Juicy Pork Belly Dipping Sauce

If you ask me, a good dipping sauce can make any meal better.

This Asian-inspired pork belly sauce hits all the right notes with its sweet and savory mix. Garlic and ginger bring warmth while brown sugar adds just enough sweetness to balance things out.

It’s particularly good with crispy pork belly, but I’ve found myself using it on everything from grilled chicken to steamed vegetables. The combination of simple pantry ingredients creates something that’s both familiar and special.

It’s the kind of sauce that makes people ask for the recipe, perfect for family dinners or when friends come over.

What Kind of Peanut Butter Should I Use?

For this dipping sauce, smooth peanut butter works better than chunky since it blends more easily with the other ingredients. Natural peanut butter is perfectly fine to use, but make sure to stir it well first since the oils tend to separate. If you’re using traditional store-bought peanut butter like Jif or Skippy, you might need a bit less water in your sauce since these varieties are typically thicker than natural versions. Just keep in mind that unsweetened peanut butter will give you more control over the final taste, letting the hoisin sauce and other Asian flavors shine through.

Options for Substitutions

This sauce recipe is pretty flexible and you can make several swaps if you’re missing ingredients:

• Hoisin sauce: This is a key flavor, but in a pinch, you can mix equal parts soy sauce and brown sugar, with a tiny dash of five-spice powder if you have it.
• Sesame oil: While toasted sesame oil gives the best flavor, regular sesame oil works too. If you’re completely out, you can skip it, but you’ll miss some of that nutty taste.
• Chili oil: No chili oil? Try using sriracha sauce, sambal oelek, or even a pinch of red pepper flakes mixed with regular oil.
• Peanut butter: You can use almond butter or sunflower seed butter if you have nut allergies. Each will give a slightly different but still good flavor.
• Garnishes: The crushed peanuts, sesame seeds, and herbs are flexible – use what you have! Chopped cashews work instead of peanuts, and parsley can replace cilantro. Green onions and chives are interchangeable.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest challenge when making this dipping sauce is achieving the right consistency – adding all the water at once can make it too thin, so it’s better to add water gradually while stirring until you reach your desired thickness. Getting the balance of flavors right is crucial too – start with less chili oil and adjust to taste, since you can always add more heat but can’t take it away once it’s mixed in. To prevent the sauce from separating, make sure to whisk the peanut butter thoroughly with the other liquid ingredients before adding any garnishes, and if you’re making it ahead of time, give it a good stir before serving since the oils may naturally separate. For the freshest flavor, add the herbs and crushed peanuts just before serving – this keeps the peanuts crunchy and the herbs bright and fresh.

What to Serve With Pork Belly Dipping Sauce?

This rich Asian-inspired dipping sauce pairs perfectly with crispy pork belly, but it’s also great with lots of other dishes! Try serving it alongside fresh spring rolls, lettuce wraps, or even as a sauce for rice paper rolls. The nutty, savory flavors work really well with grilled meats like chicken skewers or beef satay, and it’s also good with simple steamed vegetables like broccoli or snap peas. If you’re putting together an Asian-inspired spread, serve this sauce as part of a DIY rice bowl station where people can drizzle it over their choice of protein and veggies.

Storage Instructions

Keep Fresh: This tasty dipping sauce stays good in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. If you’ve added peanut butter, you might notice it thickens up a bit when chilled – that’s totally normal!

Before Serving: When you’re ready to use your chilled sauce, let it sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes. Give it a good stir to bring everything back together. If it’s still too thick, just add a splash of warm water and mix until you get the right consistency.

Make Ahead: You can mix up this sauce a day or two before you need it – in fact, the flavors get even better after they’ve had time to mingle! Just hold off on adding any garnishes like crushed peanuts, sesame seeds, or herbs until right before serving to keep them fresh and crunchy.

Preparation Time	5-10 minutes
Cooking Time	0-0 minutes
Total Time	5-10 minutes
Level of Difficulty	Easy

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 100-120
• Protein: 2-4 g
• Fat: 8-10 g
• Carbohydrates: 6-8 g

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil, toasted
• 2 teaspoons spicy chili oil
• 6 tablespoons water
• 3 1/2 tablespoons peanut butter (optional, add more water if needed to adjust thickness)
• Crushed peanuts, finely ground
• Toasted sesame seeds
• Finely diced cilantro, green onions, or chives

Step 1: Mix the Base Ingredients

In a small bowl, combine 3 tablespoons of hoisin sauce, 2 teaspoons of chili oil, and 2 teaspoons of toasted sesame oil.

Stir the ingredients together until they are well blended.

If you desire a nutty flavor, this is the time to mix in 3 ½ tablespoons of peanut butter.

Stir until the peanut butter is fully integrated with the other ingredients.

Step 2: Adjust the Consistency

Add water gradually to the sauce mixture, starting with 1/2 teaspoon increments.

Continue adding up to 6 tablespoons of water, depending on how thin or thick you prefer your sauce to be.

If you’ve included peanut butter, you’ll likely need to incorporate more water to achieve your desired consistency.

Step 3: Optional Garnishing

To add an extra layer of flavor and texture, consider garnishing your sauce.

You can sprinkle crushed peanuts, toasted sesame seeds, or finely chopped cilantro, chives, or green onions over the top.

This step is optional but can greatly enhance the presentation and taste of your dish.

Step 4: Serve and Enjoy

Once your sauce has reached the perfect consistency and is optionally garnished, it’s ready to be served.

Use it as a flavorful dip or drizzle it over your favorite dishes for an added kick.

Enjoy your homemade sauce!