I am not exaggerating when I tell you that this sauce is magical. When asked about my favorite recipe in my cookbook “Beef It Up!” it is arguably the best beef pad Thai. It’s easy, healthy, and full of rich flavors, largely due to this Pad Thai Sauce.
What is Pad Thai Sauce?
Pad Thai sauce is a classic Asian sauce from Thailand. It’s used in traditional pad Thai, a dish that consists of rice noodles, eggs, vegetables, and often tofu, all tossed with this sauce.
Pad Thai sauce has layers of flavor from sweet brown sugar, umami-laden soy sauce and fish sauce, acidic vinegar, and nutty creamy peanut butter. While it’s a winner in any pad Thai recipe, it can also be used to jazz up proteins, vegetables, soups, and salads.
Gather These Items
All of these simple ingredients are easy to keep stocked in your kitchen so you can whip up this quick sauce any time!
- Low-Sodium Chicken Broth – The broth is the base of the sauce that gives it rich flavor. If you’re cooking for vegetarians or vegans, you can replace the chicken broth with vegetable broth.
- Light Brown Sugar – Authentic pad Thai recipes may call for palm sugar. Since that can be hard to find sometimes, we use brown sugar to give the sauce its sweet taste.
- Rice Wine Vinegar – Rice vinegar balances the sweet and savory flavors in the sauce with its acidity. If you don’t have this variety handy, you can substitute white wine vinegar, red wine vinegar, or apple cider vinegar.
- Fish Sauce – This condiment is a staple in Asian cuisine and packs a punch of umami flavor.
- Creamy Peanut Butter – Peanut butter gives the sauce its signature nutty flavor. Using creamy peanut butter makes it easier to blend.
- Low-Sodium Soy Sauce – Using low-sodium soy sauce makes it easier to control the saltiness of the sauce. If you’re trying to avoid wheat, be sure to look for a gluten-free variety.
- Fresh Lime Juice – Citrus gives the sauce a bit of brightness. You can also serve the sauce with lime wedges.
Make It!
In just a few quick, simple steps you can have this sauce ready to be served. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a condiment that requires less prep time!
- Add ingredients to blender. Add all of the ingredients to the bowl of a food processor or blender.
- Blend until smooth. Pulse until all ingredients are well combined and the sauce is silky smooth.
- Serve or store. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator or freezer until ready to use.
5S Philosophy 👩🏻
- Salt – Because chicken broth and soy sauce already have a high salt content, I choose to use the low sodium option for both. That way, you can always add more salt if you choose.
- Seasonings – Give the sauce some herbaceous flavor with a sprinkle of chopped fresh cilantro. Incorporate tamarind paste into the sauce to give the sauce some tangy flavor.
- Swaps – Add sriracha, chili flakes, or chopped chiles to give it some heat. Drizzle in some honey for a little bit of extra sweet flavor. Instead of light brown sugar, give the sauce a richer sweetness with dark brown sugar.
- Senses – When making this sauce and adding to your favorite thai dishes, you will instantly be transported to your favorite Thai restaurant with the aromas and flavors you will experience.
Perfect Pairings
In our house, there are few savory foods we won’t put pad Thai sauce on! I love to serve it as a dipping sauce for veggies like broccoli and broccolini or for vegetable spring rolls, crab rangoons, or dumplings.
It’s also a great addition to any stir-fry (we love a good shrimp stir-fry) or coconut soup — or enjoy it drizzled over Thai chicken pizza. You can also use it to liven up nearly any protein from grilled shrimp and salmon to baked chicken, tofu, and pork.
Storage and Freezing
Since this sauce stores so well, you can make plenty and keep it in the fridge or freezer for when you need it. Make this simple sauce ahead of time, then use it to dress up your meals all week long.
How to Store
Place the sauce in an airtight container or tightly sealed jar and refrigerate for up to 1 week.
Can I Freeze Pad Thai Sauce?
Place the sauce in a freezer-safe container, silicone ice cube tray, or a resealable freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
Quick Q&A
Pad Thai sauce is a combination of peanut butter, sugar, fish sauce, soy sauce, and vinegar in a broth base. Tamarind is another ingredient that’s frequently incorporated and often citrus like lime is added, too.
Pad Thai sauce is not typically a spicy sauce. However, you can add a spicy kick by incorporating sriracha, cayenne pepper powder, or chili flakes.
Pad Thai does not always have soy sauce. Some recipes use oyster sauce while others incorporate soy.
More Asian-Inspired Sauces
A good sauce is a great way to elevate almost any dish. Here are a few of our favorite Asian Inspired Sauces that we know you’ll love.
Pad Thai Sauce Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
- 1/3 cup fish sauce
- 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Instructions
- Combine the broth, brown sugar, rice wine vinegar, fish sauce, peanut butter, soy sauce and lime juice in a small food processor. Blend until smooth.
- Use as a dipping sauce, on salad or toss in your favorite stir fry.
- If you’ve tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings.
Notes
Nutrition
Great recipe! Easy to make and was delicious with my chicken stir-fry.
This pad Thai was perfect! We mixed it up for dinner this week and it was so yummy! Thank you!
Beautiful sauce! Have always enjoyed it but never knew how to make it at home so thanks for breaking it down so simply!
This easy and delicious pad Thai sauce will come in handy at my house. It has great flavors and is versatile. Its the perfect addition to my condiment repertoire.
Wow! this is my new favorite recipe!
This tasted absolutely delicious. I can’t wait to make it again.
I have not made the main dish yet, but this sauce was EASY. And quick to put together. I used the suggestions of Coconut Milk (3 TBSP) and fresh cilantro. Tastes wonderful !! This is going into the regular rotation. Thanks Jessica 🙂
Awesome! That is what we love to hear and glad you came back to let us know!
Easy and delicious!