Elevate your grilling game with this mouth-watering Crying Tiger Sauce – a staple of Thai cuisine that promises an explosion of flavor, no matter what you pair it with. Incredibly easy to whip up in just minutes, it transforms a simple steak into an unforgettable, restaurant-quality meal.
This sauce is an absolute must-try for anyone who loves a kick of spice, balancing fiery chilies with tangy lime and the savory depth of fish sauce. Other key ingredients like lemongrass and cilantro provide fresh, aromatic depth, while brown sugar rounds out the heat.
For an authentic finish, mix in toasted rice powder which will add a nutty flavor and unique texture. I often make my own rice powder at home using a coffee grinder – perfect for sprinkling over Thai-inspired dishes, like this Thai Beef Salad and Chicken Larb Gai!
Table of Contents
Ingredient notes
- Lime juice: This will brighten the sauce. Lemon juice can also be used.
- Fish sauce: While pungent on its own, fish sauce blends seamlessly into the other ingredients, contributing an essential salty, nutty, and umami depth. Adjust the amount to your personal preference. Soy sauce is a good substitute, although it doesn’t offer the same level of umami flavor.
- Water: Thins the sauce to your ideal consistency – less for thick sauce, more for drizzle-ready sauce.
- Brown sugar: A touch of sweetness to round out the flavors. Palm sugar is traditionally used in Thailand for this sauce, but brown sugar or even coconut sugar work well too.
- Garlic: Fresh clove, grated or minced will always provide the best punch of flavor!
- Lemongrass: Lemongrass is sold as thin, pale green stalks, typically in small bundles. To use it, trim the knobby end and tough outer leaves from the bulb to reveal the tender inner core, which should be finely minced for this sauce.
- Green onions: Finely sliced green onions not only look lovely in this sauce, they also offer a fresh, sharp punch.
- Cilantro: For a distinctive, bright, citrusy-herbaceous flavor.
- Thai red chili peppers: Jalapeno, fresno chile, or serrano pepper are excellent Thai chili peppers for this dipping sauce. You can seed them or leave the seeds in, depending on the level of heat you want in your sauce.
- Red pepper flakes: Adds another layer of spicy heat to the sauce.
- Toasted rice powder (optional): Like Larb and Nam Tok, this crying tiger sauce recipe calls for toasted rice powder – a common Thai condiment available at Asian markets or online. You can also make it yourself by toasting uncooked rice with lime leaves until golden, then grinding it into a powder. For the finest texture, sift the ground rice through a fine-mesh strainer.
How to make it
Step 1
Combine and stir
- Add all of the ingredients in a small bowl and stir to combine.
Step 2
Serve or store
- Use this crying tiger sauce right away, or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Give it a quick stir before serving again.
Best types of meat for crying tiger
For the Crying Tiger dish, you can choose from several cuts of beef, with the best choice often depending on your preference for tenderness versus robust flavor. Whatever you choose, the key is to pair the grilled steak with this signature spicy, crying tiger dipping sauce!
- Ribeye Steak – The marbling melts during grilling, resulting in an exceptionally juicy and rich steak that provides a luxurious contrast to the sauce’s sharp, spicy notes.
- Grilled Flank Steak– This lean, fibrous cut has a deep, beefy flavor that absorbs marinades beautifully and, when sliced thinly against the grain, offers a satisfying chew that stands up well to the powerful sauce.
- Grilled Sirloin Steak – It offers a great balance of lean beefy flavor and reliable tenderness, making it a versatile and crowd-pleasing choice that pairs perfectly with the vibrant sauce without being overly rich.
Tips and tricks
- Always taste this crying tiger dipping sauce after combining theingredients together. You may find that you want to adjust the flavor and level of heat.
- Adjust the consistency of the sauce to your liking. Stir in a few extra teaspoons of water at a time for a thinner sauce.
- Don’t make this dipping sauce too far ahead if you have opted to add the toasted rice powder, as it will expand when it sits in the liquid. Instead, rather have the peppers and herbs prepped along with any other food that you may be serving with the sauce.
