Pad Thai Sauce
Published May 13, 2025
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Want to make Pad Thai at home? It’s easy once you’ve made the sauce! Pad Thai Sauce is simpler than you might think – just four ingredients to contribute the key flavors of sweet, sour, and savory. Make the sauce first, and you’re just a few steps away from homemade Pad Thai.
mavee125 says: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “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!”
In the five years that I lived in Bangkok one thing that always amazed me was how fast Thai street vendors could throw together a fantastic meal. The key is having everything ready ahead of time and then cooking it on a giant wok over high heat. And the sauces are everything. So let’s get right to it! To make authentic Pad Thai Sauce, you need tamarind, fish sauce or soy sauce (or a combination), and palm sugar.
Hey There!
Already feeling intimidated about finding tamarind and palm sugar? No worries! Instead, start with my Easy Pad Thai Sauce (without tamarind) which uses pantry staples.
Once you’ve got Pad Thai Sauce in your fridge, you’re ready to make either authentic Pad Thai OR quick and easy Pad Thai.
Still with me? Let’s make this!
Ingredients for Pad Thai Sauce
- Tamarind Paste – The key ingredient in Classic Pad Thai is tamarind paste. It is sweet, tart, and nothing else tastes quite like it. Read everything you need to know about how to make tamarind paste here.
- Fish Sauce and Soy Sauce – The savory, rich flavors of fish sauce and soy sauce balance the sweetness in the sauce.
- Palm Sugar – This is the original sweetener used in Thailand. It has a sweet, caramel flavor that is more nuanced than white sugar. If you don’t have palm sugar, you can use alternative sweeteners like light brown sugar or honey, but you may need to adjust the sauce a bit as these may taste more sweet than palm. See below for more details.
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What is Palm Sugar?
Palm sugar is sugar extracted from any type of palm tree. This includes coconut palm trees as well as many other palm trees. It is a rich golden color and can be purchased in firm hard disks or softened into a paste.
Most Asian grocery stores carry a variety of palm sugars. For the best Pad Thai Sauce look for palm sugar with no added ingredients. It should say 100% palm sugar.
What is the difference between tamarind paste and tamarind concentrate?
I’m glad you asked! Tamarind paste is usually diluted with water. It’s not necessarily the consistency of paste; it can actually sometimes be quite thin (check out my tutorial on how to make tamarind paste to see why this is so variable). If you are using tamarind concentrate it tends to have a much stronger flavor. Again, the texture isn’t the most distinct difference between the two – it’s the intensity of flavor that is the big difference.
And no matter what type of tamarind you use to make Pad Thai Sauce, it’s very important that you taste the sauce and adjust. Tamarind is a fruit and just like apples, pears, and oranges, some can be very sour and some can be quite sweet. You have all of the tools in the recipe to adjust the flavor, adding more sweetness or more savory flavor (or even more lime juice to your finished Pad Thai) to make it taste the best to you.
How to Measure Palm Sugar
If your palm sugar is in firm disks, you’ll want to soften it in order to measure it. Use a sharp knife to slice off slivers of the disk. Add 1 Tablespoon water and microwave until the sugar melts or heat in a small saucepan until softened. Light brown sugar or honey have a more one-dimensional sweet flavor but can be used as a substitute.
How to Store Pad Thai Sauce
Pad Thai Sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for 3 weeks or in the freezer for up to 6 months. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight before using.
Ways to Use Pad Thai Sauce
Of course, the go-to way to use Pad Thai Sauce is in homemade Pad Thai! But if you have leftover sauce or want to use these great flavors in other ways, try one of these:
- Add it to a stir-fry with chicken and vegetables
- Toss it with seared tofu
- Whisk it into olive oil for a great salad dressing (try it on this Thai chopped salad)
- Make lettuce wraps with it
Endless possibilities, I tell ya!
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Pad Thai Sauce Recipe
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup tamarind paste (see note)
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1/4 cup grated palm sugar or light brown sugar (see note)
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat. As soon as the sauce starts to simmer and the palm sugar is completely dissolved, move the pan off the heat.
- 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.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 weeks or freeze for 6 months.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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!
My guess is that it should be fine – all of the ingredients have a very long shelf life.
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!
So happy to hear you enjoyed it!
I’m allergic to soy – can I still make a Pad Thai sauce?
Absolutely! Just use Tamari instead of the soy sauce.
Tamari is still soy, just fermented. An allergy to soy? Use coconut aminos or salted water
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.
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!
Oh that’s a great idea for a sub! Thanks so much for sharing.
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.
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!
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.
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!
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.
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!
hai I like all pad Thai item
yum!!!!