Thai Peanut Dressing

Meggan Hill

• Updated

4.99 from 269 votes

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This easy, delicious Thai Peanut Dressing is made from mostly pantry ingredients and is delicious on salads, grilled chicken, or for dipping your favorite appetizers.

A bowl of Thai peanut dressing.


 

Table of Contents

  1. Thai Peanut Sauce Recipe Ingredients
  2. How to Make Thai Peanut Sauce
  3. Recipe tips and variations
  4. Storage
  5. Peanut Salad Dressing Recipe

Thai Peanut Sauce Recipe Ingredients

Labeled Thai peanut dressing ingredients.

At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.

  • Peanut butter: I love Crazy Richard’s brand peanut butter because it is made with only peanuts (no added sugars or palm oil) and they support American peanut farmers, using only 100% US-grown peanuts. If you’re ambitious, you can certainly make homemade peanut butter which might be even better.
  • Rice vinegar: Or substitute apple cider vinegar.
  • Honey: For a vegan version, substitute agave nectar or maple syrup (the flavor will change).

How to Make Thai Peanut Sauce

  1. In a small bowl, whisk together peanut butter, rice vinegar, soy sauce, honey, lime juice, ginger, sesame oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes.
A bowl with ingredients for Thai peanut dressing.
  1. Season to taste with salt and pepper (I like 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper). If the dressing is too thick, thin with water, 1 teaspoon at a time.
A bowl of Thai peanut dressing.

Recipe tips and variations

  • Yield: This recipe makes 1 cup dressing, enough for 8 servings (2 tablespoons each). 1 recipe of dressing will dress 8-10 cups salad.
  • Make the dressing your own: Substitute almond butter for the peanut butter, make it creamier with a splash of coconut milk, or dial up the heat with more red chili flakes.
  • Rainbow Thai Salad: This Thai Peanut Dressing is divine on this Rainbow Thai Salad made with colorful vegetables, fresh herbs, sweet mango, and crunchy peanuts.
  • Vietnamese Spring Rolls: Thai Peanut Dressing makes the most delicious dipping sauce for Vietnamese Spring Rolls. These fresh, summery rolls have lettuce, carrots, cucumber, cellophane noodles, tofu, bean sprouts, mint, and cilantro rolled inside paper-thin rice paper.
  • How to make a vegan Thai peanut dressing: For a vegan version, substitute agave nectar or maple syrup for the honey (the flavor will change).
  • Can I use a different nut butter instead of peanut butter: Feel free to substitute almond butter, cashew butter, or any other nut butter as you see fit. Just know the flavor will change.
  • More homemade sauces: For more Asian-inspired sauces, discover my easy homemade Teriyaki glaze, Vietnamese Nuoc Cham, or Ginger Sauce.

Storage

Store covered in the refrigerator and use within 4 days.

Put your dressing to work

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A bowl of Thai peanut dressing.

Peanut Salad Dressing

By Meggan Hill
This easy, delicious Thai Peanut Dressing is made from mostly pantry ingredients and is delicious on salads, grilled chicken, or for dipping your favorite appetizers.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 8 servings (2 tbsp each)
Course Pantry, Salad
Cuisine Asian, Thai
Calories 74
4.99 from 269 votes
ReviewPrint

Ingredients 

Instructions 

  • In a small bowl, whisk together peanut butter, rice vinegar, soy sauce, honey, lime juice, ginger, sesame oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Season to taste with salt and pepper (I like 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper). If the dressing is too thick, thin with water, 1 teaspoon at a time.

