Spicy Thai Peanut Sauce over Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Rice
Spicy Thai peanut sauce, drizzled over roasted sweet potatoes and bell peppers on a bed of rice. This is a healthy vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free recipe.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on July 12, 2024
Please tell me that I am not the only girl who leaves her keys in the door. Or loses her car in parking lots. Or drops her wallet on the sidewalk. Distracted is my middle name, but committing all three of those mistakes over the past few weeks is a personal record.
I suppose I have to tell you the stories now, don’t I? I’ll start with the best one. A couple of weeks ago, I took Cookie outside before dragging myself to bed. I was exhausted—apparently so exhausted that I left my keys in my door when I shut it behind me. Dumb, right? The next morning, I woke up and searched around for my keys. I couldn’t find them in any of the normal spots. It finally occurred to me to check the door. Aha! Keys. Relief.
Then I walked down the front steps, looked over to my left, and saw my car. My car was parked in front of the fire hydrant with a white ticket flapping underneath the window wiper. That’s not where I parked my car, you guys. I walked over to my car with trepidation and peered through the windows.
Everything inside my car seemed to be in order. I got in and noticed that the seat had been scooted back a few inches. All I know about the thief (borrower?) is that he’s a few inches taller than me, drives a manual transmission and has an iPhone, apparently, since he took my cord with him. That leaves a lot of suspects.
I’m still wondering what that stranger did in my car. Maybe he just wanted to cruise around the neighborhood. Maybe he ran out of beer and decided to drive over to the gas station. Maybe he intended to steal it, but quickly realized that stealing my beat-up car was a waste of time and brought it back. Maybe he dropped off some drugs. Let’s hope not. I just wish he’d dropped off the stuff in my trunk at Goodwill while he was at it.
The other stories aren’t so exciting. I was thirty minutes late to Bev‘s baby shower (she’s having twins!) because I lost my car on The Plaza. Then my wallet fell out of my grandmother’s little black purse in between Sur la Table and the corner. Thankfully, a good samaritan found the wallet and brought it to customer service, which is what I would have done for him. All said and done, I’ve really lucked out in all of these situations. I have a sixty dollar ticket to pay but that’s not the worst that could have happened.
Sometimes I wish I had someone around to catch my silly mistakes in real time. I make a lot of them. I do have you all, though. You let me know when I list garlic twice in a recipe, or when there’s a little too much pumpkin in my pancakes. You leave feedback for me in the comments section and tweet/instagram/email me photos of the recipes you’ve made at home, which makes me super happy. Even if I don’t respond right away, know that I’m listening and glad you’re here.
This recipe, for example, was inspired by a convincing comment left on my sweet potato fries recipe. Carla said, “These are wonderful and are even more unbelievable with THAI SPICY PEANUT SAUCE. Sorry to yell, but these two things were born for each other. Ketchup, honey, mayo based sauces do not do them justice.”
She sounded like she was onto something, so I grabbed a bottle of San-J Thai peanut sauce at the store and roasted up some sweet potato fries. She was indeed onto something. I did my best to recreate San-J’s version based on the ingredient list. I switched from fries to roasted sweet potatoes and made it a full meal by adding jasmine rice, red bell pepper, cilantro and chives. Thanks, Carla!
Spicy Thai Peanut Sauce over Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Rice
Bold and spicy Thai peanut sauce drizzled over roasted sweet potatoes and bell peppers on a bed of rice. The sauce would also be great on stir-fries and salads, or as a dip for raw vegetables. This is a healthy vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free recipe.
Ingredients
Spicy Thai Peanut Sauce
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- ¼ cup reduced-sodium tamari or soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons water
Roasted vegetables
- 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1 inch long, ½ inch wide chunks
- 1 red bell pepper, cored, deseeded, and sliced into bite-sized strips
- about 2 tablespoons coconut oil (or olive oil)
- ¼ teaspoon cumin powder
- Sea salt, to taste
Rice and garnishes
- 1 ¼ cup jasmine brown rice (or any variety of long-grain brown rice)
- 2 to 3 green onions/chives, sliced into thin rounds (green and white parts)
- Handful cilantro, torn
- Handful peanuts, crushed
- Sriracha/rooster sauce on the side (optional)
Instructions
- Prep: Bring a large pot of water to boil. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit with a rack in the middle and another rack near the top.
