Best Peanut Sauce

I would have given this recipe 4 stars as is, but it was 5 stars once we tweaked it a bit. The ratios were a bit off for our tastes. There is too much peanut butter for the amount of other ingredients, so...either add less PB or more of everything else. We just added more of the other ingredients to taste. Extra vinegar and brown sugar (which we used in place of white sugar) was the perfect touch here, as it helps take the place of hoisin sauce. My husband used to cook in a high-end restaurant and was skeptical about a hoisin-free peanut sauce, but was very surprised with how good this turned out with our modifications. A few sesame seeds and some green onion on top and it was perfect. (We had it with chicken satay.)

So fast and easy to make. A bit bland, but perks up in an instant: Skip the Hot Pepper sauce and add Hot Chili Oil (more authentic taste), a teaspoon of Seasame (or Peanut) oil, and add a bit more garlic. I've made this a few times, and prefer crunchy peanut butter over smooth for the base.

I found this a little bland as written, - but VERY easy. I changed it a little and added 3/4 tsp Tabasco, 1 tsp minced garlic, 2 tsp Sesame Chili Hot Oil, 2 Tbls rice wine vinegar and 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, and I found it absolutely outstanding! Killer, in fact. I just put everything in the blender and it became smooth and creamy in an instant!

I am a Chinese and do lots of Chinese cooking at home. This recipe reminds me how my mom makes her peanut sauce. The only difference is she also puts a little vinegar. So I followed the recipe plus a teaspoon of vinegar and poured the sauce over stir fried fish. It tasted like my mom's cooking!

I am in the Philippines and had some of the locally made peanut butter at home, as well as the dregs of a container of chunky store-bought peanut butter. I used both to come up with my 1/2 cup, and heated up the water to get the rest of the peanut butter out of the container. Since the peanut butter I have is pretty sweet I skipped the sugar. I didn't have hot sauce, so I substituted 1/2-1 tsp. of cayanne pepper instead. I am a fan of garlic, so I used two cloves and added 1 tsp. powdered ginger and 1 1/2 Tbls. lemon juice. It was all very easy to put together and the previous reviews made it simple to personalize. The only thing that would have made it any better is if the seal hadn't given out on the food processor attachment to my blender! My hard-to-please Filipino hosts loved it.

Good stuff! Goes great with pork satay. I used coconut milk instead of water. I also added a little apple cider vinegar, a sprinkle of curry powder and the juice of half a lime. This makes the taste a little more complex than just PB and soy sauce.

Um, I don't have kids, but my girlfriend likes it! :) Remember to mince up that garlic really well if you like a smooth sauce. I used natural peanut butter. No hydrodgenated oil, yummy! (Hydrodgenated oil is not natural and it is very bad for you!)

This is a great recipe. I also added minced ginger and substituted 3 Tbs Chili Pepper Sauce for the Hot Sauce (Chili Pepper Sauce is full of flavor, but not fiery)

It appears that many others have beat me to rating this recipe, but nevertheless, I have to agree with most, it's the easiest and, simply put, it's just plain good! I was struggling to find a quick Thai peanut sauce, and Joan came right to the rescue. Many thanks Joan!!!!

Thanks Joan for this great recipe. I made this to go with some rice noodles. I bought a box of pad thai from Costco and the little sauce packet that comes with it tastes horrible!! I was desperately searching for something to replace it with and came across this recipe. I did have to add a little more water to get the consistency I wanted and skipped on the hot sauce in case my daughter wanted some. Next time I may crush some peanuts to sprinkle on top. Really, really good. Thanks again.

Delicious. :D It tasted like really good quality dry-roasted peanuts, which are one of my fav snacks anyhow. I added quite a bit more water to get a thinner consistancy, upped the tabasco to taste, and used 'Just Peanuts' all natural peanut butter. I had it on ramen with red bell pepper, chicken, green onion and crushed peanuts. Thanks.

I made this sauce because I ran out of the store brand I usually use. It turned out pretty good. I used brown sugar instead of white and a little bit less peanut better. The sauce tasted better the next day. You need to give it time for the flavours to mix.

Really good. Tastes nearly authentic. I used a TSP of brown sugar instead of white sugar, 2 tsp of pre-minced garlic, and added a 1/4 tsp of ground ginger to perk of the flavor. My husband and three year old both called it yummy.

This is a really good base recipe but I made a few changes that made this much more flavourful. Chicken stock instead of water, 1 and 1/2 times the soy sauce and garlic, and add a tablespoon of white vinegar.

Needs lots of addittions as is its too peanutty really needs vinegar and seasonings

I added 1/4 tsp ginger and halved the water for a thicker sauce. I served it to my kids with sticky rice made into balls which they dipped into the sauce. They loved it! Definitely a kids' favourite.