Recipe Video

Notes

  1. Peanut butter: I love Crazy Richard’s brand peanut butter because it is made with only peanuts (no added sugars or palm oil) and they support American peanut farmers, using only 100% US-grown peanuts. If you’re ambitious, you can certainly make homemade peanut butter which might be even better.
  2. Rice vinegar: Or substitute apple cider vinegar.
  3. Honey: For a vegan version, substitute agave nectar or maple syrup (the flavor will change).
  4. Yield: This recipe makes 1 cup dressing, enough for 8 servings (2 tablespoons each). 1 recipe of dressing will dress 8-10 cups salad.
  5. Storage: Store covered in the refrigerator and use within 4 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 2 tbspCalories: 74kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 3gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 290mgPotassium: 77mgFiber: 1gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 20IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 7mgIron: 1mg
Did you make this recipe?Tag @culinaryhill on Instagram so we can admire your masterpiece! #culinaryhill

4.99 from 269 votes (215 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




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Comments

    1. Hi Kathryn, the sesame oil imparts a lot of flavor for this dressing. It might be fine without it, but you might have to adjust the recipe a bit. I hope you love it! – Meggan

  2. Amazing recipe!! My go to ALWAYS!! My family and I love this recipe. Thank you.5 stars

    Reply

  3. This is perfection!!! I’ve been searching for the perfect Thai dressing recipe and this is it! Thank you thank you thank you!5 stars

    Reply

  4. Nice flavor but super “thin” consistency. I wanted to use this in a stir fry I make with chicken and veggies and thought this would end up thicker.3 stars

    Reply

    1. Hi Debbie, thanks for taking the time to write. Sorry it wasn’t the consistency you were looking for. – Meggan

    2. Maybe try whisking some cornstarch and water together, and then whisk that into the dressing to make more of a stir fry sauce instead of a salad dressing?

    1. Hi Alan, yes! Another reader shared they used crunchy peanut butter so there were small crunchy pieces throughout. Take care! – Meggan

    2. Maybe try whisking some cornstarch and water together, and then whisk that into the dressing to make more of a stir fry sauce instead of a salad dressing?

  9. Just what I was looking for however I used ground ginger powder, no garlic and used cayenne pepper.
    Served with shredded red and green cabbage, cucumber, shredded carrot, chickpeas and red pepper.5 stars

    Reply

    1. Hi Cami! This recipe makes 1 cup dressing, enough for 8 servings (2 tablespoons each). 1 recipe of dressing will dress 8-10 cups salad. – Meggan

  11. I’m trying to eat more greens and this dressing will help me achieve my goal. It makes greens taste more yummy!
    Gracias!👍

    Reply

  14. Delicious!!! I added it to a red cabbage salad that had a bland dressing. It is so flavorful and made the salad a perfect 10! Thank you for sharing your tasty talent with everyone!

    Reply

    1. Hi Odalys, I’m so grateful for your comment! I do love the Thai Peanut Dressing too! It’s pretty easy but very flavorful and tasty if you like peanut butter. I swear it makes any salad way better. Thank you so much for trying it and letting me know. Take care! -Meggan

  25. This is the third peanut dressing I have made in a week, and it is my favorite. There is more vinegar than I am used to, and I like it. I added some sriracha and decreased the lime juice by half. Still acidic enough. I will make this again for company.5 stars

    Reply

    2. I’ve been searching for a great recipe for Thai peanut dressing since Trader Joe’s discontinued theirs. This is the one!! Flavors are perfectly balanced.5 stars

  26. I just made this for one of my mason jar salads and it was fantastic! This will be my go-to peanut salad dressing from now on. Thank you!5 stars

    Reply

  27. This makes a great dipping sauce but this is not the standard traditional Thai salad dressing.

    Thai salad dressing is peanut butter and coconut milk with a little soy sauce and rice vinegar.

