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.
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
Ingredient notes
- Peanut butter: To make homemade peanut butter:
- Add 4 cups roasted peanuts to a high-powered blender or food processor. Pulse the peanuts until they are finely chopped.
- Process or blend on a low speed for 1 minute continuously, then stop the machine and scrape down the sides. The peanut butter will be dry and gritty.
- Process or blend on a low speed a second time for 1 minute continuously, then stop the machine and scrape down sides. The peanut butter will start to form a clumpy paste.
- Process or blend on a low speed a third time for 1 minute continuously, then stop the machine and scrape down sides. The peanut butter will be thick and grainy at this point.
- Process or blend on a medium speed fourth time for 1 to 2 minutes longer. The peanut butter should be creamy, smooth, and warm.
- Rice vinegar: Or substitute apple cider vinegar.
- Honey: For a vegan version, substitute agave nectar or maple syrup (the flavor will change).
Step-by-step 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 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.
- Storage: Store covered in the refrigerator and use within 4 days.
- 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.
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Thai Peanut Dressing
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter (see note 1)
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar (see note 2)
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons honey (see note 3)
- 2 tablespoons lime juice (from 1 lime)
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger minced
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
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
- Peanut butter: To make homemade peanut butter, add 4 cups roasted peanuts to a high-powered blender or food processor. Pulse the peanuts until they are finely chopped. Process or blend on a low speed for 1 minute continuously, then stop the machine and scrape down the sides. The peanut butter will be dry and gritty. Process or blend on a low speed a second time for 1 minute continuously, then stop the machine and scrape down sides. The peanut butter will start to form a clumpy paste. Process or blend on a low speed a third time for 1 minute continuously, then stop the machine and scrape down sides. The peanut butter will be thick and grainy at this point. Process or blend on a medium speed fourth time for 1 to 2 minutes longer. The peanut butter should be creamy, smooth, and warm.
- Rice vinegar: Or substitute apple cider vinegar.
- Honey: For a vegan version, substitute agave nectar or maple syrup (the flavor will change).
- Yield: This recipe makes 1 cup dressing, enough for 8 servings (2 tablespoons each). 1 recipe of dressing will dress 8-10 cups salad.
- Storage: Store covered in the refrigerator and use within 4 days.
- 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.
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!
Thanks for the comment Lainey! I’m so glad you love the recipe. – Meggan
It took me 15 minutes to make! It is delicious!
Thanks Joan! – Meggan
Very tasty. Nice lactose free alternative for my nightly salads. I reduced the vinegar to two tablespoons and it was perfect for me.
Stars!!! I forgot the stars!!!! Sorry
Done now…..😳
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!
Thank you Annemarie, so glad you love it! – Meggan
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.
That variation sounds great Aviva! Glad you liked it! -Meggan
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!
Thank you, Farmgal! So glad you all enjoyed! -Meggan