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    Home > Recipes > Thai

    Pad Thai Sauce

    Published: Feb 17, 2016 · Modified: Apr 4, 2022 · by Jess Smith · Jump to Recipe · 18 Comments · This post may contain affiliate links.

    1.7K shares
    Pad Thai Sauce in a glass jar
    homemade pad thai sauce

    homemade pad thai sauce in a glass jar

    Want to easily make authentic Pad Thai at home? All you really need is a jar of this Pad Thai sauce in your fridge and you can have fresh, amazing, easy Pad Thai any night for dinner at a fraction of the cost of takeout. (Besides, we think all the best takeout can be made at home.)

    Have you noticed that it's been quite saucy around here lately? First it was this sweet and sour goodness, then Thai peanut sauce (yum), and then tamarind paste which....well....isn't technically a sauce. But you get the idea.

    We couldn't resist going a little heavy on the sauces when it comes to Thai home cooking. All of these sauces are building blocks for so many other delicious recipes. We've currently got a refrigerator stocked with sauces and I'm giddy about all the possibilities.

    But no Thai fridge is complete unless it includes Pad Thai sauce. Just 4 ingredients and with super simple adaptations for paleo, gluten-free, and vegan / vegetarian. (See the recipe below for all the adaptations!)

    The uses for this sauce aren't limited to Pad Thai either. Use it in a stir-fry of chicken and vegetables, marinate tofu in it, whisk a spoonful with some olive oil for a ridiculously good salad dressing, dip summer rolls in it, toss it with just about anything and serve it in lettuce cups.

    Endless possibilities, I tell ya!

    Ingredients for Pad Thai Sauce

    The ingredients list here is so simple, but the key element is tamarind paste. Read everything you need to know about making tamarind paste here. We also tested this recipe using tamarind concentrate found at our local Asian grocery store or online here.

    As you can see below, the homemade tamarind paste (left) made from pressed tamarind fruit is thicker and has more texture to it than the store-bought version (right). Homemade tamarind paste has a more intense, natural flavor. However, both the homemade and store-bought made delicious Pad Thai sauce.

    Tamarind paste on a wooden table

    The rest of the sauce is just soy sauce (preferably low sodium), fish sauce and brown sugar.

    And now that you've got the sauce mastered, I bet you can guess what's coming up next...

    Homemade Pad Thai on a white plate

    Now you're ready to make authentic Pad Thai!

    More of Our Favorite Thai Dishes

    • Thai Beef Salad (Nam Tok)
    • Thai Red Curry with Chicken
    • Thai Basil Chicken (Pad Krapow Gai)
    • Thai Pomelo Salad (Yam Som O)
    • Thai Minced Chicken Salad (Laab / Larb Gai)
    • Instant Pot Thai Panang Curry
    • Thai Noodle Mason Jars with Peanut Dressing
    • Thai Crispy Rice

    Favorite Tools

    • All Clad Saucepan 
    • Ball 4-oz mason jars (set of 24) 
    Homemade Pad Thai on a white plate
    Print Recipe
    4.23 from 9 votes

    Pad Thai Sauce

    An authentic Pad Thai sauce (with gluten-free, paleo, vegetarian/vegan variations in the notes) for making Pad Thai noodles.
    Recipes makes 1.5 cups (enough for 6 servings of Pad Thai) and stores in the refrigerator for 3-4 weeks.
    Prep Time5 mins
    Cook Time5 mins
    Total Time10 mins
    Course: Sauce
    Cuisine: Thai
    Keyword: DIY Thai, homemade sauce, homemade Thai
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 99kcal
    Author: Jess Smith via Inquiring Chef
    Cost: $2.00

    Equipment

    • Saucepan

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup Tamarind paste
    • ¼ cup Water
    • ¼ cup Fish sauce
    • 1 tablespoon Low-Sodium Soy Sauce
    • ⅓ cup Brown sugar

    Instructions

    • Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat. Simmer until the brown sugar is dissolved, 2 to 3 minutes. (Do not let it reduce any further once the sugar is dissolved or it won't be the right consistency for making pad thai.)
    • IMPORTANT: At this point, you need to taste the sauce and adjust it to fit your taste. Some people like their sauce a bit more sweet, so if that's you, add a bit more sugar and simmer for another minute. If you prefer a bit more salty/umami flavor, add a bit more soy or fish sauce. You can also add a bit of lime zest if you like a more pronounced citrus flavor. With all the flavorful elements of this sauce, you'll love it the most if you adjust it suit your own unique taste preferences.
    • Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 weeks.
    • Click here to get the recipe for Authentic Pad Thai using this sauce!

    Notes

    Use the following ingredient variations for these diet preferences. Cooking instructions are the same (though palm sugar may take a few minutes extra to dissolve for paleo).
    For paleo:
    1 cup Tamarind paste
    ¼ cup Water
    ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon Fish sauce
    6 oz / 170 g Palm sugar, finely chopped
    For gluten-free variation:
    substitute tamari for soy sauce
    For vegetarian / vegan variation:
    1 cup Tamarind paste
    ¼ cup Water
    ¼ cup Soy sauce
    ⅓ cup Brown sugar

    Nutrition

    Serving: 3g | Calories: 99kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 857mg | Potassium: 174mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 7IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 1mg

    And while we're cooking away, check out these two little buddies. Hanging out...watching Sesame Street.