- It’s best to assemble the sauce while the steak is cooking. Since it doesn’t need to be chilled, it’s great for whipping up to serve immediately.
- Make a double batch of crying tiger sauce by simply doubling the ingredients called for in this recipe, if needed.
- Wear gloves when handling the peppers to avoid skin irritation.
- To make a steak salad with this sauce, add thinly sliced steak to a medium bowl, together with shallots, mint, and cilantro. Stir the sauce and pour it on top, then toss gently. Serve the steak mixture over crispy lettuce with cherry tomatoes.
Variations
Try these simple variations to dial up the heat, reduce prep time, and intensify flavors. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Lemongrass shortcut – If you don’t want to prepare the lemongrass yourself, you could purchase lemongrass paste instead. It’s sold in plastic bottles in the produce department near the packaged herbs.
- Level of heat – Add more or less peppers or red pepper flakes to suit your desired level of heat.
- Make your own toasted rice powder – Learn how to make Thai Toasted Rice Powder, not just for this sauce, but to also intensify the flavor and add a crunchy texture to Chicken Larb Gai (laab), Thai Beef Salad and many other Thai salads and Southeast Asian dishes!
Serving suggestions
This crying tiger sauce is a go-to condiment for dipping, tossing, and drizzling. You can also easily add it as an ingredient to various main meals. Here are some top dishes that I enjoy serving this sauce with:
- Rice or Sticky Rice
Storing
Store leftover crying tiger sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5-7 days. Make sure to give the sauce a good stir before serving again.
Erin’s wine pairings
When enjoying a dish with this homemade crying tiger sauce, always choose wines that share a crisp acidity or floral aroma to cut through the spice:
More Thai-inspired recipes
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Full Recipe
Crying Tiger Sauce
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons lime juice
- 3 Tablespoons fish sauce
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 clove garlic (grated or minced)
- 2 Tablespoons lemongrass (minced, remove the tough outer leaves and slice the tender white core)
- 1 Tablespoon green onions (finely sliced )
- 1 Tablespoon cilantro (stems and/or leaves, finely chopped )
- 4 Thai red chili peppers (or jalapeno, fresno chile, serrano pepper)
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon toasted rice powder (optional)
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a small bowl and stir to combine.
- Use right away, or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Give it a quick stir before serving again.
Notes
- Store leftover crying tiger sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5-7 days. Make sure to give the sauce a good stir before serving again.
- Always taste this crying tiger dipping sauce after combining the ingredients together. You may find that you want to adjust the flavor and level of heat.
- Adjust the consistency of the sauce to your liking. Stir in a few extra teaspoons of water at a time for a thinner sauce.
- Don’t make this dipping sauce too far ahead if you have opted to add the toasted rice powder, as it will expand when it sits in the liquid. Instead, rather have the peppers and herbs prepped along with any other food that you may be serving with the sauce.
- It’s best to assemble the sauce while the steak is cooking. Since it doesn’t need to be chilled, it’s great for whipping up to serve immediately.
- Make a double batch of crying tiger sauce by simply doubling the ingredients called for in this recipe, if needed.
- Wear gloves when handling the peppers to avoid skin irritation.
- To make a steak salad with this sauce, add thinly sliced steak to a medium bowl, together with shallots, mint, and cilantro. Stir the sauce and pour it on top, then toss gently. Serve the steak mixture over crispy lettuce with cherry tomatoes.
- Lemongrass shortcut – If you don’t want to prepare the lemongrass yourself, you could purchase lemongrass paste instead. It’s sold in plastic bottles in the produce department near the packaged herbs.
- Level of heat – Add more or less peppers or red pepper flakes to suit your desired level of heat.
- Make your own toasted rice powder – Learn how to make Thai Toasted Rice Powder, not just for this sauce, but to also intensify the flavor and add a crunchy texture to Chicken Larb Gai (laab), Thai Beef Salad and many other Thai salads and Southeast Asian dishes!
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