This was good. The only change I will make next time is only one tablespoon of soya sauce.

My husband who frequents Thailand loves the Chicken Satay. He thinks this sauce is better than he has had in Thailand.

I have made this a few times. It is wonderful. Sometimes I add teriyaki sauce instead of soy. Or brown sugar instead of white, a dash of sesame seed oil a time or two. I usually double the recipe because my family loves it so much. Today I added a few tablespoons of vanilla full cream yogurt and some pineapple juice. It went great with my stir fried noodles and my pork sate kabobs.This is a keeper

I made this as a dipping sauce to go with chicken satays and this tasted great and was so easy to put together! Picky husband even really enjoyed it. I added just a little extra hot sauce to give it a some extra kick. I'll definitely be using this again. Thanks!

I chose this recipe because I didn't want to make a sauce with both PB and coconut milk. Easy, simple and good but I felt it was missing something. Vinegar, maybe?

This recipe was very good. Anyone who loves peanut butter would love this recipe. Also very easy to make.

This sauce was quick and easy to make, and tasty, too!

This was terrific - super easy, very tasty. Used brown sugar instead and used cayenne and a little rice vinegar. Even my son loved this!

I made some Thai inspired chicken and used this for dipping sauce. It was really good. I can find all kinds of dishes to use this for, just make sure you blend it really well. If you don't want it chunky, use creamy peanut butter instead.

Maybe it was my brand of peanut butter, but I didn't care for this recipe. It was too salty and thick.

This is hands down the WORST peanut sauce I've ever had. And I've had a TON. Thank goodness I tasted it beforehand or it would have ruined my whole meal.Followed the recipie to the letter and it tasted like a mix of sweet peanut butter and cornstarch. Big waste of ingredients in my opinon

I've tried lots of peanut sauce recipes, and this one beats them all! I took a few suggestions from the other reviews and it turned out great!- I used 1 tbsp. less of soy sauce, added curry powder, garlic powder instead of fresh garlic, and used natural crunchy peanut butter instead of the regular kind (so I can say it's healthier!). Also added some peanut oil - for a less runny version, use less water or a bit more peanut butter.

You could add some additional things to this sauce, but I made exactly per the recipe with only one exception - I used red pepper flakes (1/2 tsp.) instead of pepper sauce and it was fantastic with chicken satay. The whole family loved it.

I like this recipe because it provides a great jumping off point. You can add a little of this and a little of that to suit your tastebuds. Me, I like ginger and coconut milk. Have fun with it.

This is a nice base to start with but the peanut butter is really over powering to the other ingredients. So I would suggest maybe adding more of the other ingredients to suite your personal taste. I did not add the hot pepper sauce because I wasn’t going for a spicy peanut sauce. It is really personal preference, but this is a simple sauce you can cater to your family’s taste buds.

At the very last minute, I was looking for something to jazz up some chicken and broccoli. This was wonderful, and don't be afraid to modify! I used less PB, brown sugar instead of white, a smidgen of balsamic vinegar, a little powdered ginger and some crushed red pepper flakes. Next time I would add more garlic, maybe some lime juice. Fun to play with. I would think you could make a batch ahead and stick it in the frig for next time. We served ours over thin spaghetti. Really good.

This was good and easy. I added fresh minced ginger and rice vinegar to meet my taste. I'd make it again.

I tweaked the recipe just a little & it was awesome! Peanut butter-soy sauce-brown sugar-vanilla yogurt (made it tangy!)-Thai sweet chili sauce-a little water....yum! Added to noodles-grilled chicken & veggies.

This sauce is simple to make with full flavor. I just pour it over a breast of chicken and bake. Serve with rice and veggies and it is a quick, tasty, easy meal.

My roommate liked this, I didn't, Im gonna try it again.

Very nice. Excellent consistency and flavor. I omitted the hot sauce and used fresh garlic. Added 5-6 fresh diced basil leaves. Gourmet without question. Cooked seasoned chicken on top of stove in olive oil, removed it, stirred in sauce, added bite sized chicken and simmered for about 5 min.

This was not very good at all. Just tasted like peanut butter. I tried doctoring it up with more soy and hot sauce but it was no good - I ended up throwing the whole batch out.

Excellent. I made chicken satay and this was perfect. I'll be making it again soon!

So easy, and tastes exactly like I hoped. I added much more pepper sauce though.

I followed the recipe except that I used 1/4 cup of water. I like my sauce on the thick side and if I used 1/2 cup it might have been to watery for me. What a great quick and simple recipe. As far as too much soy sauce I added a tiny bit more because I couldn't taste any. Yummy!!!

Quick, easy, and tastes great! I boiled top romen noodles (did not add the seasoning that comes with), drained the noodles, and then added this sauce. Yum!

