Vietnamese Dipping Sauce (Nước Chấm)
This classic Vietnamese dipping sauce known as Nước Chấm is so easy to put together. The sauce is flavorful with sweet, salty, and tangy flavors. It is very refreshing and addictive!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Vietnamese fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons white sugar
- 1½ tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 10 tablespooons warm water, (see note #2)
- ½ teaspoon freshly minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon sliced Thai red chili pepper, (or as needed)
Optional:
- shredded carrots, (for serving)
Instructions
- In a bowl, add warm water and sugar. Stir until the sugar is dissolved.
- Add fish sauce, lime juice, garlic, and chopped chili pepper. Stir to combine. Taste the sauce. Add more ingredients in small increments if needed to fit your taste. Add shredded carrots before serving (optional).
Notes
- Fish sauce. I highly recommend using Vietnamese fish sauce instead of Filipino or Thai fish sauce, as we really want the authentic Vietnamese flavor. My favorite brand is the Three Crabs brand, but others should also work just fine. Please keep in mind that not all fish sauces are created equal, and the sodium content may vary from brand to brand. For that reason, don't be afraid to do small tweaks to the amounts as necessary.
- Water. You can start with a smaller amount of water (7 tablespoons) in the sauce for a sweeter and thicker sauce. Then, slowly add more water if you need to make the sauce lighter and thinner. Remember you can always add more but it’s not so easy to reduce it. I personally used 10 tablespoons, and I think it was perfect.
- Lime. Don't use bottled lime juice and stay away from old limes.
- Red chili pepper. You can remove the seeds from the chili pepper to reduce the heat.
- Storing the leftover. You can store the leftover Nước Chấm in an airtight container. Put it in the fridge for up to a week.
Nutrition
Calories: 8kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 0.1gFat: 0.01gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.001gSodium: 202mgPotassium: 10mgFiber: 0.01gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 3IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 2mgIron: 0.03mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!