Easy Pad Thai Sauce (without tamarind)

sauce and wooden spoon in a small white bowl

4.18 from 17 votes

Easy Pad Thai Sauce (without tamarind)

A few pantry staples and a couple of minutes is all it takes to recreate the authentic flavors in Pad Thai Sauce without tamarind.

Prep Time10

Total Time10

Course: Sauce

Cuisine: Thai

Keyword: easy sauce, pad thai

Servings:

Author: Jess Smith via Inquiring Chef

Cost: $2.00

Equipment

Mixing Bowl

Ingredients

3 Tablespoons honey (see note)
2 Tablespoons lime juice
2 Tablespoons soy sauce (use Tamari for gluten-free)
1 1/2 Tablespoons fish sauce (see note)
2 teaspoons chili-garlic sauce (see note)

Instructions

Stir together all ingredients for sauce. Taste the sauce and adjust, adding more honey if you'd like it more sweet, more soy sauce or fish sauce if you'd like it more salty. (Tasting and adjusting the sauce at this stage is important; some limes are more sour than others, so you may need to balance it out.)
Store sauce in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Notes

Honey - Honey is really important here - it not only gives the sauce its signature sweetness, but it gives a thick substantial texture that really coats the noodles. For a vegan version, substitute brown sugar or maple syrup.

Fish Sauce - If you want the most authentic umami flavor, don’t skip the fish sauce. If needed, soy sauce, Tamari, or coconut aminos can be used as a substitute.

Chili Garlic Sauce - I like to use either a Chinese-style chili garlic sauce or Sambal Oelek (some brands include garlic and others are just chilis, vinegar, and salt). Sriracha works well here too. Adjust the amount used according to your spice preference.

Nutrition