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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.
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
- 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).
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.
- 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
For a vegan version, substitute agave nectar or maple syrup for the honey (the flavor will change).
Feel free to substitute almond butter, cashew butter, or any other nut butter as you see fit. Just know the flavor will change.
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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: 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).
- 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.
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.
This was great! Thank you!
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
Super, super delicious. I also add a ~tsp of fish sauce and a squeeze of sriracha as well. Great recipe!
I’m so glad you liked it Sarah! -Meggan
It came out perfect.
I make this for may salad and it’s amazing! I love it, it’s easy and is my new go to recipe.
I’m so happy you love it, Jennifer! – Meggan
Made this last night for a dinner party and everyone loved it!!
So happy it was a hit, FS! Take care! – Meggan
absolutely amazing, I used PBFit instead of peanut butter and it was just as good if not better!
awesome recipe!! i make this every week for salad tofu salad wraps for lunches
Yum! Thanks for your comment, Miche! I’m happy you love it! – Meggan
Spot on for salty sweet peanutty yumminess
I’m so happy you loved it, CG! Take care! – Meggan
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.
I’m so happy you loved it, Gail! I hope your guests love it as well! – Meggan
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!
You’re welcome, Debbi! I’m so glad you loved it! – Meggan
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.
Hi CP, thanks for sharing! – Meggan
I just made this and it’s perfect! So much flavor, and in all the right proportions. Thanks for sharing!
You’re welcome, Beth! I’m glad you loved it! – Meggan
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. :)
Thank you so much for your comment, Jodi! I’m dream about this dressing, too! I’m glad you loved it! – Meggan
Yum delicious salad sauce, maybe a touch too much rice vinegar for me but still so good
Hi Angel, so glad you loved it! You can always reduce the rice vinegar, and add more to taste! Take care! – Meggan
Yum! Perfect as is…I wouldn’t change a thing :)
I’m glad you loved it, Jen! – Meggan
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
You’re so welcome, Nancy! I’m glad you loved it! 😊 – Meggan
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!!
I’m so glad you love it, Malki! Take care! – Meggan
Brilliant flavors and so easy to make. My new go to for Thai peanut dressing
I’m so glad you loved it, Marianne! Take care! – Meggan
OMG!!!! The BEST peanut dressing everrrrrrr! I want to DRINK it it’s so good! ❤️❤️❤️
Same! I’m so glad you love it, Lisa! Take care! – Meggan
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!
Hi Cherie, thank you so much for the lovely comment! I’m glad you and your daughter loved it! – Meggan
Can you freeze it to keep longer?
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
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!
So glad you loved it, Amy! – Meggan
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!!!
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
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.
You’re so welcome! It’s so frustrating when products get discontinued. I’m so happy to be able to help! Take care! – Meggan
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
Glad you loved it, Kim! Take care! – Meggan
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!
Thanks Elisa, so glad you liked it! – Meggan
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!
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
Super yummy!
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).
My new go to sauce/marinade
The ultimate!!!!
Amazing! I cut the honey in half because I tend to like stuff more tart. Now I’m eating my salad like an animal.
100 % Delicious. Better than any Thai Restaurant! Thank you and I am sharing this! Happy Holidays !
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!
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?
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
This turned out really well. I used a birds eye chili pepper in place of the red chili flakes.
This was fantastic !
Well done! I just made this and it was amazing. The more lime I added the more I loved it.
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)!
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!!
Thank you so much! I’m glad it was easy and tasty for you! :D -Meggan
This was perfect absolutely delicious – I’ve tried other recipes didn’t work. Looking forward to checking other recipes! :-)
How is the ginger prepared before adding to the bowl?
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
Just made this for a chicken and broccoli slaw. Absolutely fantastic!
Looks DELICIOUS!!! Will make it toon. How much dressing does it make?
Thank you Geri! It makes 1 cup (8 servings, 2 tablespoons each). I hope you love it! -Meggan
How can can the sauce last for once made ?
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!
Great dressing !! Yummy
I love peanut sauce on chicken satay.
Really really really like this on grilled chicken…great suggestion!