Description
This crack sauce recipe is spicy, sweet, salty, and tangy — the ultimate Southeast Asian-inspired flavor booster for everything.
Ingredients
Scale
Base Sauce Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce or chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 1 lime)
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar (or palm sugar)
- 1 tablespoon water
- 2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce or minced red chilies
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced or grated
- 1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce or tamari
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil (optional)
Optional Flavor Boosters:
- ½ teaspoon fresh grated ginger
- Zest of ½ lime
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
Garnish:
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
Instructions
- Mince Aromatics: Finely mince or grate garlic, chilies, and optional ginger using a microplane or fine grater.
- Mix Core Ingredients: In a small mixing bowl, whisk together fish sauce (or broth), lime juice, sugar, water, chili sauce, garlic, and optional ginger until sugar dissolves.
- Add Supporting Flavors: Stir in soy sauce or tamari, sesame oil, and lime zest if using. Whisk again to combine.
- Let Rest: Allow sauce to sit for 5–10 minutes to meld flavors.
- Taste & Adjust: Adjust lime, sugar, or water to balance flavor as desired.
- Serve or Store: Use immediately or store in the fridge up to 7 days in an airtight jar. Stir before using.
Notes
- Substitute fish sauce with mushroom broth for a vegan version.
- Adjust chili level to your heat tolerance.
- Store extra in the fridge (up to 7 days) or freeze in ice cube trays.
- Best with grilled meats, grain bowls, veggies, and noodles.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Condiment
- Method: No-cook
- Cuisine: Southeast Asian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 tablespoons
- Calories: 38 kcal
- Sugar: 3.9 g
- Sodium: 482 mg
- Fat: 1.6g
- Saturated Fat: 0.3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1.3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 5.3 g
- Fiber: 0.1g
- Protein: 0.7g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg