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One of the most popular recipes on my website is my Thai Salad with peanut dressing, and for good reason… it tastes amazing. That recipe calls for a dressing made with a combination of rice vinegar and lime juice, which I love together, but I don’t always have fresh limes on hand.
That’s why I decided to work on a different peanut dressing recipe— one that can be made with even simpler ingredients that I always have on hand. This version calls for only one acid (rice vinegar) and is a little easier to shake together, with a bold flavor you’ll love.
Mix it up for meal prep this week and you can drizzle it over salads, noodles, and bowls for a delicious pop of flavor.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Featured Review
“I loved this dressing! It is good on absolutely everything, my daughter and I have been using it nonstop!!” – Terri
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Peanut Butter. Use all-natural peanut butter that you have to stir when you first open the jar. I usually buy salted peanut butter, but unsalted will work, too.
- Rice Vinegar. This vinegar tastes less harsh than other vinegar varieties. If you need to substitute it, you might want to start with less of another type.
- Maple Syrup. I use this natural sweetener to keep the recipe vegan-friendly, but you can use honey if you prefer.
- Sriracha. This spicy addition is easy to whisk into a salad dressing. A hefty pinch of red pepper flakes could be used, instead.
- Tamari. This is a gluten-free soy sauce that adds a salty, umami flavor. If you don’t need a gluten-free option, you can use regular soy sauce.
- Garlic and Ginger. Finely grating these into the dressing adds a fresh pop of flavor.
- Toasted Sesame Oil. This adds depth of flavor, but you don’t need much! Olive oil can be used instead, if you don’t love sesame flavor.
How to Make Peanut Salad Dressing
Step 1:
Start with an 8-ounce or larger jar that has a lid. Add the peanut butter, vinegar, tamari, sriracha, sweetener, and toasted sesame oil.
Then use a microplane (affiliate link) to finely mince the garlic and ginger directly into the jar.
Step 2:
Secure the lid and shake the jar until the dressing looks smooth and emulsified. The peanut butter can tend to stick to the bottom edges, so use a spoon to scrape that area then shake again, until it looks evenly mixed.
Taste the dressing and make any adjustments, if needed. You can add an extra splash of sweetener if you prefer a sweeter flavor, or another splash of vinegar if you think it tastes too sweet. They naturally balance each other out.
Serving and Storage Tips
The dressing is ready to use right away over your favorite salad greens, noodles, proteins, and grain bowls. It will have a runny texture right away and will thicken slightly when chilled. I think it pairs particularly well with crunchy cabbage, green onions, shredded carrots, and cilantro.
Add Crispy Baked Tofu or Air Fryer Salmon for extra protein, if you like.
Store leftover dressing in the airtight jar in the fridge for up to 5 days. If it thickens too much, let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before serving, or run the jar under warm water to help it warm up faster.
Easy Peanut Dressing
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons all-natural peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons tamari (gluten-free soy sauce)
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon sriracha (optional for spice)
- 1 garlic clove , minced
- 1 inch fresh ginger , minced
Instructions
- In an 8-ounce jar or larger, add the peanut butter, vinegar, maple syrup, sesame oil, and sriracha. Use a microplane to finely mince the garlic and ginger into the jar.
- Secure the lid on the jar and shake well until the dressing is uniformly mixed. You may need to use a spoon to scrape the bottom of the jar to make sure no peanut butter gets stuck there. (Then shake again!)
- Once the dressing is smooth, it's ready to use right away. It will have a runny consistency when it's at room temperature, and will thicken slightly when chilled. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
More Recipes to Try
If you try this salad dressing recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below to let me know how you like it.
I doubled this up…it was fantastic!
I’m so glad to hear that! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review. ❤️
Yum–I used coconut aminos instead of tamari and omitted the sriracha. I mixed it with rice noodles, chicken, carrots, and cilantro. Delish! Thank you, Megan!
I used sweet chili sauce in place of the sriracha since my granddaughter doesn’t like things too spicy. It was delicious with salad and as a dipping sauce for chicken.