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    Home » Appetizers » Dip Recipes » Easy Nuoc Cham (Vietnamese Dipping Sauce)

    Easy Nuoc Cham (Vietnamese Dipping Sauce)

    Published: Jan 3, 2024 by Elaine - 1 Comment

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Nuoc Cham is a versatile Vietnamese sauce that adds a burst of flavor to a variety of dishes. It's used for dipping items like spring rolls or summer rolls, as a marinade for grilled meats, and as a dressing for rice noodle salads. This staple of Vietnamese cuisine takes only 5 minutes to make!

    A bowl of nuoc cham.

    First things first! Wondering how to pronounce Nuoc Cham?

    It sounds like nook - mam.

    Jump to:
    • ❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
    • 🛒 Ingredients and substitutions
    • 🔪 Instructions
    • 🍽 When to serve Nuoc cham
    • ⏰ Storage Instructions
    • 🗒 More recipes you might like
    • 🌟Did you make this recipe?
    • 📖 Recipe

    ❤️ Why you'll love this recipe

    • It's an easy homemade version, adapted from an authentic recipe. This homemade version of Nuoc Cham that I've adapted from the classic is a traditional dressing or dipping sauce you'll find on every menu in Vietnam. Like many Vietnamese or Thai foods, it's sweet, sour, salty, hot, and savory all at once.
    • It pairs well with a variety of dishes, both traditional Vietnamese dishes, like Banh Xeo (Vietnamese Crepes), Banh Mi (stuffed baguette) or Goi Cuon (Spring Rolls) and Western dishes, like grilled shrimp skewers, glazed salmon or rice noodle salad.

    I like to serve it as a dressing as well. It's delicious with this Vietnamese Prawn (or Shrimp) Noodle Bowl.

    🛒 Ingredients and substitutions

    You'll find a complete list of ingredients with quantities in the recipe card below. But before we get to the full recipe, here are a few notes about the ingredients.

    • Water: Nuoc Cham is a much thinner dipping sauce than you may be used to. Water helps to mellow the strong flavors in this sauce.
    • Lime juice: freshly squeezed is a must in this recipe. Bottled lime juice does not have the same fresh flavor.
    • Fish sauce: Made from fermented fish (often anchovies), the odor of fish sauce can be offensive. But don't worry: you won't smell it in the dipping sauce.
    • Unseasoned rice vinegar: sometimes called Japanese rice vinegar. It's less acidic than other kinds of vinegar and is a staple in Vietnamese cooking.
    • Garlic: use fresh cloves.
    • Sugar: or other sweetener. You can substitute your favorite sweetener.
    • Thai red chili: While Thai chili is traditional, if you can't find one, you could substitute a serrano pepper.

    All these ingredients are available in your local grocery store, sometimes in the International Foods section.

    Labeled ingredients for Nuoc Cham.

    🔪 Instructions

    Whisk these Vietnamese dressing ingredients in a small bowl or shake in a small Mason jar and set aside while you prepare your main dish.

    🍽 When to serve Nuoc cham

    Nuoc cham is a versatile Vietnamese dipping sauce that adds a burst of flavor to a variety of dishes. Here's a list of both authentic Vietnamese and Western dishes that pair well with Nuoc cham:

    • Spring Rolls: Fresh spring rolls filled with shrimp, herbs, rice vermicelli, or and sometimes pork with a bowl of Nuoc cham on the side.
    • Banh Xeo (Vietnamese Crepes): Crispy rice flour crepes filled with shrimp, pork, bean sprouts, and mushrooms, often served with Nuoc cham.
    • Grilled Shrimp Skewers: Marinated shrimp skewers grilled to perfection, served with this tasty dipping sauce.
    • Honey-Garlic Chicken Wings: Crispy chicken wings served with sauce for dipping.
    • Crunchy Thai Noodle Salad: Serve with Nuoc cham instead of peanut sauce dressing.
    • Grilled Vegetable Platter: Assorted grilled vegetables such as bell peppers, zucchini, and mushrooms served with Nuoc cham as a refreshing accompaniment.

    ⏰ Storage Instructions

    Store this Vietnamese dipping sauce in an airtight container in the fridge. It will last for up to a month.

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    • overhead view of a bowl with lemon garlic shrimp stir fry with chopsticks
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    🌟Did you make this recipe?

    When you make this Vietnamese dipping sauce recipe, please leave a comment and a star rating below. I love hearing from you! Thanks in advance. Subscribe to my newsletter and have new recipes delivered straight to your inbox.

    📖 Recipe

    A bowl of Nuoc Cham, Vietnamese dipping sauce.

    Nuoc Cham - Vietnamese Dipping Sauce

    Nuoc Cham is a versatile Vietnamese sauce that adds a burst of flavor to a variety of dishes. It's used for dipping items like spring rolls or summer rolls, as a marinade for grilled meats, and as a dressing for rice noodle salads. This staple of Vietnamese cuisine takes only 5 minutes to make!
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dip
    Cuisine: Vietnamese
    Diet: Gluten Free
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 32kcal
    Author: Elaine
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    Ingredients

    • 2 - 3 tablespoons sugar, or other sweetener, or more depending on your tastes.
    • 2 to 4 tablespoons lime juice from 1 or 2 limes freshly squeezed
    • 2 tablesppons rice vinegar
    • 3 tablespoons fish sauce
    • 2 cloves garlic, minced
    • 1 Thai red bird chili pepper, minced
    • ¼ cup water, or more, to taste

    Instructions

    • Whisk all ingredients in a small bowl, or shake together in a jar with a lid.
    • Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking. If it's too sweet, add another squeeze of lime, if it's too sour, add more sweetener.
    • Let stand for 30 minutes or so to allow the flavors to blend.
    • Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 32kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 0.04g | Saturated Fat: 0.003g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 1061mg | Potassium: 54mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 6IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 0.1mg
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Marj

      February 03, 2024 at 8:28 pm

      5 stars
      I had this while vacationing in Viet Nam. Love this recipe that I can make at home!

      Reply
    5 from 1 vote

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