    Reply

  28. I just made this and it’s perfect! So much flavor, and in all the right proportions. Thanks for sharing!5 stars

    Reply

  29. My entire family loved this dressing! I first made it for a deconstructed spring roll salad and it was delicious! I dreamed about it for days until I made it again. 🙂5 stars

    Reply

    1. Thank you so much for your comment, Jodi! I’m dream about this dressing, too! I’m glad you loved it! – Meggan

    1. Hi Angel, so glad you loved it! You can always reduce the rice vinegar, and add more to taste! Take care! – Meggan

  32. I’ve made 3 other peanut dressing/sauces but this is my fourth and final. Perfect ratio of the ingredients to make it really delicious for many dishes, including salads. Thank you! Nancy

    Reply

  33. Omg! In love! Delicious!! So fresh and vibrant tasting. I’ve been missing the Trader Joes Asian peanut salad dressing , and this more than makes up for it!!5 stars

    Reply

  35. OMG!!!! The BEST peanut dressing everrrrrrr! I want to DRINK it it’s so good! ❤️❤️❤️5 stars

    Reply

  36. This was amazing! I was looking for a copycat recipe to Trader Joe’s spicy peanut ginger dressing and this is it! I live on a farm, hours away from the nearest Trader Joe’s so this is perfect! Between my daughter and I, we finished the batch in two days. Its wonderful to have an alternative to traditional salad dressings. Off to making another batch after leaving this review. This recipe is sure to be a new staple in the kitchen!5 stars

    Reply

    1. Hi Cherie, thank you so much for the lovely comment! I’m glad you and your daughter loved it! – Meggan

    1. Hi Nicole, I haven’t tried to freeze this dressing, but I don’t see why you couldn’t! I would freeze it in something airtight. Take care! – Meggan

  38. Delicious!!! Although, 2 raw cloves of garlic is a bit much, so I used 1 and it was perfect.
    I recommend making a double batch!5 stars

    Reply

  39. I was scrolling down to leave a review, thinking to myself, “This is the BOMB!” Turns out, someone else just left the same review, lol. I came to your recipe after TJ’s discontinued their Spicy Thai Vinagrette Dressing (I thought my life was over that day). I tried one other recipe and it was not good. Yours, though, is amazing. I like it even better than TJ’s and that stuff was like crack. Also, I don’t cook much, so I feel really proud of myself for making this from scratch and am hopeful I’ll try cooking more tasty recipes from your site. BTW, I’m vegan and used agave instead of honey – still amazing. Thank you!!!5 stars

    Reply

    1. Hi James! Thank you so much for your comment! You’re so welcome! I’m so glad you love it as much as I do! I’m proud of you too for making something from scratch, it can be challenging so I try to make it as simple as possible. Take care! – Meggan

  40. This dressing is THE BOMB. I’ve been looking for one just like this for years, ever since Trader Joe’s discontinued their Thai-inspired noodle salad with peanut dressing. Can’t believe I’ve finally found it. I used natural-style peanut butter (peanuts and salt only, I think it was Laura Scudders. I left out the honey because I don’t like the sweetness, and I left out the red pepper flakes because….I forgot them. But it turned out absolutely delicious. Thank you so much.5 stars

    Reply

    1. You’re so welcome! It’s so frustrating when products get discontinued. I’m so happy to be able to help! Take care! – Meggan

  41. This is the best peanut sauce I have ever made, and it was so incredibly quick and easy. Perfect for chopped salads, chicken, lettuce wraps, and more. It’s. 10/10

    Reply

  42. Oh my, this is crazily YUMMY for the minimal effort needed! It’s so tasty despite me not having lime juice. Gonna get lime next time just to make this again! Woot!5 stars

    Reply

  43. Oh my, this is crazily YUMMY for the effort put in! It’s so tasty despite me not having lime juice. Gonna get lime next time just to make this again! Woot!5 stars

    Reply

  44. Delicious and forgiving. Can swap maple syrup for honey, lemon juice for lime, whatever nuts or nut butter I have on hand, and it’s always turned out delicious. Love that it calls for only 1/4 peanut butter (many recipes call for twice that), and less oil, so it’s a lower calorie option for a tasty peanut butter dressing. Thanks for a great recipe!5 stars

    Reply

  46. Very tasty. Nice lactose free alternative for my nightly salads. I reduced the vinegar to two tablespoons and it was perfect for me.4 stars

    Reply

  48. Amazing recipe. Thank you!! I use this salad as my main meal many days a week. I add an extra 1/2 teaspoon of chili flakes and use a teaspoon of dried ginger powder instead of fresh ginger because that’s what I had on hand. Again…thank you!