This sauce was OK. It was very easy to make and was a nice change from the regular store brought peanut sauce. I did think that the recipe should call for a bit more hot pepper sauce, but other wise...very tasty.

Used for a fondue dipping sauce. Nice taste, could use to be a bit thicker. Recommend adding cornstarch. Second time: made again for Chicken Satay and it complemented it nicely. Didn't have a problem with the thickness this time, not sure why, maybe because I added the water little by little this time? Added a few dashes of crushed red pepper flakes, otherwise made as is. Has a little bit of a funny taste by itself, but complemented the satay nicely.

"Quick 'n' dirty" -- without making a mess. As a student who cooks for myself, my own version of this is one of my staples for flavoring chicken. If you want an easy peanut sauce, it doesn't get easier than this. As a note, I prefer not to add water but instead to add the paste to my skillet when cooking strips cut from chicken breasts.

very good

Tasty, VERY easy recipe! Husband loved it! I didn't have crunchy pntbtr on hand so I chopped some roasted pnts and threw them in. Added a tiny splash of vinegar like another reviewer. Also added toasted sesame seeds (approx 1t) and sesame oil - about 1/2t. Next time I'll try it with some finely chopped green pepper and carrots sprinkled on top. Served it on noodles w/shrimp... very tasty!

Add oyster sauce, and sesame oil and sirachi hot sauce. Also increase all ingredients except pb.

This is a great simple recipe. I did add extra hot sauce, but my fiance loved it, and he is sooo picky about thai food!! I will use this again!

This was my first attempt at peanut sauce, and it was great with the addition (a must imo) of about 1 or so tsp. of finely minced ginger. Delicious and versatile, easy to tweak to your specs for spicy heat. I will use this as my basic recipe. Thanks!

I followed other reviewers' advice and added more ingredients to spice it up (lots more garlic and hot pepper sauce), but unfortunately my entire family still found this way too bland. Even my younger daughter, who normally doesn't particularly like spicy food, found the need to add a lot of salt. I might try this again, but will probably add some chopped/minced chile peppers or crushed red pepper or something.

I wouldnt say best...it was ok lacking something not sure what though, just wasnt the peanut sauce im used too

I used the basic premise of this recipe and went from there. I actually found a spicy peanut butter which had great spices. My husband loves this stuff.

This was very easy. I liked it, but it seemed to be missing something. I will probably make this again.

love this, use it all the time!

I have only tried this recipe- it has the easiest ingredients! I have made this twice- both times adding a splash of rice vinegar and this time adding crushed ginger. It ALWAYS fakes me out- mixed in the bowl it looks horrible and then- Wa-la it turns into a great peanut sauce! Very filling- I always eat about 1/2 of the portion I served myself! Very yummy

Easy- great with stir-fried cabbage.

Easy! Delicious! I didn't have hot sauce, so I just added Chili Powder and it was awesome!

I would really give this recipe 4-1/2 stars. An excellent and easy sauce to make. As per other reviewers opinions, it was a little bland as is, but just by adding a splash of vinegar and a few drops of sesame oil this recipe went from a zero to a hero!

This recipe is MUCH better if you substitute teriyaki sauce for the soy sauce, and also add fresh ginger to taste. I also omitted the sugar. Try it!

I LOVE peanut sauce, and this was not good.

Very good but added vinegar and red pepper flakes...yum!

This was very good.Next time, I will add a little more hot pepper sauce (I like the "kick")and will use creamy peanut butter. Thanks for a great recipe!

Regarding the other reviews I add couple other ingrediance 1 table spoon winegar 1 teaspoon minced ginger and I heat the sauce till it becomes nice and thick delish!

Very, very good. Made it as directed and served with Chicken Satay (submitted by Keira) which I also recommend.

Forget the water and use cocomut milk instead. add sesame oil, lime juice and cilantro. Skip the sugar.

if you put a little more soy sauce and lemon juice it tastes soooo much better

Yuck, this tasted like spicy peanut butter. We didn't like it at all

Easy, basic peanut sauce! Added a dash of ginger, garlic powder and chili powder... and of course, the essential cilantro. DELICIOUS! Thank you!

This is very easy, but tastes too much like peanut butter. I would probably make it again, but add more soy sauce and less of the peanut butter.

Delicious with satay. VERY fast and easy. Good for South Beach Diet - just use natural peanut butter and Splenda instead of sugar.

This was okay. It suited the purpose. I should have used brand name peanut butter. Next time I think I will put more red pepper flakes. I served over thin spaghetti.

Adding rice vinegar and frech ginger were key! I used it as a marinade for grilled chicken.

This recipe was delicious! The first time I tried it I mixed it in a frying pan over low heat and added a bit more of everything. It went great with chicken and broccoli over rice. Yum!

