The BEST Chinese Peanut Sauce - Recipe Diaries (2024)

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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.

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  • 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.

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  • Creamy White Chicken Chili
  • Weight Watchers Spaghetti Pie

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

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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.

What is the difference between satay sauce and 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).

Which Chinese sauce is best? ›

THE ESSENTIAL CHINESE SAUCES THAT WILL TRANSFORM YOUR COOKING
  • Char Siu Sauce. ...
  • Teriyaki Sauce. ...
  • Chu Hou Paste. ...
  • Black Bean Garlic Sauce. ...
  • Plum Sauce. ...
  • Soy Bean Sauce. ...
  • Black Pepper Sauce.
May 18, 2021

What sauce do Chinese restaurants use? ›

In this blog post, we'll explore some of the most popular types of Chinese sauces, including soy sauce, hoisin sauce, oyster sauce, and more. From sweet and tangy to rich and savory, Chinese sauces are a crucial component of many dishes, and can completely transform the taste of a meal.

What is the mother sauce of Chinese? ›

While Doubanjiang can be considered the "mother sauce" of Sichuan cuisine, there are some prominent flavors in modern Sichuan cooking that are often referenced as sauces but are composed of other ingredients and sauces during cooking. These include: Yuxiang (魚香)

Why is peanut sauce healthy? ›

Nutritionally, studies have found that eating peanuts or peanut butter has been associated with a reduced risk of cancer, heart disease and diabetes. They're also an inexpensive protein and healthy fat source. This peanut sauce has a nice kick to it with the Sriracha, which is a chili sauce.

What tastes good with peanut sauce? ›

Cucumbers: Slice a cucumber into spears or chips, and you'll have an excellent dipping vegetable for peanut sauce. Cucumbers are often featured in Asian cooking because they offer a cool complement to a spicy sauce. Carrots: Carrots are delicious when combined with thick sauces.

How to make peanut sauce less salty? ›

Acid: Adding vinegar or lemon juice does a great job of balancing saltiness. Sweetness: You can also add a dash of honey or sugar. Opposites attract here and create balance. Fat: Another fix is adding some fat, a few pads or butter or a healthy glug of olive oil can absorb some of that saltiness.

What culture uses peanut sauce? ›

One of the main characteristics of Indonesian cuisine is the wide applications of bumbu kacang (peanut sauce) in many Indonesian signature dishes, such as satay, gado-gado, karedok, ketoprak, rujak and pecel, or Chinese-influenced dishes such as siomay.

Is peanut sauce an American thing? ›

It's popular in Indonesian and Thai cooking and is often added to meats or vegetables or served over noodles. Peanut sauce is also sometimes used as a salad dressing or a dipping sauce.

What oil do Chinese restaurants use? ›

Chinese cooks normally use soybean oil, vegetable oil, or peanut oil, all of which have a high smoke point. Peanut oil usually has a pleasant nutty flavor and is suitable not only for stir-frying but also for deep-frying. Canola oil, which has a high smoke point but a neutral flavor, is also a good choice.

What is the best Chinese dish to order? ›

The 10 Most Popular Dishes in China
  • Kung Pao Chicken.
  • Sweet and Sour Pork.
  • Peking Roast Duck.
  • Mapo Tofu.
  • Chow Mein.
  • Chinese Hot Pot.
  • Spring Rolls.
  • Wonton Soup.
Dec 15, 2021

Which oil is best for Chinese cooking? ›

cooking methods are common in Asian cuisines, peanut oil is a popular choice. color, neutral flavor, and is generally used for cooking. Toasted sesame seed oil has a darker color, a stronger aroma, and a distinctively nutty flavor. It's most often used as a seasoning or condiment.

What is the most popular Chinese sauce? ›

Soy sauce (jiàng yóu, 酱油), the most common of Chinese sauces, sounds simple, and for the most part, it is. However, there are many types, each unique to different Asian cuisines (Chinese, Japanese, Thai, etc.).

What is the black Chinese sauce called? ›

A condiment called black bean paste, black bean sauce (豆豉醬), or black bean garlic sauce (蒜蓉豆豉酱), Tochidjan (豆豉醬), prepared from douchi, garlic, and soy sauce, is popular in Chinese cuisine.

Which vinegar is best for Chinese cooking? ›

White Rice Vinegar (白米醋 báimǐcù)

It's made from fermented rice, and ranges from clear to pale yellow in color. White rice vinegar is usually used for making Chinese pickles (跳水泡菜 tiàoshuǐ pàocài) because its clear color doesn't affect the food. It's also often used in Cantonese-style sweet and sour dishes.

What is the brown sauce in Chinese food called? ›

There is no specific 'brown sauce' in Chinese cooking. There are many sauces used… some have a brown color. Oyster sauce is brown, as Sha Cha sauce (Chinese style Satay Sauce), and Hoisin Sauce, to name a couple of famous types.

Which Chinese sauce is sweet? ›

Oyster sauce is far thicker, and far sweeter. Made using oysters, soy sauce, and sugar, the mixture is thickened with starch, so that it attains a sort of viscous, ketchup-like consistency (but with a far different flavor than ketchup).

What is the red Chinese sauce called? ›

Sweet and Sour Sauce is as easy as bringing a few ingredients including pineapple juice, brown sugar, and soy sauce to a boil before adding a cornstarch slurry to the mixture to thicken it. The classic red color from sweet and sour sauce comes from red food coloring (which is completely optional).

What sauce gives Chinese food its flavor? ›

Soy Sauce (Light and Dark)

Although most Western supermarkets carry the condiment labeled "soy sauce," there are actually many types of soy sauce used in China and Japan, generally divided into light and dark varieties. Light soy sauce is thinner and saltier than dark.

What thickens Chinese sauce? ›

Cornstarch! In his book How to Cook Everything Vegetarian, Mark Bittman recommends mixing 1-2 tablespoons of cornstarch with the same amount of water, and tossing this into the stir fry just when it's almost done. It thickens in seconds, picking up the flavors of everything already in the dish and coating evenly.

What is the secret Chinese seasoning? ›

Method. Grind the cinnamon, fennel seeds, star anise, cloves and Sichuan pepper in a mortar and pestle or spice grinder until you have a fine powder. Add the ginger powder and mix thoroughly. The spice powder can be stored in an air tight jar for 3 months or so.

What are the ingredients in peanut bar china specialty? ›

Ingredients: Peanuts,glucose and sugar.

What is peanut butter sauce made of? ›

Steps to Make It

Combine 1/2 cup smooth no-stir peanut butter, 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, 2 tablespoons corn syrup, and 1/4 cup light brown sugar in a small saucepan. Heat over low heat, stirring, until smooth and the ingredients are well incorporated—about 4 minutes.

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.

Does Chinese satay sauce have peanuts? ›

The prominent ingredient of a Satay Sauce is peanuts, alongside soy sauce, salt, garlic, coconut, chilli, onion and lemon are added for a fragrant taste. Is satay sauce the same as peanut sauce? Yes, Satay sauce can also be known as Peanut Sauce, Bumbu Kacang or Sambal Kacang.

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