling, but take care not to burn the garlic.
- Add in the water, sugar, hoisin sauce, and peanut butter. Increase the heat to high, and stir constantly until the peanut butter has been incorporated and the sauce is smooth. Let it bubble vigorously for a minute or two.
- Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. The sauce will thicken more as it cools.
- Give it a taste and season with salt if needed. Remove from the heat and let it cool to room temperature before transferring it to the fridge (either in the saucepan or in a different container). I prefer to chill the sauce before eating it, but you can eat it warm or room temperature if you prefer. It'll keep for a few days in the fridge.
Notes
- Some brands of hoisin sauce and peanut butter are sweeter than others, so you can skip the sugar if you want a less sweet sauce.
- Makes about 1.25 cups (20 tablespoons), nutrition info is for 2 tablespoons.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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