- 3 partsHoisin sauce
- 2 partsWater
- 1 partPeanut butter
- 1/3 cup (80ml) hoisin sauce
- 2 tbsp smooth peanut butter
- 1/4 cup (60ml) water or chicken stock
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 tsp lime juice
- 1 tsp chilli sauce or sriracha, optional
- 1 tbsp crushed roasted peanuts, to finish
- Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat and fry the garlic for 1 minute until pale gold.
- Add the hoisin, peanut butter and water and whisk over low heat for 2-3 minutes until smooth and just bubbling.
- Take off the heat, stir in the lime juice, and add more water if it's too thick to dip.
- Serve warm or at room temperature with crushed peanuts and a dot of chilli sauce on top.
In Vietnam, fresh rice paper rolls (goi cuon) are dipped in tuong cham, a warm sauce of hoisin and peanut. It's the thick brown sauce with crushed peanuts on top that you get at Vietnamese restaurants alongside the rolls. It's quite different from nuoc cham, the thin fish sauce dip served with fried spring rolls.
Hoisin gives sweetness and depth, peanut butter gives body, and a little garlic fried in oil plus lime keeps it from tasting heavy. It is a cousin of our satay peanut sauce but quicker, smoother and built for dipping.
Fresh rice paper rolls, grilled pork skewers, lettuce wraps, crispy rice paper dumplings and noodle salads.
It's the dip for goi cuon fresh spring rolls, and it's also great with nem nuong pork skewers and crispy rice paper dumplings. Need rice paper tips? See our rice paper guide.
Uses this sauce
Recipes that call for this sauce. Make a batch and cook one of these.
Pairs well with
Dishes this sauce suits. These recipes make their own glaze or dressing, so you can swap this sauce in.