Name: The Best Peanut Sauce Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 1/4 cup peanut butter (preferably smooth); 1/4 cup orange juice (fresh squeezed); 1/4 cup mirin (or dry Sherry or sweet Marsala); 1 tablespoon soy sauce; 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar; 2 tablespoons honey; 1 tablespoon sesame oil; 1 tablespoon chili oil (more or less to suit your taste); 2 garlic cloves (grated or finely minced); 2 tablespoons fresh ginger (grated or finely minced); 1/4 cup green onion (finely chopped); 1/4 cup cilantro (finely chopped)

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Oh my! Not only is this the Best Peanut Sauce Recipe, but it is the ONLY peanut sauce recipe that you need! Ready in 5 minutes, full of complex, incredible flavor, and versatile to serve with so many things – this sauce is a crowd-pleaser, if ever there was one.

An overhead view of a jar of peanut sauce next to a cutting board with green onions and cilantro next to a white cloth.

Sure, there are plenty of peanut sauce recipes out in the world, but I stand by my claim that this is the only one you need.

It takes longer to gather up the ingredients than it does to actually make it. What’s more – there’s very little prep and no cooking at all.

Enjoy it with my Weeknight Chicken Satay Rice Bowls, or drizzle it over some lettuce wraps – either way, I guarantee this will become part of your dinner repertoire.

Let’s get into it!

Recipe Ingredients

To make this peanut sauce, you’ll need the following ingredients:

An overhead view of the ingredients required to make peanut sauce on a marble background.

Ingredient Notes & Substitutions

The ingredients to make this peanut sauce are easy to find and available at almost any grocery store or Asian market.

Here are a few ingredient notes:

Peanut butter: Use smooth or creamy peanut butter, preferably with no added sugar, if possible, and be mindful that different peanut butter can vary in thickness, so you may have to adjust the consistency of the finished sauce (details explained in the recipe below). I used Costco’s Kirkland Organic peanut butter, which is just ground peanuts. It is important to note that if you use peanut butter that has added sugars, you will need to adjust the honey in the recipe accordingly. Substitute with Sunbutter if you are accommodating allergies.
Orange juice: Use fresh squeezed orange juice, as it is important to the flavor of the sauce. The type of orange used is less important, and typically, the juice of 1 orange will do, but be mindful that the amount of juice can vary among oranges. In a pinch, substitute with store-bought orange juice.
Mirin: A tangy, but slightly sweet Japanese rice wine, mirin is a key ingredient and can be found in the Asian section of your grocery store or at any Asian market. Great substitutes for mirin are dry Sherry or sweet Marsala.
Soy sauce: Use regular soy sauce or Tamari or substitute with Liquid Aminos or Coconut Aminos. Please note that with the substitutes, you will need to taste the finished sauce and adjust the amounts of aminos to your taste, as they tend to not be as salty.
Honey: In this recipe, honey is used to round out the flavors, not to make the sauce taste sweet. If you are using peanut butter with added sugar, you may not need the honey at all. If you don’t have honey, substitute with brown sugar, white sugar, or palm sugar.
Chili oil: Used for a touch of heat, use as much as you like. Substitute with chili paste like Sambal Olek (an Indonesian chili paste that pairs perfectly here, Sriracha, or fresh chopped chili.
Garlic: Only fresh garlic will do in this recipe – no substitutes.
Ginger: Use only fresh ginger – grated or minced – but definitely fresh.

Let’s Make It Together: STEP BY STEP

Be sure to check out the full recipe details and ingredient list in the recipe card below.

Steps 1 & 2:

First, to a bowl, add the peanut butter and all wet ingredients. Then, whisk it really well until fully combined.

A glass bowl of liquid ingredients to make peanut sauce on a cutting board.

A glass bowl and whisk with peanut butter mixed with other liquid ingredients.

Steps 3 & 4:

Next, grate or finely chop the garlic cloves and ginger and add them to the sauce. Afterward, whisk the sauce well so that everything is thoroughly combined.

A glass bowl of peanut sauce with a clove of garlic being grated with a microplane zester.

A glass bowl and whisk with garlic and ginger added to peanut sauce on a cutting board.

Steps 5 & 6:

Lastly, add the chopped green onion and cilantro and whisk to combine. Taste the sauce and adjust any of the flavorings to suit your taste. If the sauce appears too thick, thin with additional orange juice or water, one tablespoon at a time, until you reach the desired consistency.

A glass bowl and whisk with chopped green onion and cilantro being added to the peanut sauce.

A glass bowl on a cutting board with the finished peanut sauce.

Chef Natalie Marble in her home kitchen.

Natalie’s Expert Tips

Different brands of peanut butter can vary in their consistency, which can lead to a thicker sauce in some instances. You can easily ‘thin’ your sauce to your desired consistency by simply adding more orange juice or water, one tablespoon at a time.
Use a peanut butter without added sugar for the best flavor. However, if you do use a peanut butter with added sugar, be sure to adjust the honey in the recipe accordingly, as the sauce should, in no way, taste sweet.
Be sure to use fresh ingredients where called for – oranges, garlic cloves, and ginger. There really are no substitutes that will replicate the flavors in this sauce.

A jar of peanut sauce next to a cutting board with orange segments, green onion, and cilantro.

Serving Suggestions

This is the perfect dipping sauce to go with my Easy Weeknight Chicken Satay.
Cravy some peanut noodles? Boil up some ramen noodles or soba noodles and add this sauce for a quick and easy dinner.
Serve this dipping sauce with fresh summer rolls.
This sauce is also a perfect accompaniment for lettuce wraps.

Storage

Store this sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week, but before serving, bring it back to room temperature.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, make this sauce up to 2 days before you plan to use it. It’s actually great to let the flavors meld a bit before using it. Bring it to room temperature before serving it.

Yes, I do this all the time, as I have a child with a peanut and tree nut allergy. Substitute Sunbutter for an easy alternative. Peanut butter tastes best, but Sunbutter makes for a great alternative.

Neither! This sauce is meant to be enjoyed at room temperature, regardless of the time of year.

I hope you love this Peanut Sauce Recipe! If you make it, be sure to leave a rating so I know how you liked it!

For more delicious sauce recipes, check these out:

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Double Lemon Vinaigrette

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The Best Cranberry Gastrique

Green Garlic Basil Vinaigrette

Nice to meet you!

I’m Natalie and I love to create seasonal and interesting elevated food for busy everyday real life! Dinner doesn’t have to be boring and I’m here to help. This is where busy meets delicious!