Vietnamese Dipping Sauce (Nước Chấm)

This recipe was given to me by my Vietnamese mother-in-law years ago, so you can be sure it is as authentic as possible!

Nước chấm is definitely the one sauce that I prepare almost every week.

I rely on this sauce for a plethora of dishes, be it cold noodle salads like Bún chả giò, fresh spring rolls, or even something as simple as a fresh green papaya salad. The best part? It’s quick, simple, and makes use of pantry staples (at least in a Vietnamese household!).

⭐️ Why You Should Try It

• A symphony of flavor. This sauce may be simple, but it certainly doesn’t lack flavor. The vegan fish sauce brings umami and saltiness, lime juice some freshness and tanginess, and the sugar adds just the right amount of sweetness to balance everything.
• Less than 5 minutes to prepare. This sauce couldn’t be easier to make! Add all of the ingredients to a small bowl and whisk until combined. Plus, you can make a big batch and keep it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks!
• Incredibly versatile. This sauce goes with basically everything! From fried appetizers like egg rolls, samosas, and taro fritters to noodle salads and fresh spring rolls, this sauce will elevate the flavors of your dishes!

📘 What is Nước Chấm

Nước chấm, sometimes simply called nước mắm, is a traditional Vietnamese dipping sauce that is prepared with fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, garlic, and chili. It is sweet, salty, tangy, garlicky, and spicy.

It’s one of the most popular condiments in Vietnam as it is served with hundreds of different dishes, such as egg rolls, fresh spring rolls, bánh xèo, rice noodle salads, bánh cuốn, or steamed vegetables.

🧄 Ingredient Notes

Here is what you will need to prepare this dipping sauce:

• Vegan fish sauce – Nuoc mam, or fish sauce, makes the base of this dipping sauce. You can use store-bought or homemade vegan fish sauce. We do not recommend replacing it with soy sauce as it would completely alter the taste of the sauce.
• Sugar – You can use granulated or light brown sugar.
• Lime juice – Use freshly squeezed lime juice for optimal flavor. It adds freshness and tanginess to the sauce.
• Garlic – Use fresh garlic, not dried garlic.
• Chili – We usually go with 1/2 Thai chili (also called Bird’s eye chili), but you can use more or omit it, depending on your spiciness tolerance.
• Water – To dilute the sauce.

🥣 How to Make It

1. Combine the sugar with the fish sauce. Add the sugar and fish sauce to a small bowl and stir to combine.
2. Add the garlic and chili. Next, finely slice the garlic and chili and add them to the bowl.

3. Dilute with water and lime juice. Pour in the water and lime juice and stir again until the sugar has completely dissolved. At this point, you can taste it and adjust the sweetness and saltiness to your liking.

🍊 Variations

Nước chấm is versatile and can be easily customized to your liking. Here are a few variations:

• Replace lime juice with Calamansi juice: If you can find Calamansi fruits, use them instead of lime. It will add a hint of orange aroma to the sauce, which, in our opinion, tastes even better.
• Add chili garlic sauce: For extra spiciness, add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of chili garlic sauce.
• Add chopped ginger: “Nước mắm gừng” is a variant of this sauce that includes crushed fresh ginger. It’s particularly delicious served with steamed or sautéed greens.
• Add pickles: For color and tanginess, add a spoonful of carrot and radish pickles.

🍚 What to Serve It With

The beauty of this dipping sauce is that it can be served with a wide array of dishes, such as:

• Bánh hỏi: Rice vermicelli woven are wrapped in lettuce with herbs and some kind of protein before being dipped in nước chấm.
• Egg rolls: Enhance the flavor of homemade egg rolls by dipping them into this sauce!
• Goi cuốn: Also known as fresh spring rolls, you can serve these with nước chấm or with peanut dipping sauce.
• Bánh xèo: These crispy rice flour crêpes are typically filled with mung bean sprouts, vegetables, and meat (or tofu). Bánh xèo is typically rolled in lettuce or perilla leaves and dipped in the sauce.
• Bánh cuốn: Bánh cuốn consists of thin and wide steamed rice noodles served with mushrooms, mortadella, fried shallots, and fresh herbs. Nước chấm is then poured over the noodles to season everything. If you plan to serve this dipping sauce with bánh cuốn, omit the garlic as it is not typically used.
• Cơm tấm: In this classic Southern Vietnamese dish, nước chấm is stirred into the broken rice to season it. You can find our recipe for vegan cơm tấm here.
• Bún chả giò: This dish consists of thin rice noodles, egg rolls, pickles, and fresh herbs tossed with nước chấm and enjoyed chilled or at room temperature.
• Steamed vegetables: Dip broccoli, spinach, morning glory, or okara into the sauce.
• Salads: Use nước chấm as a dressing for your green salads!

💬 FAQ

If you love Vietnamese cuisine, this nước chấm recipe is a must-try! It delivers a harmonious balance of sweet, salty, and tangy flavors. And trust us, it tastes much better than any pre-made sauces you will find at the supermarket!

🇻🇳 More Vietnamese Condiments

Vegan Fish Sauce

Easy Sweet Chili Sauce

Bánh Mì Sauce

Vietnamese Peanut Dipping Sauce

⭐️ Did you like this recipe? Let us know in the comments below, and tag us on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!