The next time you’re grilling chicken satay, think spicy with your peanut sauce. Sriracha’s sweet and garlicky heat provides a little oomph to the toasty peanut flavor. Or thin this spicy peanut sauce to create a tasty Asian salad dressing. Add a little lime (optional) to provide a tropical fruity tang. It works very well with the smooth nutty flavor and Sriracha’s spiciness.
🌶️ Quick recipe snapshot
| Flavor profile | Nutty and savory, with garlic, a little sweetness and a gentle tang from the Sriracha and toasted sesame in the background. |
| Primary heat source | 1 tablespoon of Sriracha. 1,000 to 2,500 SHU. |
| Heat level | Mild. Add more Sriracha a teaspoon at a time for more kick. |
| Texture | Smooth and spoonable. More hot water turns it into a pourable dressing. |
| Best uses | Chicken satay, noodles, spring rolls, or thinned as a salad dressing. |
| Customization ideas | Honey for sweetness, grated ginger or garlic, chunky peanut butter, or coconut milk in place of some water. |
| Before you start | About 5 minutes, a bowl and a fork or small whisk. No cooking. |
Flavor notes
Sriracha sits around 1,000 to 2,500 Scoville heat units, and a tablespoon spread through half a cup of peanut butter keeps this sauce mild, so you’ll notice a gentle warmth while the peanut flavor stays in front. If you want it hotter, add more a teaspoon at a time and taste as you go.
Sriracha brings more than heat, too. Its main ingredients are chili, garlic, sugar and vinegar, so one spoonful seasons the sauce with a little sweetness and tang along with the spice. And that’s why such a short ingredient list doesn’t need much help.
Add the hot water slowly. A small splash can make peanut butter stiffer before it loosens, so don’t worry if it tightens up at first. Keep stirring in water a tablespoon at a time until the sauce is smooth and falls off a spoon.
Soy sauce adds saltiness and depth, and toasted sesame oil brings a roasted, nutty note that goes well with the peanuts. Taste before you add any salt. Between the soy sauce and most store-bought peanut butter, it often won’t need any.
The lime juice is optional, but a teaspoon brightens the sauce and keeps the peanut butter from tasting heavy. But if you’re thinning it into a dressing, use a little more, since a sharper tang works well on greens.
Adaptation ideas
These keep the same base and change the flavor or the texture.
- Want more heat? Add more Sriracha a teaspoon at a time, or a pinch of crushed red pepper.
- Want it sweeter? Stir in a teaspoon of honey or brown sugar.
- Want more aromatics? Add a small grated garlic clove, or a little grated ginger for a sharp, peppery bite.
- Want it chunkier? Use chunky peanut butter, or scatter chopped roasted peanuts over the top.
- Want it richer? Swap some of the hot water for coconut milk for a creamier, satay-style sauce.
Serving ideas
Use it as a dip, a sauce or a dressing.
- With chicken satay. Grilled skewers dipped straight into the bowl.
- With noodles. Tossed through rice noodles or soba, loosened with a little extra hot water.
- With spring rolls. Fresh or fried, as a dipping sauce.
- On salads. Thinned with water and lime and spooned over shredded cabbage, carrots and cucumber.
Storage notes
Keep leftovers covered in the fridge for up to a week. The sauce thickens as it chills, so let it stand for a few minutes and stir in a little warm water to loosen it before you serve it.
For a crowd or a week of lunches, double or triple the batch. Mix the water in gradually and add the Sriracha last, so you can stop as soon as the heat is where you want it.
Like this recipe? You’ll love these too:
- Chicken Satay With Peanut Sauce And Spicy Cucumber Relish: Grilled chicken skewers with a serrano peanut sauce made from whole roasted peanuts and coconut milk.
- Hoisin Peanut Sauce: A sweeter peanut sauce with hoisin, coconut milk, rice vinegar and a little Sriracha.
- Sriracha Lime Sauce: A thin, bright sauce of Sriracha, lime juice and olive oil.
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Sriracha Peanut Sauce
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
- 1/4 cup hot water plus more to thin
- 1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce plus more to taste
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon lime juice optional
- salt to taste
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, stir the hot water into the peanut butter a tablespoon at a time. It can get stiffer before it loosens, so keep stirring and adding water until the sauce is smooth and spoonable.
- Stir in the Sriracha, soy sauce, sesame oil and lime juice, if using.
- Taste, then add salt only if it needs it, since the soy sauce is already salty. Add more Sriracha for more heat, or more hot water for a thinner sauce.
