Sauces & Condiments Thai

Satay Peanut Sauce

Peanuts, garlic, soy, sesame oil, brown sugar, fish sauce, tamarind, lime, chili and coconut milk blend into a rich Southeast Asian-style dipping sauce.

Satay Peanut Sauce

What It Is

Peanuts, garlic, soy, sesame oil, brown sugar, fish sauce, tamarind, lime, chili and coconut milk blend into a rich Southeast Asian-style dipping sauce.

Origin

This is my thai-leaning version, built around the ingredients and method that give the recipe its character.

Fun Fact

Satay is strongly associated with Indonesia and Southeast Asia; peanut sauce is one of its best-known companions, but recipes vary widely by region.

Prep
8 min
Cook
—
Total
8 min
Servings
10 tbsps
(double it if teenagers are involved)
Difficulty
easy
Diet
Vegetarian, Low-Carb
Away Mission
25 min walk
(about one moderately tense turbolift ride)
#satay-peanut-sauce #sauces-condiments #spoon-and-scribble #thai

Ingredients

  • 1 cup dry-roasted peanuts
  • ⅓ cup water
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • ½ tsp dark soy sauce
  • 2 tsp sesame oil
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp fish sauce
  • ½ tsp tamarind paste
  • ½ tbsp lime juice
  • 1 tsp chili sauce
  • ½ tsp cayenne
  • ⅓ cup coconut milk

Steps

  1. Blend all ingredients until smooth.
  2. Thin with a little water or coconut milk if desired.
  3. Taste and adjust salt, lime, sugar or heat before serving.

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Notes

Taste before the final adjustment. A recipe should guide dinner, not bully it. If it needs a little more acid, sweetness, salt or heat, make the change in small steps instead of launching the whole spice rack into orbit.

Nutrition Facts
Per 2 tbsp
Calories 120
Burning this off: a brisk argument with a Costco parking lot.
% Daily Value*
Fat 7.0 g 9%
Saturated + Trans 1.5 g 8%
Cholesterol 0 mg
Sodium 100 mg 4%
Carbohydrate 11.0 g
Fibre 1.0 g 4%
Sugars 9.0 g 9%
Protein 4.0 g
Potassium 120 mg 3%
Calcium 20 mg 2%
Iron 0.4 mg 2%
*5% or less is a little, 15% or more is a lot. Sodium levels calculated in a country with universal healthcare — and it's free, so don't worry about it too much.
A genuinely respectable nutrition profile. No red flags here — go ahead and feel a little smug about it.

Substitutions

Use equivalent ingredients where needed for allergies or availability, but keep the main sweet/sour/salty/spicy balance intact. This is cooking, not a hostage negotiation.

Storage

Store in a clean airtight container in the refrigerator. Use a clean spoon each time because introducing mystery crumbs is how condiments develop side quests.

Freezing

Most dry seasonings do not need freezing. For wet sauces, freeze in small portions only if the ingredients tolerate it; creamy emulsions may separate after thawing.