Good. I tweaked it some. Skipped the soy, And hot pepper sauce. added hot chili oil, a tad more garlic and about half a can of coconut milk...smooth and creamy. Good base but need tweaking... Also added some toasted sesame seeds.

Quick and easy. Use one of those hand-blenders and this is a snap

I think it needs more sugar.

I wish I'd read the reviews first...simple sauce but too much peanut butter with a lack of balance of the other ingredients. I tweaked it as I went, but didn't read about the vinegar until afterward. I added vinegar to the remaining sauce and it made a Huge difference. I'll make again but with modifications.

It was very easy and quick, we put it in a blender which made it much easier.

I used brown sugar and added 1 tsp Louisiana hot sauce, 1 tsp tobacco sauce, 1 tsp white vinegar, 1/4 tsp of crushed red pepper, and 1/4 cup crushed peanuts. Just right!

This was ok but mostly tasted like straight peanut butter. I added quite a bit of hot sauce and red pepper flakes to give it more flavour.

I had to microwave it for about 30 seconds, and then let it sit for a few minutes so it had time to thicken. Great flavor.

Easy and tasty!

I have to give this recipe only 3 stars because while it was very tasty and easy to make, it was WAY too salty. Either cut the amount of soy sauce in half, or use the full amount but buy reduced sodium. Otherwise, the sauce was very tasty! I also used coconut milk instead of water to thin it.

Simple, quick and delish. A must to make with chicken satay. Everyone raved about the sauce and ate it by the spoonfuls! You could put it on anything!

Joan, thank you very much for this simple and tasteful recipe. I just found out that I have gout and peanuts and peanut products are one of the safest ways for me to get the protein I need. I remember having an African dish once very long ago which was made with peanut butter and then another time where I had an Asian dish made with the same. I thought I was going to be slaving over a stove and lots of pots and pans for hours when I decided that I wanted to make a peanut sauce for some pasta. Not only was this sauce simple to make, only took 5 min and tasted great I also only used one bowl. Thank you again.

This was great! I used creamy peanut butter, and instead of plain water, used the boiling pasta water to thin the sauce. It could have been a little thinner, but that was my fault not the recipe. I added a few extra dashes of "Rooster sauce" because mama likes it SPICY! Really great flavor, can't wait to use this on grilled chicken this summer!

Loved it! made it with creamy...

Was o.k. but,I think I'll keep looking.

I love this peanut sauce. It's so easy. I've used it many times as a sauce with fondue. It's awesome if you fondue a piece of chicken, a piece of onion, and a piece of brocolli, then dip it in this sauce. I have also made stir fry with chicken and various veggies including broccoli, then stirred this in as the sauce at the end. My husband and I love it. Then we eat it with rice and top it with chopped peanuts. Yum!

this recipe does not taste anything like the peanut dipping sauce at thai resturants. it might make a good marinade, but it tastes awful by itself. the soy sauce is overpowering!

I paired this with the chicken satay recipe from this site. It was awesome. Thanks

This was pretty good. I replaced the hot pepper sauce with chili oil and used fish sauce in place of the soy. It was nice and fiery and perfect with chicken satay.

Very good. And simple! I didn't have any hot sauce so I used chilli powder like someone suggested and used powdered garlic instead of a clove. Turned out great. At first I thought 1/2 cup of water wasn't enough because I saw the sauce being kinda of thick so I added some more water but then regretted it..sauce taste better thick. But I don't mind at all, this sauce was so easy to make, I can make it again in 2 minutes!

This recipe was a good base but kind of bland without additions. I added about half a teaspoon each of ground ginger, cayenne pepper and red pepper flakes and it turned out great! The ginger gave it a little extra flavor and the cayenne gave it a hint of spice!

Very good, but try it with soy butter rather than peanut butter and plain yoghurt rather than water. YUMMY!

This was good, but it seemed to taste a little "too" peanutty, so I added a couple of dashes red pepper flakes and some ground ginger, and that really made the taste incredible. My only gripe is that the sauce gets really thick as it cools, but the taste is there! :)

This was alright and it fit the bill for what I needed, but it really needed a lot more flavor and some heat. I started with the hot pepper sauce and tripled it, but then added some cayenne as well because it was rather bland without it. Even with all the water added, it still was pretty thick and you need to add more if you want it to drizzle rather than glop when topping foods with it. A decent base to start with, but not the best. Thanks, this worked out for my meal.

I subbed honey and garlic powder because I had them on hand, and I added a shake of ground ginger. It was awesome. Totally made my crockpot rice and chicken edible, and reminded me of my favorite Thai place's satay sauce. It got a thumbs up from three kids and one very picky husband. I will be making this all the time.