This Thai satay peanut sauce recipe is ultra creamy, slightly spicy, savory, sweet, and gently tangy for balance. This incredibly flavorful Thai peanut satay sauce recipe is made with coconut milk, peanut butter, red curry paste, vinegar, fish sauce, and palm sugar, and it only takes 10 minutes to make!

This Thai satay sauce is amazing as a dip for chicken satay or spring rolls, a dressing for salads and noodles, or a drizzle over any vegetable or protein; you name it.

Ingredients

You can find all the ingredients for this Thai peanut satay sauce recipe at your local grocery store. Full measurements and links to everything I used are listed in the recipe card below.

• Thai Red Curry Paste: For the best flavor, use a high-quality, flavorful Thai red curry paste like Mae-Ploy or Arroy-D red curry paste.
• Coconut Milk: For the most flavorful, creamy texture, use full-fat coconut milk.
• Creamy Peanut Butter is the base of Thai satay sauce. Make sure to use a smooth peanut butter without oil separated on top.
• Fish Sauce: adds a salty umami component.
• Palm Sugar: gently sweetens the Thai satay sauce.
• White Vinegar: adds the sour acidic component, which brightens and balances the deep savory flavors.
• Water: used to dilute the satay peanut sauce.

Substitutions and Additions

Substitutions

• Coconut cream: for an even thicker, richer texture.
• Sweetener: brown sugar, granulated sugar, or honey can substitute for palm sugar.
• Soy Sauce: an alternative to fish sauce.
• Lime juice or rice vinegar: are good alternatives to white vinegar.
• Tamarind paste: Instead of white vinegar, tamarind paste can be a tangy-sour alternative.

Additions

• Aromatics: to increase the aromatic nature of Thai satay sauce, you can add grated ginger, minced garlic, minced lemongrass or minced shallots.
• Spice: for more heat, you can add sambal or finely minced Thai chili peppers

How to Make Thai Peanut Satay Sauce

Here are the step-by-step instructions for how to make this Thai peanut satay sauce recipe.

1. In a medium pot over medium-low heat, gently warm the Thai red curry paste and coconut milk for 1-2 minutes. Then, stir in the peanut butter, fish sauce, palm sugar, white vinegar, and water. Stir until fully blended.
2. While stirring continuously, heat the peanut sauce until it’s steamy and continuously to stir until the peanut sauce reduces, thickens, and coats the back of the mixing spoon, about 5-8 minutes.

3. Let the Thai satay sauce cool down to room temperature, and enjoy!

Storage Instructions

You can store this peanut sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. You can serve it at room temperature or warm.

Reheat: Place the Thai satay sauce in a saucepan over low heat and stir until warm.

FAQ

Is satay peanut sauce spicy?

A little. The spiciness depends on the type of red curry paste that you are using. My two favorites are Arrroy-D and Mae Ploy. Arroy-D red curry paste is less spicy than Mae-Ploy red curry paste. You can also adjust the level of spiciness by dialing back the amount of red curry paste.

Why is my peanut sauce so thick?

If your peanut sauce is too thick, you can dilute it by adding one tablespoon of water at a time until you reach your desired consistency.

Why is my peanut satay sauce separating?

There are a few reasons why your Thai peanut sauce is separating. It is natural for the satay sauce to separate a little once it sets, but if it is separating too much, here are a few reasons why.

1. The Thai satay sauce may be cooked at too high a heat, breaking the peanut butter and coconut milk. Make sure to cook over medium-low heat and continually stir the sauce.
2. Use Jiff or Skippy peanut butter, and avoid natural peanut butter. The natural peanut butter already separates naturally, which will cause the peanut sauce to separate once you remove it from the heat.

Thai Peanut Satay Sauce Recipe