Vietnamese peanut sauce is the perfect pairing for Vietnamese spring rolls, chicken satay, or even as a salad dressing. The creamy umami flavored Vietnamese peanut sauce recipe is savory, filled with garlic and is finger-licking good.
Sauté garlic. Add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a small saucepan and sauté the minced garlic on medium-high heat until browned and fragrant.
Mix the sauces. Next, add the peanut butter, hoisin sauce, water, and Vietnamese dipping sauce (nuoc cham) and mix until thoroughly combined.
Add cornstarch slurry. In a small bowl, mix together 1 teaspoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water until combined. Then add the cornstarch slurry into the sauce and stir to combine. Continue cooking until the sauce is combined and thickened. Top with crushed peanuts and serve immediately. Enjoy!
Notes
Make the Vietnamese fish sauce (nuoc cham) in advance. Nuoc cham uses fresh minced garlic which will seep into the sauce and taste better over time. But you can always use freshly made Vietnamese dipping sauce as well.
Use a cornstarch slurry to thicken up the sauce. When we add the fish sauce into the mixture, it will thin out the peanut butter, cooking the cornstarch slurry into the sauce will thicken the Vietnamese peanut sauce back up.