The “Liquid Gold” Secret Sauce My Family Has Been Putting on Everything for 40 Years (Just 3 Ingredients!)

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In Thai cuisine, sauce reigns supreme. We’re all about bold flavors, and thanks to the countless flavorful sauces, each bite is guaranteed to be exceptional. There’s nam prik pao, a sweet-salty-spicy-sour Thai chili condiment that maximizes the flavor of practically anything it touches, and prik nam pla, a fish sauce-focused sauce that’s packed with umami flavor. And then there’s my personal favorite: peanut satay sauce.

While it’s typically reserved for pork and chicken satay skewers, satay dipping sauce is actually great for boosting the flavor of everything. We’re talking about proteins of all kinds — salads, sandwiches, and even vegetables (both roasted and raw). While there are a variety of ways to make a peanut satay sauce (depending on where you’re from regionally in Thailand), my family’s way is super streamlined and only takes three ingredients (one of which is a leftover can of curry paste!) and a few minutes before you’ve entered saucy, peanutty heaven. It’s my go-to secret sauce in the kitchen for making everything taste better (especially when I don’t feel like cooking elaborate meals!).

I mean, what isn’t great about this sauce?! If you’ve ever had the pleasure of snacking on some chicken satay skewers with its dipping sauce, then you know what all of the hype is about. Peanut satay sauce is creamy, peanutty, salty, and full of flavor. Traditionally, it’s made with roasted ground peanuts, coconut milk, a few tablespoons of red curry paste, tamarind, fish sauce and sugar. But my family takes a shortcut by using peanut butter and the leftover bits of a can of Maesri Masaman curry paste (the best kind), which already contains tamarind to make this quick and easy satay sauce. 

Masaman curry is jam-packed with flavor. It’s filled with spices like cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, and star anise as well as chili peppers, lemongrass, galangal, tamarind, garlic, shallots, and more. It’s a one-and-done flavor enhancer that, in addition to making an excellent curry, lends itself well to stir-frying and flavoring dips and sauces like this one!

Although you don’t have to strategically game out your peanut satay sauce-making, I like to restock my fridge with it right after I make masaman curry. I use about 3/4 of a 4-ounce can of Maesri Masaman Curry Paste whenever I’m making a serving for myself, so I reserve that last fourth to make this peanut satay sauce (which equates to about 2 tablespoons). Here’s how I make it.

1. Combine ingredients in a pot. Stir together 2 tablespoons Masaman curry paste, 3/4 cup coconut milk, and 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. 
2. Cook until thickened. Stir constantly until the mixture begins to come to a low bubble, about two minutes. Then reduce heat to low and simmer for a few more minutes until it has thickened. Once it’s done heating, feel free to add salt and sugar to taste, but the flavors are plenty potent (and delicious) on their own.

Once the sauce is made, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about a week. But trust me, it won’t last that long.

What would you add this peanut satay sauce to?

Buy: Maesri Masaman Curry Paste, $2.79 for 4 ounces