• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Recipe Diaries
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Summer
  • Recipes
  • Press
  • About
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Summer
    • Recipes
    • Press
    • About
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Dinner

    Chinese Peanut Sauce

    Published: Oct 12, 2024 · Modified: Apr 26, 2025 by Jenna · This post may contain affiliate links · 17 Comments

    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

    If you're looking for a sauce that's creamy, nutty, savory, and totally crave-worthy, this Chinese Peanut Sauce is about to become your new kitchen MVP! 🥜✨


    It’s ridiculously easy to make with just a few pantry staples, and it turns everything — from noodles to veggies to grilled chicken — into a restaurant-worthy meal at home.

    After making this sauce dozens of times, I can confidently say it’s one of the most versatile (and addictive) sauces you’ll ever whip up!

    Coated chicken with peanut sauce over noodles.

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

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

    Why You Will Love This Recipe

    • Super easy: 5 minutes and one bowl — no stove required!
    • Incredibly versatile: Drizzle it over noodles, rice bowls, wraps, salads, grilled meats — it works with everything.
    • Flavor explosion: It’s creamy, slightly sweet, a little salty, a tiny bit spicy — everything you want in one bite.
    • Customizable: You can make it thicker, thinner, spicier, or sweeter depending on how you like it.
    • Protein - You can choose the protein sources you want to make like shrimp, tofu, Easy Blackstone Chicken Breasts (Griddle Recipe), or steak!

    Ingredients Needed

    Ingredients needed for Peanut Sauce.
    • 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.

    Substitution Tips

    • Peanut-free? Use almond butter or cashew butter instead!
    • Gluten-free? Use tamari or coconut aminos instead of soy sauce.
    • Low-sugar? Skip the maple syrup or use a sugar-free sweetener like monk fruit syrup.

    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. 

    Peanut Sauce ingredients in measuring cup.

    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). 

    Onions, garlic, and oil cooking in a pan.

    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. 

    Cooked chicken, onions, and garlic in a pan.

    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. 

    Serving Suggestions for Chinese Peanut Sauce

    • Over noodles: Toss with rice noodles, lo mein, or spaghetti for quick peanut noodles.
    • As a dip: Serve with spring rolls, grilled chicken skewers, or raw veggies.
    • On salads: Drizzle over cabbage slaw, shredded carrots, and chopped herbs for a bright, fresh salad.
    • For wraps: Spread on tortillas or lettuce wraps with grilled chicken and veggies.

    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.

    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. 

    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 

    • Blackstone Chicken Wings
    • Pineapple Upside Down Pancakes Blackstone
    • Bethenny Frankels Tomato Sandwich
    • Taco John's Potato Ole Seasoning

    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

    Want to Save This Recipe?

    Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!

    Save Recipe

    By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Recipes Diaries.

    Print
    clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon

    Chinese Peanut Sauce

    5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 7 reviews
    • Author: Jenna
    • Prep Time: 5 min
    • Cook Time: 10 min
    • Total Time: 20 min
    • Yield: 4 to 6 1x
    • Category: Easy
    • Method: Stovetop
    • Cuisine: Asian
    Print Recipe
    Pin 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.


    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

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @recipediariesww on Instagram

    More Easy Dinner Recipes

    • Lobster Bisque Pasta Trader Joe's
    • Blackstone Hot Dogs
    • How to Cook Ground Beef
    • Air Fryer Chicken Cordon Bleu

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Suzette says

      August 18, 2023 at 7:14 pm

      Easy recipe I loved it and thank you

    2. Jenna says

      March 28, 2023 at 7:11 am

      Oh that's awesome to hear they both liked it! I love that sauce! Thanks!

    3. Denise says

      March 26, 2023 at 3:18 pm

      I made this last night with major anxiety because my oldest son, who has exquisite taste buds, and my husband who is fussy, I wasn't sure they would like it!! This recipe is going to be used frequently it was everything I hoped for and more! plus, they both loved it!!

    4. Rhiannon says

      December 06, 2022 at 6:54 pm

      so addicted to this recipe

    5. Jenna says

      November 27, 2022 at 10:22 am

      Try it and find out. There are other ingredients to it other than just peanut butter.

    6. Pat says

      November 27, 2022 at 9:54 am

      does this sauce actually taste like peanut butter or does it taste like peanut sauce?there is a big difference

    7. Jenna says

      June 13, 2021 at 6:22 pm

      That sounds great. Will definitely have to try that!

    « Older Comments

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

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

    Primary Sidebar

    Hey, I'm Jenna! I'm a graphic designer, photographer, and home cook from From Fargo ND. I love my Ninja Creami, Air Fryer, and Blackstone. I created this blog to share recipe tips and tricks with everyone, enjoy!

    More about me →

    Summer Recipes

    • Air Fryer Ham
    • Easter Crack
    • Peeps Cake
    • Trisha Yearwood's Country Quiche
    • Trisha Yearwood's Blueberry Pancakes
    • Cinnamon Roll Cake

    Popular Recipes

    • Air Fryer Hard Boiled Eggs
    • Smoked Sausage and Potatoes Roasted in Oven
    • Paula Deen's Crockpot Mac and Cheese
    • Tiktok Ramen with Soy Sauce and Brown Sugar
    • Weight Watchers Egg Roll in a Bowl
    • Weight Watchers Zero Point Cabbage Soup

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy

    My Other Site!

    • My other blog is Spoon and Spin and it's all about Ninja Creami recipes.

    Contact

    • Press
    • FAQ
    • Drop me a message!

    Copyright © 2022 Recipe Diaries