Nuoc Cham Recipe (Vietnamese Dipping Sauce)

Name: Nuoc Cham Recipe (Vietnamese Dipping Sauce)
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 1 cup warm water; ½ cup fish sauce; 2/3 cup granulated sugar; ½ cup lime juice (freshly squeezed); 1-2 teaspoons garlic chili paste (to taste); 4 cloves garlic (minced); 1-2 Thai chilis (chopped (optional))

By: Megan•Posted: 31/07/2026 •Updated: 03/08/2026

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Prep 5

Cook 0

Total 5

Nước chấm is a staple Vietnamese condiment that can be used as a dressing, a dip or a marinade. This Vietnamese dipping sauce recipe only uses five ingredients for a bright and umami flavor explosion that instantly elevates any meal.

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Nuoc Cham Recipe (Vietnamese Dipping Sauce)

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If there’s one thing that reminds me of home, it’s this nuoc cham recipe, aka Vietnamese dipping sauce. My mom would make this sweet, salty, tangy, and garlicky sauce by the gallon, because it went with just about everything we ate. This Vietnamese dipping sauce is practically a member of our family, always on the dinner table for weeknight meals and holidays.

This Vietnamese sauce recipe is incredibly versatile and can be used on a number of Vietnamese dishes that I listed for you in the Pairing Suggestions section below. You can use it as a dipping sauce, as a dressing for salads, or as a marinade for proteins. The best part is that you can make this Vietnamese sauce with only 5 ingredients in under 5 minutes!

What is Nuoc Cham?
Ingredients
How to Make
Expert Tips
Storage Instructions
Pairing Suggestions
FAQs
Recipe

Stirring a large jar of Vietnamese dipping sauce

What is Nuoc Cham?

Nuoc cham is a classic Vietnamese dipping sauce. This recipe is made using fish sauce, water, sugar, minced garlic, lime juice, and chili paste. In Vietnamese, nuoc means “water” and cham means “to dip,” so the name literally translates to dipping sauce. It is a sweet, salty, fishy, umami flavor explosion with a subtle kick. This Vietnamese dipping sauce can be used as a dip, a dressing, or a marinade.

This sauce is the most essential condiment in Vietnamese cuisine. It is most commonly served alongside egg rolls (cha gio), spring rolls (goi cuon), and banh xeo (Vietnamese savory crepe) as a dip. It can also be served as a dressing for Vietnamese noodle salad, bun thit nuong (Vietnamese grilled pork noodles), or goi ga (Vietnamese chicken salad. Every family has their own recipe, and this was passed down to me by my mom, who grew up in Southern Vietnam. So this recipe is more bold, balanced, and not too sweet.

Looking down at a small serving jar of Vietnamese sauce.

Ingredients

You can find all the ingredients for this nuoc cham recipe at your local Asian grocery market. Full measurements and links to everything I used are in the recipe card below.

Fish Sauce: This is the base of the sauce. I highly recommend using either 1. Red Boat Fish Sauce or 2. Three Crabs Brand. Both have a delicious, robust flavor that is well-balanced.

Two bottles of popular fish sauce brands next to each.

Water: dilutes the strong fish sauce and lime juice flavors.
Granulated Sugar: adds sweetness to balance the salty and acidic flavors.
Lime Juice: brightens up the fish sauce and adds acidity. You can alternatively use lemon juice. But don’t use bottled juice.
Sambal Oelek: It adds a slight spicy, garlic-y kick to the sauce. You can either use store-bought sambal or use my sambal oelek recipe.
Garlic Cloves: add a rich, punchy aromatic flavor. For best results, let the sauce marinade for a day for the richest garlicky flavor.
Thai Chili Peppers: for extra heat.

The various ingredients for sauce recipe laid out in respective mixing bowls.

How to Make

Here are the step-by-step instructions for how to make this quick and easy nuoc cham recipe.

Mince the garlic and freshly squeeze your limes.

Mix everything until combined and the sugar thoroughly dissolves.

Mixing together a bowl of Vietnamese dipping sauce in a glass bowl with chopsticks.

Expert Tips

This is a small batch recipe. You can easily double or triple the recipe for a larger batch for meal prepping or larger events and gatherings.
Use warm water. Using warm, not boiling, water helps dissolve the sugar quicker.
Taste and adjust. If you prefer a more tart fish sauce, then you can add more lemon juice, 1 teaspoon at a time. If you want a less pungent fish sauce, then you can add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, to taste. For more sweetness, add more sugar.

Storage Instructions

You can store this nuoc cham in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Pairing Suggestions

This nuoc cham recipe is an incredibly versatile condiment! It can be used as a dip, a dressing, or a marinade for any protein of your choice.

As a dip for: Vietnamese Spring Rolls, Banh Tom (Vietnamese Shrimp and Sweet Potato Fritters), or Banh Khot (Vietnamese mini savory crepes).
As a dressing for: goi ga (Vietnamese chicken salad), Bun Thit Nuong (Vietnamese Grilled Pork Noodles), Vietnamese Pork Chops (Suon Nuong), Banh Xeo (Vietnamese Crepes), Bun Cha Gio (Vietnamese egg roll noodles), Vietnamese noodle salad, Vietnamese lemongrass chicken, or Bun Bo Nam Bo (Vietnamese beef noodle salad).
As a marinade for: Vietnamese chicken wings (grilled).

FAQs

What kind of fish sauce do I use for this Vietnamese dipping sauce recipe?

I like to use Three Crabs Fish Sauce or Red Boat fish sauce if I am feeling fancy.

What is the difference between nuoc mam and nuoc cham?

There is no difference between the two. Typically, nuoc mam refers to the plain fish sauce ingredient, whereas nuoc cham refers to this recipe. However, I’ve heard the two be used interchangeably.

Is this sauce the same as Thai Prik Nam Pla?

The ingredients for this Vietnamese sauce and prik nam pla are almost identical. However, their proportions are different, and the Vietnamese sauce uses much more sugar and water to dilute the sauce. Whereas prik nam pla also uses shallots and cilantro for a more aromatic, herbal flavor.

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