    Molly and Clara 21 Months

    *This post contains affiliate links*

    Related

    « How to Make Tamarind Paste
    How to Make Authentic Pad Thai »
    1.7K shares

    About Jess

    Hi! I'm Jess. I am the recipe creator and photographer behind the 900+ recipes you’ll find on Inquiring Chef. As a mom to three young kids and professional cook, my mission is to make every moment in the kitchen and around the table count. If you’re looking for easy, flavorful, family-approved recipes, you’ve come to the right place! Learn more about me here.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. lauren

      February 17, 2016 at 5:56 pm

      yum!!!!

      Reply
    2. anu bhai

      February 07, 2017 at 11:57 am

      hai I like all pad Thai item

      Reply
    3. Kate T-M

      December 20, 2017 at 12:10 pm

      What would the measurements be using the Tamarind concentrate for this recipe? I didn't think I would use a cup of that! Thanks in advance!

      Reply
      • Jess

        December 21, 2017 at 9:19 am

        Hi Kate. You're exactly right - you need to use less if using tamarind concentrate. Generally speaking, I use a 1:3 ratio, so I'd use 1/3 a cup tamarind concentrate mixed with 2/3 cup water. Definitely taste and adjust the sauce as you go. I find tamarind concentrate to vary widely in flavor / concentration, so just be flexible with the measurements as you make the sauce.

        Reply
        • Jess

          December 21, 2017 at 9:31 am

          Kate - one other thing I wanted to mention is that the texture of tamarind concentrate and tamarind paste are quite different. As you can see in the photos, the paste is quite thick, though I find the flavor to be more sweet and less sour than most commercially available tamarind concentrates. I do find tamarind concentrate to be quite tart and often very strong in taste, BUT the concentrate is often a liquid. The result is that Pad Thai Sauce made with concentrate will usually be very thin compared to that made with paste. Either way though, just taste and adjust as you go!

          Reply
    4. Ben

      September 29, 2018 at 3:01 pm

      I clearly did somthing wrong because this is so sour there is no way it is right. Are you sure i need 1 cup of paste because it is over powering!

      Reply
      • Jess

        October 27, 2018 at 4:36 pm

        Hi Ben. I'm sure you didn't do anything wrong! Taste preferences vary enormously, as does the sourness of the tamarind. Did you make the tamarind paste yourself or use a store-bought version? The tamarind you use can dramatically affect the flavor, which is why the most important step is to taste the sauce and adjust to your taste preferences. If you get a sauce that's much too sour for your preference, definitely add sugar until it reaches the balance you'd like.

        Reply
    5. mia leonard

      October 23, 2019 at 6:40 pm

      It would be beneficial to differentiate the difference in amount of tamarind paste vs. concentrate in your notes before the recipe, or perhaps to list it right in the recipe (tamarind paste 1 cup, tamarind concentrate 1/3 cup) so that people don't make the mistake of unknowingly using 1 cup of concentrate and making a very overpowering not so good sauce.

      Reply
    6. Carolyn Riddle

      December 18, 2019 at 9:09 pm

      I ran out of tamarind paste, but had some tamarind chutney on hand. It's strong so I just used a tbsp. and a smidge. Also, I like to put a little peanut butter in my pad Thai sauce. Creamy goodness!

      Reply
      • Jess

        December 19, 2019 at 8:24 am

        Oh that's a great idea for a sub! Thanks so much for sharing.

        Reply
    7. Lotte

      January 20, 2020 at 2:52 pm

      I'm allergic to soy - can I still make a Pad Thai sauce?

      Reply
      • Jess

        January 20, 2020 at 8:17 pm

        Absolutely! Just use Tamari instead of the soy sauce.

        Reply
        • Nikki

          March 29, 2020 at 12:31 pm

          Tamari is still soy, just fermented. An allergy to soy? Use coconut aminos or salted water

          Reply
          • Jess

            March 29, 2020 at 1:39 pm

            Correct - thanks Nikki. I only recommend Tamari for a gluten-free option. Those with a soy allergy will need to use another substitution like those you mention.

            Reply
    8. mavee125

      October 21, 2021 at 5:16 am

      5 stars
      This PAD THAI SAUCE is so flavorful! I used a Coconut Aminos Soy-Free Seasoning Sauce that I bought from Karman Foods, as an alternative, and the taste was absolutely delicious!

      Reply
      • Jess Smith

        October 21, 2021 at 8:09 am

        So happy to hear you enjoyed it!

        Reply
    9. Ann C.

      November 01, 2021 at 5:51 pm

      5 stars
      I have a question. I started to make this recipe, and before I could put it on the stove to simmer, I got a phone call and had to rush out of the house. I put the sauce mixture in a plastic container and placed it in the fridge hoping I could get back to it .... that was almost 3 weeks ago. Assuming that all of the ingredients in the sauce have a very long shelf life in the fridge can I still use the sauce and finish the recipe on the stove top? I used the Paleo instructions. I bought all the ingredients new, and don't want to waste them. Thanks!

      Reply
      • Jess Smith

        November 02, 2021 at 11:56 am

        My guess is that it should be fine - all of the ingredients have a very long shelf life.

        Reply

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