

A touch more lemongrass would make it near perfect. It’s pleasantly thick, has a kick of spice and lots of ginger. It turns out there’s a good reason this inexpensive sauce disappears swiftly from supermarket shelves. Nutrition info refers to 2 tablespoons of sauce. Here’s the scoop on peanut sauces to pour - either on your food or straight down the drain. But it’s tough to guess what’s in these sauces when the labels use generic terms such as “spices.” Note the color to get an idea of salt content - darker sauces typically have more soy sauce and are therefore saltier. Some of the sauce attributes are apparent - shake the bottle to find out if the sauce is thick or thin. Some are utterly bland, with only a hint of peanut flavor others are so salty, your tongue will recoil.įinding a good peanut sauce isn’t always easy.

Great peanut sauce has bold peanut flavor that’s underscored - but not overpowered by - notes of ginger, lime, soy sauce and garlic. But having bottled sauce on hand can be a big time-saver. Making your own peanut sauce is a simple scoop, grate and stir task. It’s also popular in other parts of Asia, including China and Southeast Asia, where it’s served with chicken or meat satay. It’s an essential in Thai cuisine, used on noodles, in salads, as a dip for spring rolls or dumplings, and as a marinade or glaze for meats and poultry. It’s salty, sweet, acidic and bold - a sauce like no other.įor the uninitiated, Asian peanut sauce is a puree of peanuts, soy sauce, ginger, sesame, spices and often garlic, lemongrass and lime. In a few minutes, the peanut butter will blend with the rest of the ingredients.Peanut sauce is culinary magic, a blending of ordinary elements that becomes not just another condiment, but a unique sauce that can turn even the most tasteless bite into a delicious mouthful. Just keep working the peanut butter with a fork or whisk and stir constantly. When you first start stirring the ingredients for the peanut sauce, the peanut butter will feel very stiff.That’s why you may need a bit more oil to get the sauce to reach a creamy consistency. Peanut butter at the bottom tends to be more dry. Using peanut butter at the bottom of the jar: If you are making this peanut sauce recipe with the last bit of natural peanut butter at the bottom of the jar, consider adding 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon of oil.ADDITIONAL COOKING NOTES FOR THE PEANUT SAUCE RECIPE You can add a small drizzle of sesame oil for flavor, if you like. Alternatively, replace the sesame oil with a nice spicy chili oil. Start with 1/8 teaspoon of the cayenne pepper, taste, and add more as needed. You may want to adjust the seasonings because the other nut butters have a slightly different flavor profile. You can also use almond butter, cashew butter, or sunflower seed butter. Yes! I made this peanut sauce with crunchy peanut butter once, and I quite liked the crunchy bits of peanuts in my sauce. CAN I USE SOMETHING BESIDES CREAMY PEANUT BUTTER? It’s made with ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry, and you can adjust the seasoning to your liking. You can even use the peanut sauce to flavor your protein of choice, such as pan-fried tofu, baked chicken, or some grilled shrimp. I love serving it as a dipping sauce for spring rolls, or tossing it with cooked rice noodles and sliced cabbage for a quick salad. This is my favorite peanut sauce recipe, and I use it in so many dishes.
