The BEST Chinese Peanut Sauce - Recipe Diaries (2024)

Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

Chinese peanut sauce is a delicious sauce made of peanut butter and soy sauce. You can use it as a marinade or even make a pan sauce with it for cooking chicken.

The BEST Chinese Peanut Sauce - Recipe Diaries (1)

For other Asian-inspired respires please try Asian Marinated Pork Tenderloin, Hibachi Yum Yum Sauce, Blackstone Hibachi Chicken and Vegetables, or Beef Stir Fry.

Jump to:
  • Why You Will Love This Recipe
  • Ingredients Needed
  • How to make Peanut Sauce
  • Tips for Chinese Peanut Sauce
  • Recipe FAQs
  • Other recipes you might like
  • Chinese Peanut Sauce

Why You Will Love This Recipe

This recipe only uses 4 ingredients and it can be used in many different dishes. See some options below!

Peanut Sauce with chicken only takes less than 20 minutes to make!

I usually cook up some rice or noodles to serve with the peanut chicken.

Ingredients Needed

The BEST Chinese Peanut Sauce - Recipe Diaries (2)

Peanut butter - Use good peanut butter that is just ground-up peanuts and no other ingredients added to it. Costco’s Kirland’s brand is really good for this.Can always sub PB2 to make it lower points.

For the peanut butter, I prefer brands like Jiff or Skippy and it can be crunchy or creamy. If you have a peanut allergy, almond butter is ok to use as well. You might need to adjust the amount of water you add into the sauce first to ¼ cup.Use real peanut butter too, please. It tastes better than PB2 for this dish.

Water - already in your house!

Soy sauce - Use a Low Sodium or if you don’t have that on hand go for Tamari or Coconut Amino Acids. To make this sauce gluten-free sub Coconut Aminos or tamari instead of soy sauce.

Sugar - Regular granulated sugar, I do not use sugar substitutes in any of my recipes but if you know the conversions feel free to do so

See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

How to make Peanut Sauce

Step 1: Whisk the peanut butter, water, soy sauce, and sugar, in a small bowl or measuring cup until well combined. Set aside.

The BEST Chinese Peanut Sauce - Recipe Diaries (3)

Step 2: In a nonstick skillet over medium heat add the olive oil. Add the onions and garlic to the pan and cook until heated through or soft; 3 to 5 minutes. Season with crushed red pepper flakes (optional).

The BEST Chinese Peanut Sauce - Recipe Diaries (4)

Step 3: Add diced chicken to the pan and cook until the chicken is heated through. 3 to 5 minutes. The chicken is done when it is no longer pink in the middle. I usually take one chicken piece out and cut it to see if it is cooked.

Step 4: Add the peanut sauce to the pan and continue cooking for another 2 to 3 minutes until everything is heated through.

Recipe Tip: If the sauce is too thick add small amounts of water until you like the consistency.

Serve with cooked noodles.

Tips for Chinese Peanut Sauce

What can you do with peanut sauce?

This peanut sauce is a classic dipping sauce for grilled chicken skewers.

Use peanut sauce for Asian Stir Fries or for dipping.

Air fry up some chicken wings and when they're done toss them in a bowl so that they're completely covered in this peanut sauce.

You can use it for dipping those yummy spring rolls, chicken satay, stir-fry, lettuce wraps, or make thai peanut noodle salad. I made a delicious peanut chicken stir fry with noodles for this recipe.

Make these salads like Thai Quinoa Salad with Fresh Herbs, Spicy Thai Noodles, or Chopped Thai Chicken Salad.

Peanut sauce is also great for dipping with Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Nuggets.

To make the sauce smooth and creamy use a food processor, instead of whisking the sauce in a bowl.

The BEST Chinese Peanut Sauce - Recipe Diaries (6)

Recipe FAQs

What is Chinese peanut sauce made of?

This peanut sauce recipe consists of peanut butter, soy sauce, water, and sugar. That's it! No other ingredients are needed.

How long does peanut sauce last?

Peanut sauce will last in air tight container for 3 to 5 days or until it's all used up. Just make sure the lid is sealed tight so no air gets in.

Other recipes you might like

  • WW Instant Pot White Chicken Chili
  • Creamy White Chicken Chili
  • Weight Watchers Spaghetti Pie
  • Air Fryer Pumpkin Seeds

If you tried this Chinese Peanut Sauce or any other recipe on my website, please please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you! Follow along on Tiktok @jennarecipediaries

Print

The BEST Chinese Peanut Sauce - Recipe Diaries (11)

Chinese Peanut Sauce

5 Stars4 Stars3 Stars2 Stars1 Star

5 from 7 reviews

  • Author: Jenna
  • Total Time: 20 min
  • Yield: 4 to 6 1x
Print Recipe

Description

Chinese peanut sauce is a delicious sauce made of peanut butter and soy sauce. You can use it as a marinade or even make a pan sauce with it for cooking chicken.

Ingredients

Scale

Peanut Sauce:

½ cup peanut butter

½ cup water

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons sugar

Chinese Peanut Sauce Stir Fry

2 large chicken breasts, diced into cubes

2 teaspoon of olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

¼ cup onion, diced

pinch of red pepper flakes

Cooked Spaghetti Noodles for serving

2 scallions, diced (0ptional)

Instructions

Peanut Sauce: Whisk the peanut butter, water, soy sauce, and sugar, in a small bowl until well combined. Set aside.

Peanut Sauce Stir Fry: In a nonstick skillet over medium heat add the olive oil. Add the onions and garlic to the pan and cook until heated through or soft; 2 to 3 minutes. Season with crushed red pepper flakes.

