Trader Joe’s Spicy Peanut Vinaigrette Copycat Recipe
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Jump to RecipeThis delicious Trader Joe’s spicy peanut vinaigrette copycat recipe is the perfect dressing for salads, noodle bowls, or to use a a dipping sauce for spring rolls. Ready in 10 minutes, this tangy dressing is easy to make at home with simple ingredients.
A delicious and easy vinaigrette that is sweet, tangy, and has a little heat (which you can customize to your own preferences). Follow our step-by-step photos below and make this quick copycat dressing in minutes!
Want more tasty copycat recipes? Try our copycat Trader Joe’s bruschetta sauce recipe, Trader Joe’s elote dip, and copycat Trader Joe’s Greek chickpeas.
We absolutely love Trader Joe’s, and this spicy peanut vinaigrette dressing is such a favorite, I had to try and make a copycat version at home. We absolutely LOVE this versatile dressing! It’s delicious as a dipping sauce (especially when you learn how to cook Trader Joe’s spring rolls in the air fryer), or as a dressing with crunchy Thai chickpea salad or our favorite Thai quinoa salad with purple cabbage and green onions.
This recipe takes only minutes to make, and you can enjoy a sweet and spicy dressing without having to do a TJ’s run. Start by mixing creamy peanut butter with lime juice, soy sauce, sriracha, and some spices and you have a super flavorful Thai peanut dressing ready fast!
Why This Recipe Works
- It’s a delicious copycat version of a Trader Joe’s favorite.
- A little sweet, a little tangy, and a little spicy.
- This spicy peanut dressing is versatile and goes great on kale salads, with grains, or with rotisserie chicken or grilled chicken breast.
- Control the spice level – you can add as much, or as little, heat as you like.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Be sure to visit the recipe card below for full ingredient amounts and recipe instructions!
Peanut butter – you can use creamy natural peanut butter, or use chunky peanut butter for extra texture and crunch!
Fresh garlic cloves give this creamy salad dressing an extra kick.
I used both rice wine vinegar and fresh lime juice to add some tanginess and acidity in this recipe.
Toasted sesame oil is a great addition for texture and flavor – a little goes a long way!
Sriracha – a delicious hot sauce blend that has a serious kick!
Brown sugar for a hint of sweetness, and soy sauce for a delicious and salty taste.
Ground ginger – I used ground ginger for this dressing, but you could also use fresh grated ginger or (in the freezer aisle of TJ’s) the cubes of ginger Dorot, which is like a frozen ginger paste.
Additions and Substitutions
For an allergy-friendly alternative to peanut butter, try this recipe with cashew butter, almond butter, tahini, or sunflower seed butter instead.
If you don’t have sriracha on hand you can use red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper instead.
Instead of brown sugar you can use natural honey, pure maple syrup, or cane sugar instead.
How To Make This Dressing
Step 1: In a medium mixing bowl (you could also use a blender or a food processor), add the peanut butter, minced garlic, rice vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, sriracha, and lime juice.
Step 2: Start with 1/4 cup of water, and pour that in the mixing bowl.
Step 3: With a spoon or a whisk, start mixing the dressing ingredients together for 2-3 minutes. Keep mixing until the peanut butter breaks down and becomes creamy. If the dressing is too thick, add an additional tablespoon of water at a time until it reaches your desired consistency.
Step 4: Pour this dressing in a mason jar, and serve it over Thai salads, or use as a dipping sauce for cooked chicken or spring rolls.
Recipe FAQs
We absolutely love this dressing on Thai what noodle salad, our favorite spicy Thai chicken salad, or as a dipping sauce for egg rolls, spring rolls, or gyoza.
Absolutely! You can halve the sriracha listed in the ingredients, or you can omit it altogether from the recipe if you don’t enjoy spice.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container or mason jar, and enjoy within 5 days of making.
Dietary Modifications
- This recipe is vegan and vegetarian, and does not contain any animal products.
- To make this peanut free – use an allergy-friendly alternate to peanut butter. And make sure any other ingredients are peanut-free if needed.
- To make this recipe gluten free, use an alternative to soy sauce like tamari or coconut aminos. And make sure any other ingredients are gluten free if needed.
More Delicious Copycat Recipes
- La Terra Fina Cranberry Jalapeno Dip Copycat Recipe
- Copycat Olive Garden Bruschetta Recipe
- Mediterranean Pasta Salad Recipe (Sam’s Club Copycat)
- Copycat Olive Garden Spinach Artichoke Dip Recipe
- Creamy Jerk Chicken Pasta Recipe (Bahama Breeze Copycat)
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Trader Joe’s Spicy Peanut Vinaigrette Copycat
Equipment
- Mixing bowl, or blender
- Mason jar for storing
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons seasoned rice wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce or gluten free tamari
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 lime juiced (about 1 tablespoon)
- 1 teaspoon sriracha or more to taste
- 1/4 cup water or more for a thinner sauce.
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl (you could also use a blender or a food processor), add the peanut butter, minced garlic, rice vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, sriracha, and lime juice.
- Start with 1/4 cup of water, and pour that in the mixing bowl.
- With a spoon or a whisk, start mixing the dressing ingredients together for 2-3 minutes. Keep mixing until the peanut butter breaks down and becomes creamy. If the dressing is too thick, add an additional tablespoon of water at a time until it reaches your desired consistency.
- Pour this dressing in a mason jar, and serve it over Thai salads, or use as a dipping sauce for cooked chicken or spring rolls.
Notes
Additions and Substitutions
For an allergy-friendly alternative to peanut butter, try this recipe with cashew butter, almond butter, tahini, or sunflower seed butter instead. If you don’t have sriracha on hand you can use red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper instead. Instead of brown sugar you can use natural honey, pure maple syrup, or cane sugar instead.Nutrition
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I loved developing this copycat recipe for you all – if you make it, let us know how it stacks up to the original, and how you use it!