Crying Tiger Sauce

Course: Sauce

Cuisine: Thai

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 0

Total Time: 10

Servings: people

Calories: 24kcal

Author: Platings and Pairings

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.

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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

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.

Tips and tricks

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.

Variations

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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