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You’re 5 minutes from a big batch of homemade Nuoc Cham. This lively Vietnamese dipping sauce and dressing is incredible tossed with noodles, in meat marinades, as a dipping sauce for spring rolls, and more.
Although I focus mostly on Midwestern recipes here at Culinary Hill, I adore exploring the world through global cuisine. Along the way, I’ve fallen in love with Nuoc Cham (nuk-juhm or nước chấm). A spoonful offers my taste bud a trip to Vietnam! Since it’s so flavorful and takes just 5 minutes to make a bit batch of homemade Nuoc Cham, it has grown to become one of my favorite refrigerator staples. It now has its reserved place right next to the Barbecue Sauce, Tahini, Mustard, Harissa, and ketchup.
So what is Nuoc Cham, exactly? It’s a classic dipping sauce and dressing used in Vietnamese cuisine that brightens everything it touches, giving recipes an irresistible salty tang. This mixture of water, sugar, lime juice, and fish sauce offers a brilliant balance of sour, sweet, spicy, savory, and salty flavors.
As far as how to put this sassy Nuoc Cham to great use, it’s the backbone of many Vietnamese dishes, so watch for it on ingredient lists.
It’s also a MVP dip for other Vietnamese foods like bánh xèo, summer rolls, and Spring Rolls. Try it drizzled over salads, whether they’re made entirely of vegetables or have a foundation of rice noodles (bún). Use Nuoc Cham as a marinade for proteins like beef or pork for dishes (Korean bulgogi, kalbi, and Korean barbecue entrees often feature Nuoc Cham marinades). Or pour a spoonful or two over a platter of raw or roasted sliced peppers and cucumbers, or toss with shredded carrots as a garnish for a protein or noodle bowl. Any and all the ways, you’re just 5 minutes away from a fresh jar of Nuoc Cham that’s destined to become one of your new culinary BFFs.
Table of Contents
Recipe 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.
Ingredient notes
- Fish sauce: Fish sauce (nước mắm or nuoc mam) is a funky and powerful condiment used in Vietnamese and Thai cooking. It’s made from fish that are packed in salt and left to ferment for up to two years before the sauce is bottled. Fish sauce is typically used to dress dishes that include unsalted ingredients like lettuce, herbs and rice; ingredients that benefit from an extra flavor lift. Any well stocked grocery or Asian market will have fish sauce, but what brand do you look for? Make sure it’s a clear, amber color when you hold it up to the light. Anything that looks murky, is dark brown, or has sediment is likely not so good. I use Three Crabs brand or Red Boat.
- Lime juice: Or substitute 1 tablespoon rice vinegar or white vinegar for the 2 tablespoons lime juice. The flavor will change, but it’s still delicious.
- Chili garlic sauce: A little goes a long way with this tangy, spicy, and aromatic condiment. Think of it like sriracha’s sharper, chunkier cousin. While sriracha formulas include some sugar to balance the heat, chili garlic sauce is sugar-free and contains visible chili seeds and diced garlic. It’s thinner than chili paste but thicker than drizzly sriracha. Look for chili garlic sauce in jars in the condiment aisle. Huy Fong and Lee Kum Kee are two brands that I trust.
Step by step instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together hot water and sugar until the sugar dissolves. Stir in garlic, fish sauce, lime juice, and chili garlic sauce.
2. Serve with Vietnamese Spring Rolls or your other favorite appetizers.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: My homemade Nuoc Cham recipe makes 2 cups, or 8 servings of dipping sauce, 2 tablespoons each.
- Storage: Keep Nuoc Cham in an airtight container, such as a mason jar, in the fridge.
- No chili garlic paste: If you cannot track down this condiment, add heat with thai chili. Thai chiles are sold at well-stocked grocery stores or Asian markets. They are small, often red, and hot!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Feel free to replace the fish sauce with lemony soy sauce, such as Kikkoman Ponzu Citrus, or opt for vegetarian fish sauce, which is made with seaweed instead of actual fish.
Feel free to add a little (or a lot) to any recipe that you’d like an extra dose of tanginess and heat. Toss it with sautéed chicken, tofu, or shrimp, or add a scoop to your favorite stir-fry, pho, Thai noodle, or ramen recipe for a kick. Or drizzle chili garlic sauce over roasted vegetables (chili garlic Brussels sprouts are out of this world!). Chili garlic chicken wings are my latest obsession.
Yes, the flavor will change but it’s still delicious. Or substitute rice vinegar or white vinegar.
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Nuoc Cham
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup warm water
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoon fish sauce or more to taste
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (see note 1)
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together warm water and sugar until the sugar is dissolved. Stir in garlic, fish sauce, lime juice, and chili garlic sauce.
Notes
- Fish sauce: Fish sauce is a funky and powerful condiment used in Vietnamese and Thai cooking. Make sure it’s a clear, amber color when you hold it up to the light. Anything that looks murky, is dark brown, or has sediment is likely not so good. I use Three Crabs brand or Red Boat.
- Lime juice: Or substitute 1 tablespoon rice vinegar or white vinegar for the 2 tablespoons lime juice. The flavor will change, but it’s still delicious.
- Chili garlic sauce: A little goes a long way with this tangy, spicy, and aromatic condiment. Think of it like sriracha’s sharper, chunkier cousin. While sriracha formulas include some sugar to balance the heat, chili garlic sauce is sugar-free and contains visible chili seeds and diced garlic. It’s thinner than chili paste but thicker than drizzly sriracha. Look for chili garlic sauce in jars in the condiment aisle. Huy Fong and Lee Kum Kee are two brands that I trust.
- Yield: My homemade Nuoc Cham recipe makes 2 cups, or 8 servings of dipping sauce, 2 tablespoons each.
- Storage: Keep Nuoc Cham in an airtight container, such as a mason jar, in the fridge.
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
My family calls this ‘secret sauce’ because of how good it is and how mindblowingly easy it is to make. We love making Vietnamese spring rolls at home and this sauce is also good on rice noodle salads…..
Hi there! So happy to hear your family loves this sauce! Thank you – Meggan