Easy Spicy Peanut Sauce

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This peanut sauce recipe comes together in less than 5 minutes, and is so versatile that you can use it on a different meal every night of the week.

It’s extra creamy, a little sweet-and-spicy, and soooo delicious. You might want to go ahead and make a double batch.

You can freeze also peanut sauce for a few months, or keep it in an airtight container in your fridge for up to a week. Just give it a splash of water and whisk to refresh before serving.

Try it over rice and veggies, mixed with noodles, or keep reading for more serving suggestions!

How to make vegan peanut sauce

I’m not usually pretentious about store bought sauce, but when it comes to peanut sauce, always make it yourself.

First, it only takes a couple minutes to prepare. Second, homemade peanut sauce is one hundred times more delicious than shelf stable sauce. Something just goes wrong when peanut sauce sits in a jar too long. So stick with fresh and you’ll have no regrets.

All this recipe requires is 7 ingredients and a whisk. When you first start whisking it’s going to look lumpy. You’re going to question why you’re following this recipe in the first place. Just trust me. KEEP WHISKING!

Add water one tablespoon at a time to thin it out to your desired consistency, continuously whisking. I use about 3 tbsp of water. Soon the mix will turn velvety smooth.

This recipe calls for 1 tsp brown sugar. My preferred jar of peanut butter already has a little bit of sugar in it. If you’re using straightforward peanut butter without any extra ingredients, you will probably want to add a little extra sugar to cut the acidity and saltiness.

Variations and Serving Suggestions

My recipe is very versatile. The base of any peanut sauce recipe should be fat, salt, acid, and sweetener – plus a little heat if you like it spicy. Here, we’re using peanut butter, tamari, lime juice, and brown sugar for the base with flavorings from sriracha, garlic, and hoisin.

I love peanut sauce with hoisin for it’s sweet and savory flavor. Hoisin has been likened to American BBQ sauce, but the taste is much more complex thanks to its key ingredient, fermented soybeans. Hoisin sauce is used as a thick glaze or dipping sauce in Chinese and Vietnamese cuisine. If you want to make it yourself, Viet World Kitchen has a good gluten free option.

Although soy sauce is usually okay to swap for tamari, I don’t recommend it for this recipe. It makes the flavor overwhelmingly salty.

You can always omit sriracha or substitute it for another spicy chili sauce, but the peanut butter will mask much of the heat. Other variations for peanut sauce include adding more sugar, trying rice vinegar as your acid, and mixing in other flavors like ginger. Here are some ideas for serving:

• On top of rice and veggies
• Stirred with noodles or spiralized veggies
• As a peanut dipping sauce for veggies, spring rolls, or lettuce wraps

How will you try this recipe? Leave a comment below!

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