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    Home » recipes » dressings and sauces » Fish Sauce Vinaigrette, the Best Dipping Sauce for Summer Rolls

    cooking

    Fish Sauce Vinaigrette, the Best Dipping Sauce for Summer Rolls

    You're going to hear a lot more from me on Fish Sauce Vinaigrette...

    Jump to Recipe
    fish sauce vinaigrette dipping sauce with avocado summer rolls on platter

    But for now, you only need to know that what started out as complete and *shudder* disgust has evolved through Pan Roasted Brussels Sprout skepticism and is now a full-fledged maniacal drowning of everything — and I mean everything — in this stuff. I swear the entire world could go vegan if it had nothing but this Fish Sauce Vinaigrette to put on vegetables.

    Except that fish sauce is made from anchovies.

    Whatever.

    You get my point.

    fish sauce vinaigrette nuoc cham ingredients

    What Ingredients You Need for Fish Sauce Vinaigrette

    • fish sauce
    • sugar
    • vinegar
    • lime
    • garlic
    • hot chile pepper

    Ingredients Notes and Resources

    Fish Sauce.

    Sugar.

    Vinegar.

    Lime.

    Garlic.

    fish sauce vinaigrette nuoc cham measuring cup

    How to Make Fish Sauce Vinaigrette

    Just combine all the ingredients in a small bowl, straight into a measuring cup, or in a mason jar to shake up and store!

    Best Ways to Use Fish Sauce Vinaigrette

    • dipping sauce for traditional Summer Rolls
    • dipping sauce for California Summer Rolls
    • dressing for Spring Roll Salad
    • tossed with any roasted vegetables like these Brussels Sprouts

    Vietnamese dipping sauce nước chấm

    fish sauce vinaigrette nuoc cham, in glass
    fish sauce vinaigrette nuoc cham measuring cup
    Print Recipe
    4.90 from 19 votes

    Fish Sauce Vinaigrette Recipe

    Everything can be adjusted to taste. I went with a very light hand with the sugar and juice from only half a lime. (Maybe my limes were bigger than normal?) In his cookbook, David Chang says that this version is lighter and sweeter than whatever his Vietnamese chef's mother makes.
    Prep Time10 minutes mins
    Total Time10 minutes mins
    Course: Dressings, Sauce
    Cuisine: asian
    Keyword: fish sauce, southeast asian, vietnamese
    Servings: 1 cup

    Ingredients

    • ¼ cup fish sauce
    • ¼ cup water
    • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
    • juice of 1 lime, 3-4 tablespoons
    • 2 tablespoons sugar
    • 2-3 garlic clove minced
    • 1 to 3 bird's eye chilies thinly sliced

    Instructions

    • Combine the fish sauce, water, vinegar, lime juice, sugar, garlic and chilies in a jar.
    • This vinaigrette will keep for up to a week in the refrigerator. Supposedly. When you start taking little sips of it straight from the jar with a teaspoon every once in a while, it doesn't last that long.
    when you make this recipe, let us know!Mention @TheDelicious or tag #thedeliciousmademedoit!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jean says

      December 22, 2011 at 8:12 pm

      5 stars
      My non-Asian husband marvels at how much vinegar and fish sauce I go through at home. I almost can't eat anything without some kind of dipping sauce.  This wouldn't last long in my house either. 

      Reply
    2. Emma says

      December 23, 2011 at 3:50 am

      5 stars
      Couldn't agree more, I could eat Soylent Green if it was doused in fish sauce vinaigrette!

      Reply
    3. David Takeda says

      March 18, 2014 at 1:19 pm

      5 stars
      Just curious, but I wanted to know if it's okay to use 3 crabs fish sauce in the recipe. There are so many types and brands of fish sauce available that I wasn't sure which is the most appropriate one to use. Thanks in advance to your response...

      Reply
    4. TheDelicious says

      March 18, 2014 at 4:41 pm

      5 stars
      Hi David! I’ve never used the 3Crabs brand of fish sauce, but I have
      seen it referenced in other recipes, so I’m sure it’s fine! It will
      always be a matter of personal taste in the end anyway, so if it tastes
      good to you, I’d say use it!

      Reply
    5. Chaduke says

      August 22, 2014 at 12:02 am

      5 stars
      Maybe there are different versions of fish sauce that don't have as strong of a smell and flavor. I made this according to your directions and its still got a heavy fish sauce essence to it, its hard to imagine even 1/4 of people who try it not having an objection. I like it ok but next time I'm going to cut way back. I used the Thai kitchen brand, only one I could find in my local area. Maybe its not a very good one.

      Reply
      • Allison Anastasio says

        September 16, 2024 at 3:48 pm

        Try Red Boat. I got it on Amazon but should be available on other sites as well.

        Reply
    6. Debra VanTongeren says

      June 05, 2021 at 2:33 pm

      3 stars
      I had a very bad allergic reaction after I ate at Mamofuko in LV. I think It was the fish sauce. I literally spooned every last yummy drop into my mouth. What fishes are in your fish sauce? I am very sad to think I can never have that again. Do you use shellfish in Mamofuko Kimchi? Trying to find out the trigger.

      Reply
      • Liz says

        October 13, 2024 at 8:24 am

        There's anchovies in fish sauce and shrimp in kimchi.

        Reply

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