Give me your peanut sauce recipes!

May 2, 2023 7:20 AM

A long time ago I used to be able to make a delicious peanut sauce, or maybe my standards were just low. But I lost that recipe and now every time I try, it's terrible.

So anyway - please provide your peanut sauce recipes (and, if you feel that they go particularly well with one thing, tell me that thing). Any ingredients, any flavor profile (besides "peanut" of course). The only rule is that you must yourself feel that this is a good recipe.

posted by Frowner to Food & Drink (13 answers total)

This is a weeknight go-to for our family. The peanut sauce is pretty simple but tangy and fresh tasting. We really like it.
posted by chuke at 7:30 AM on May 2, 2023 [3 favorites]

2-4 tbsp of crunchy peanut butter, whisked with 3 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp sesame oil, 1 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tbsp regular or vegan fish sauce, 1 tbsp maple syrup, 1 tsp chile crisp or any kind of chilli oil and a splash of hot water makes a great peanut sauce.

I sometimes make a variant with quite a bit more maple syrup (closer to 3 tbsp), a little more soy sauce, more chile crisp and less peanut butter (closer to 1 tbsp) which is also delicious if you're in the mood for something more spicy/salty/sweet but less peanut-dense.
posted by terretu at 7:31 AM on May 2, 2023 [2 favorites]

I don't really follow a recipe, but the things I'm adamant about are sesame oil (tastes nuttier than peanut somehow) and doubanjiang/"chili bean sauce" (adds a lot of depth). I like using "natural" peanut butter too, I think mostly because I don't like peanut sauce to be very sweet.
posted by nebulawindphone at 7:47 AM on May 2, 2023 [6 favorites]

I love peanut sauces! My method is more of a rough guide than a recipe: unctious element + savory element + acid + spice + sweet. Mix and match as you like, just include at least one from each list. Sometimes I skip the sweet and it's still amazing.

-Unctious: For the peanut butter, I always use the kind that is made just from peanuts. If you're using Jif or something, cut back on salt and sugar. Other nut butters also work (cashew, almond, etc.) Nice additions: sesame oil or crushed or toasted seeds

-Savory: soy sauce or tamari, nutritional yeast, juice of raw garlic

-Acid: lime or lemon juice, tamarind paste, rice or balsamic or fruity vinegar, mango or gooseberry powder

-Spice: curry powder, (I like Penzy's Balti for this but it's hard to go wrong,) berbere mix, dashi powder, ramen soup powder (skip soy sauce/tamari if using a salty mix,) garlic, raw grated or powdered ginger, fenugreek, turmeric, coriander, chili, cumin, cinnamon, hot sauce, mustard

-Sweet: honey, orange juice, sweet chutney

Mix it all up with a bit of water until you get the consistency you like. (add slowly and taste as you go!)

Goes wonderfully with cilantro, basil, carrots, cucumber, tofu

So hungry now!
posted by prewar lemonade at 7:54 AM on May 2, 2023 [1 favorite]

Hmm I make peanut sauce frequently but don't follow a recipe. My family likes the thick creamy sweeter style peanut sauce. It's something like this.

A bunch of peanut butter (1/2 cup to 1 cup)
sesame oil 1-3 tsp
Couple cloves of Garlic (1 or 2) minced
2-3 inch ginger grated
1-2 tsp curry powder
Maple syrup a couple glugs (to taste)
1/2 to 1 whole can coconut milk
A bit of soy sauce or coconut aminos
Lime juice (1/2 to 1 whole lime)

Put it all in a pan, heat and mix, let simmer very low heat until the oil comes out.

Add water or more coconut milk to the texture you want. Adjust seasonings/sweetener at this point.

I like to add chili paste (the bright red vinegary type) at the end or let people add it on their own.
posted by CleverClover at 8:29 AM on May 2, 2023 [3 favorites]

Ok after searching the internet I found a recipe that is pretty close to the ingredients I use. I sometimes use red curry and some times a yellow curry powder and sometimes both. I don't ise the blender though. Just a pan on the stove.

Also I swear by the fact that cooking peanut sauce until the oil comes out then mixing it back in makes a huge difference. It's more restaurant style that way.
posted by CleverClover at 8:33 AM on May 2, 2023 [2 favorites]

Mark Bittman's recipe is my guideline.The Minimalist's Cold Noodles with Peanut Sauce. Combine:
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon grated or minced fresh ginger (optional)
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
3 drops of hot sauce
ground black pepper
top with chopped scallions

I use brown sugar for a little extra depth, apple cider vinegar is delicious and a fine alternative, Guchugaru Korean red pepper flakes work well, and you can adapt it as much as you like.

I love it on rice noodles with sliced cucumbers and lime wedges on the side, but I'd probably eat cardboard with peanut sauce.

Thanks, I think I'll make some today.
posted by theora55 at 8:40 AM on May 2, 2023 [10 favorites]

My fam likes the sweet sriracha peanut lime sauce described to go with fried tempeh at the post punk kitchen.
posted by SaltySalticid at 8:53 AM on May 2, 2023 [2 favorites]

I really like this peanut sauce from The Woks of Life. I usually add the lime juice and chili oil in the "optional ingredients" section, along with 2 tsp brown sugar (because I like it a little sweeter than the base recipe).
posted by darchildre at 9:24 AM on May 2, 2023

I like the Oh She Glows peanut sauce bowl (author has bad political views though, so linking to third party recipe). It tends toward tart.
posted by Paper rabies at 10:02 AM on May 2, 2023

From Gena Hamshaw's Power Plates:
1/4 Cup Smooth Peanut Butter 60g
1 1/2 Tablespoons Tamari
2 Teaspoons Agave Nectar or Maple Syrup
1 Tablespoon Rice Vinegar
1 Teaspoon Toasted Sesame Oil
1 Clove Garlic, minced or finely grated
2 Teaspoons Ginger, minced or finely grated
3 Tablespoons Hot Water

The recipe it's listed with is warm tofu chop salad.

P.S. I checked this book out from the library and the recipes were so good that I ended up buying it
posted by Eyelash at 11:33 AM on May 2, 2023 [1 favorite]

2-3 tbps peanut butter whisked into a can of coconut milk is pretty delicious and open to adding garlic/chiles/etc. to it.
posted by mmascolino at 1:55 PM on May 2, 2023

Things that I think are often missing from standardish recipes:

Tamarind paste or reconstituted dried tamarind
Coconut milk (with fat!)
Red curry paste -- fried to release the flavor -- it's like teargas in the kitchen but so good
Fish sauce

So if you see a recipe with all the standard parts + these, then I think it will be a step above.
posted by jclarkin at 5:50 AM on May 4, 2023