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Give Me Some Sauce Tuesday or Thai Peanut Sauce

Thai Peanut Sauce is perfect on everything, including a spoon! Made with coconut milk and peanut butter and a few extras, you will find yourself making this all the time!
Thai Peanut Sauce

Years ago when my kids were wee ones, I discovered peanut sauce. Or maybe it was they discovered peanut butter and then I discovered peanut sauce. I’m not a big fan of peanut butter though I do get cravings now and then, particularly when I’m sick. Go figure. When I’m down and out I like peanut butter spread lightly on toast, (preferably Pepperidge Farm or challah) and then lots of Smucker’s strawberry preserves on top. Plus, my sandwich wouldn’t be the same without a tall glass of ice cold chocolate Nestle’s Quik to drink. Yes, I still keep it on hand for those sick occasions. But generally I’m not a peanut craving kind of person.

So many years ago before satay came and went-well I guess it is still here, but it isn’t everywhere- I started making peanut sauce to go over grilled chicken. I served it with coconut rice and microwave pappadums and grilled pineapple at numerous summer dinner parties and most likely made key lime pie for dessert. Now I don’t have numerous dinner parties, but back then people probably were getting tired of my peanut sauced chicken. I can tell you they loved it; and they thought it was so gourmet. Whatever that means.

Well, now years later I can’t find that recipe and I had to make a new one. It is good. And everyone still loves my peanut sauce, best that I can tell. It is rich and creamy and thick. It doesn’t drip, but it does cling. (Boy for a minute I thought we were talking panty hose, but not many wear those anymore.) This sauce has a mellow coconut taste with a follow up of heat. It isn’t too sweet but you can adjust that to your liking. Peanut sauce works well with chicken or seafood and is great for dunking veggies like green beans and carrots and cauliflower and peppers and pea pods. Yes, it is a perfect party sauce.

Thai Peanut Sauce
It is easy and quick to prepare, though you do need a few critical ingredients. Once you have those, (they keep awhile in the fridge and pantry), you’ll be able to make this at the drop of a hat. I also buy frozen onion parathas from the Asian grocery that are great tossed on the grill with the chicken. It’s hard to beat grilled bread and it helps to soak up extra peanut sauce, if you must. Just make sure your grill isn’t higher than medium and oil it well enough so the parathas don’t stick. Let them puff up on one side and then flip to let the other side puff. They are so good! Today I used my leftovers and spread peanut sauce on a cooked paratha. Then I took leftover grilled chicken and some raw cabbage shreds and made a great quesadilla. Just giving you a few ideas…

I also make coconut rice to serve with the grilled chicken breasts. I try to marinate the breasts if I have time. After they are cooked, I score them and then slather on the peanut sauce. Even if the peanut sauce is at room temperature, the heat from the chicken warms the peanut sauce and makes it nice and creamy. When cooking the rice I first saute 2 T of onion and then add the rice and saute that a few minutes. Then I add water and 1/4 c of coconut milk per 2 cups of liquid and a good pinch of salt to cook the rice. This makes great coconut rice.

A perfectly easy sauce = equals one perfect summer meal!

 

Thai peanut Sauce
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Thai Peanut Sauce

Thai Peanut Sauce or Give Me Some Sauce Tuesday

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  • Author: Abbe Odenwalder
  • Cook Time: 15 Minutes
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 2 cups 1x
  • Category: Sauce
  • Method: Stove Top
  • Cuisine: Thai

Description

Thai Peanut Sauce is perfect just on a spoon! However it tastes great on chicken or seafood or really…anything!


Ingredients

Scale

1 T canola or peanut oil

2 cloves chopped garlic

1 heaping Tablespoon of Thai Kitchen red chili paste

1 can minus 1/4 c coconut milk (use the 1/4 c in your rice)

1/2 c peanut butter (I used chunky)

1 T hoisin sauce

1 t red chili garlic sauce

1 T soy sauce

12 T brown sugar


Instructions

Heat oil  over medium heat and saute the garlic. Stir in red chili paste and let that cook while stirring every few minutes.

Add coconut milk and whisk to remove lumps of chili paste. Stir in peanut butter and whisk that, too.

Add hoisin, soy, red chili garlic sauce and brown sugar to taste. Let cook on low a few minutes to blend the flavors. This will keep at room temperature while you’re cooking your meal of choice. Slather on immediately when taking your choice of protein off the grill. This will help the sauce melt in.


Notes

My marinade for Peanut chicken: (this was enough for 4 boneless, skinless breasts)
1 T soy
1 t red chili
1 garlic clove minced
1 T mirin wine
1 T brown sugar
1 t red chili paste

Mix together and let marinate as long as you can!

 

Thai Peanut Sauce

 

A Few Others To Try:
Royal Thai Cashew Chicken
Cantonese Steamed Chicken
Pad Thai

 

Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

Donalyn @ The Creekside Cook

Friday 21st of June 2013

I love peanut sauce - it is such a versatile sauce, good on SO many things! Yours looks wonderful.

Abbe Odenwalder

Friday 21st of June 2013

Thanks Donalyn. You are absolutely right!

shannon @ a periodic table

Friday 21st of June 2013

gotta love peanut sauce for making everything more exciting to eat (veggies included!) i'm bookmarking this, because when we go on vacation, we like to make things like this to throw on quick dinners; no time to cook when we're busy relaxing. :)

Abbe Odenwalder

Friday 21st of June 2013

Thanks Shannon. It is quick and perfect for vacations becuse it is not only a sauce but makes a great dip, too!

Denise Browning@From Brazil To You

Friday 21st of June 2013

"A perfectly easy sauce = equals one perfect summer meal!"-- I so agree with that! Both the sauce and marinate recipes look beyond tempting.

Abbe Odenwalder

Friday 21st of June 2013

Denise, you are very sweet!

Laura Dembowski

Thursday 20th of June 2013

I crave pb all the time. I have had pb sauce a couple of times and always wanted to make it at home, now I have a recipe to try!

Abbe Odenwalder

Friday 21st of June 2013

Go for it Laura. It does not disappoint!

Paula @ Vintage Kitchen Notes

Thursday 20th of June 2013

I never made peanut sauce and it has been in my list for years and years! I should just get down to business. This is a spicy good recipe Abbe! What I can´t seem to find is the coconut in the rice directions...

Abbe Odenwalder

Thursday 20th of June 2013

Oh Paula. Glad you caught me. Not chicken broth-1/4 coconut milk goes into the liquid for the rice. And if you can stir in some grated coconut at the end if you want. I will correct!