Add diced chicken to the pan and cook until the chicken is heated through. 4 to 6 minutes. The chicken is done when it is no longer pink in the middle. I usually take one chicken piece out and cut it to see if it is cooked.

Add the peanut sauce to the pan and continue cooking for another 2 to 3 minutes until everything is heated through.

If the sauce is too thick add small amounts of water until you like the consistency.

Serve with cooked noodles.

Serving Size: ¾ cup of chicken with sauce

Notes

My WW Personal Points: 5 Click here to see in recipe builder (will have to log in)

If the sauce is too thick add small amounts of water until you like the consistency.

  • Prep Time: 5 min
  • Cook Time: 10 min
  • Category: Easy
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Asian

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: ¾ cup
  • Calories: 212
  • Sugar: 9g
  • Sodium: 590mg
  • Fat: 13g
  • Saturated Fat: 2g
  • Unsaturated Fat: 2g
  • Carbohydrates: 16g
  • Fiber: 1g
  • Protein: 10g
The BEST Chinese Peanut Sauce - Recipe Diaries (2024)

FAQs

What is Chinese peanut sauce made of? ›

Peanut Sauce Recipe Instructions

Add all of the ingredients (garlic, ginger, peanut butter, soy sauce, fish sauce, sesame oil) and any optional add-ins into a small bowl. Add the hot water, and stir to combine until you have a smooth sauce. Alternatively, you can make this in a food processor for a smoother texture.

Why does peanut sauce break? ›

This happens when there's too much fat or liquid in the mixture. This can happen when there are not enough emulsifiers (which help keep your ingredients together). Sauces are usually made from multiple ingredients that include both oil and water. Oils and water will naturally separate.

What to serve with peanut sauce? ›

Here are some ways you can use this creamy sauce that go beyond your standard noodle dishes or salads.
  • Dip your veggies. ...
  • Dress up some tacos or lettuce wraps. ...
  • Toss with chicken wings or “cauliflower wings” ...
  • Craft a unique and flavorful chicken burger. ...
  • Use as a base for soup or stew.
Dec 1, 2022

What is the difference between peanut satay and peanut sauce? ›

First up, semantics. Sate doesn't actually mean spicy peanut sauce, though we tend to misappropriate the term here, and other dishes have been invented that use this accompanying sauce. Sate refers instead to the skewers of meat, and many variations of it come with a different sauce, and some without any sauce at all.

Is satay sauce the same as peanut sauce? ›

Although commonly associated with Thai cuisine, peanut sauce actually originated in Indonesia (source). What Americans know as peanut sauce is more commonly referred to as satay sauce (or bumbu kacang) in Indonesia, because it's most often served with the popular Indonesian dish, satay (skewered, grilled meats).

Does peanut sauce need to be refrigerated after opening? ›

Simply keep it in a cool, dark place. Generally, an unopened bottle of peanut sauce will last about a year if it's stored correctly. While it's a good idea to keep the “use by” date in mind, it's usually just fine for a few months after that date. Once the bottle is opened, you'll need to keep it in the refrigerator.

How do you make peanut sauce less sticky? ›

Add some water or coconut milk until the desired consistency is reached. (Use less water or coconut milk if you serve the peanut sauce as a dip or use more if you serve it as a salad dressing).

How to stop peanut sauce from separating? ›

If the oil is separating from the sauce a bit (this can happen from the oil in the coconut milk and the peanut butter, but it's easy to fix!), add water a few drops at a time and whisk until it comes smoothly back together.

How healthy is peanut sauce? ›

Peanut sauce is so heavy on the calories and fat because of what it traditionally contains. The base is full-fat coconut milk, with full-fat peanut butter and ground peanuts added. The sauce may also contain brown sugar or honey, soy sauce and oil, which can raise its sugar and sodium contents.

What does peanut sauce taste like? ›

It's salty, sweet, acidic and bold — a sauce like no other. For the uninitiated, Asian peanut sauce is a puree of peanuts, soy sauce, ginger, sesame, spices and often garlic, lemongrass and lime.

What flavors go well with peanut? ›

A classic pairing like apple or banana slices and peanut butter are a safe bet and will leave your sweet tooth satisfied without any guilt. You can also think outside the box and try other fruits like strawberries, blueberries, pears, peaches, or raspberries.

What are the ingredients in peanut bar China specialty? ›

Made by Miramar Confectionary Corporation Ingredients: Peanuts,glucose and sugar.

What is peanut butter sauce made of? ›

In a medium bowl, stir together the peanut butter, lime juice, rice vinegar, sriracha, tamari, sesame oil, maple syrup, ginger, and 4 tablespoons of the water. If the sauce is too thick, add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it reaches your desired consistency.

What is Chinese satay made of? ›

This satay is made from minced pork, chicken, fish, beef, or even turtle meat, which is then mixed with grated coconut, thick coconut milk, lemon juice, shallots, and pepper. Wound around bamboo, sugar cane or lemon grass sticks, it is then grilled on charcoal.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Terence Hammes MD

Last Updated:

Views: 5969

Rating: 4.9 / 5 (49 voted)

Reviews: 80% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Terence Hammes MD

Birthday: 1992-04-11

Address: Suite 408 9446 Mercy Mews, West Roxie, CT 04904

Phone: +50312511349175

Job: Product Consulting Liaison

Hobby: Jogging, Motor sports, Nordic skating, Jigsaw puzzles, Bird watching, Nordic skating, Sculpting

Introduction: My name is Terence Hammes MD, I am a inexpensive, energetic, jolly, faithful, cheerful, proud, rich person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.