    Reply

  49. I love peanut butter Thai style dressing and this recipe is a keeper. We make our own peanut butter. I used techina sauce instead of sesame oil. It worked well. I added 2 teaspoons of water to thin dressing. I also used 1 tablespoon of honey instead of 2.
    The dressing was yummy.5 stars

    Reply

  50. Amazing recipe!! It was exactly the balance of flavors I was looking for! Used agave for ease of mixing in, coconut aminos, and Jiffy Natural PB. It was spot on and the perfect addition to my Asian chicken salad with rice noodles. Everyone raved about the dressing and this will definitely be on repeat. Thank you!5 stars

    Reply

  52. I LOVE this recipe. My picky family does not care for thai food, with this dressing I get my fix 🙂 Sometimes I pour a bit of coconut milk into it for a different flavour; I also use crunchy peanut butter for bits of peanuts throughout the dressing. I actually look forward to my salad lunches now – thank you!! (I also use it as veggie dip for cucumbers, carrots, etc).5 stars

    Reply

  54. Amazing! I cut the honey in half because I tend to like stuff more tart. Now I’m eating my salad like an animal.

    Reply

  56. Been making different versions of this for awhile, but we I like this one best – perfect for rice & veggies Buddha Bowl type stuff… Also great wing sauce!5 stars

    Reply

  57. Hi, in a pinch how much of a difference would be using a neutral oil and apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice) on the final flavor of the dressing? Or is omitting a better option?

    Reply

    1. Hi Gaby, I don’t think it would have a huge affect, I think the peanut butter flavor is the star here. I think it would be fine, but I haven’t made it to know for sure. Off the top of my head, changing the vinegar doesn’t sound like it would have a huge impact. But, the sesame oil does add a lot of that flavor. So it might change the flavor, but not necessarily in a bad way either. It might be awesome. I’m not sure! I’ll try it when I get a chance so I can update the post. Thanks! -Meggan

  61. I made this dressing for a chicken salad we had for dinner tonight. It was perfect … easy to make using staples I keep on hand and absolutely delicious! I’ve made a lot of Thai peanut dressings and I think this is my new favorite (and my husband’s also)!5 stars

    Reply

  62. I love how simple this is! I actually just tried to make an Thai dressing last week that required me to buy six new oils and vinegars etc and I decided against it. This is so much better and cheaper!!5 stars

    Reply

  63. This was perfect absolutely delicious – I’ve tried other recipes didn’t work.  Looking forward to checking other recipes!  🙂5 stars

    Reply

    1. Hi Claudia, the only prep that is needed is to mince it before adding it. It also works fine to use jarred ginger or ginger paste. -Meggan

    1. Thank you Geri! It makes 1 cup (8 servings, 2 tablespoons each). I hope you love it! -Meggan

    2. This had a very nice flavor, and I am making it again. I have a question: each time I got it out of the refrigerator when I made it before, the peanut butter had settled to the bottom and was not able to be blended into the remainder by shaking. The last salad was mostly covered by PB with a nice flavor. Please suggest a remedy!5 stars

    3. So sorry that happened! Your best bet would either be to pour it into a bowl (scraping the peanut butter out of the jar) and whisk it vigorously, or scrape everything into a blender or food processor to recombine. The blender sounds like a lot of work in my opinion so I think the bowl/whisk option is easier. Sorry for the hassle! Thank you! – Meggan

    1. Per official food safety rules, it’s 4 days. But if you feel comfortable keeping in the fridge for a little longer… like a week… you could totally get away with that. But officially, the CDC (and my food safety manager certification) says 4 days. Thanks!