- Roast the vegetables: On a large, rimmed baking sheet, toss the sweet potato with a generous tablespoon of coconut oil, the cumin and a sprinkle of salt. Arrange them in a single layer, and set aside.
- On a separate, smaller baking sheet, toss the bell pepper with about 1 teaspoon of coconut oil and a sprinkle of salt. Toss until lightly coated, and arrange them in a single layer.
- Roast the sweet potatoes on the middle rack for about 35 minutes, tossing halfway, and roast the peppers on the top rack for about 20 minutes, tossing halfway. The vegetables will be tender and caramelized on the edges when they are ready.
- In the meantime, cook the rice: Once the water is boiling, pour in the rice and give it a stir. Boil the rice for 30 minutes, then turn off the heat and drain the rice. Return the rice to the pot and cover the pot. Let the rice steam that way for 10 minutes. Remove the lid, fluff the rice with a fork and season with salt to taste.
- Make the sauce: In a bowl, whisk together the sauce ingredients. If the sauce is too thick or too spicy, whisk in a little more water.
- Serve: In bowls, divide the rice and roasted vegetables. Drizzle each bowl generously with sauce, and top with a sprinkle of green onions, cilantro and peanuts.
Notes
Storage suggestions: Leftover sauce should keep well, refrigerated and covered, for a couple of weeks. Wake up the flavors with a little bit of apple cider vinegar or tamari if necessary.
Make it gluten free: Tamari is a Japanese soy sauce that has a great flavor and is gluten free, unlike most other soy sauces. I like the San-J brand.
Make it vegan: Use maple syrup instead of honey for vegan sauce.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Super delicious! I added some broccoli to roast with the peppers. Will make again for sure. Thank you!
Awesome! Thanks, Emily!
Soo yummy made last night and served over cauliflower rice and some shredded kale. Looking forward to leftovers tonight!!
Yay! Thank you, Carolyn!
I made this tonight… and just like all your other recipes I have made it was amazing!
I LOVE this peanut sauce :) it is amazing!
I did have to add a lot more than the 2 tablespoons of water because it was really thick, but unlike many other sauces that become bland when watered down, adding water to this sauce made no difference to the flavour, it was still amazing :)
I added some roasted cauliflower and it was soooo yummy :)
Thanks for all the work you put into this site and sharing your delicious recipes, Loving It :)
Thank you very much, Jadzia! Glad to hear it!
Can I use regular potatoes in place of sweets? My hubs won’t eat sweet potatoes :( lol
Hey Katie! I’m not sure how regular potatoes will taste with the peanut sauce. Broccoli florets would be awesome!
Hello! I just made this, but I subbed cashew butter for peanut butter and it was DELICIOUS! Our daughter has peanut allergies and we’ve found that cashew butter is the closest replacement in taste and creaminess :) Thanks for all the work you put into these yummy recipes you share with us! I’ve been missing spicy peanut sauce since we found out about her allergy and this totally hit the spot.
Thank you, Samantha! Glad to hear it!
My boyfriend and I just finished eating this…SO AMAZING! ohmyveggies directed us here with one of her weekly meal plans, and it was definitely my favourite recipe on the list.
The next time I make it I will likely leave out the salt, but that is just my preference.
Our oven is broken and we were able to adapt the recipe to be stove-top only, and couldn’t have been happier. Thanks Kate!! :)
Hooray, thanks Rebekah! So glad you found my blog and enjoyed this one. :)
We make this at LEAST once a week and we found it a few months ago. I think it is by far my husbands favorite dish… Ever. We add a few things: wilted spinach, tomatoes, and fresh pineapple. We also love serving it over coconut rice. SO good, thanks so much for your delicious recipes!!!
Hooray, thanks Laura! I want to try your version!
Added a head kale along with the rice to bulk up the veg and while this was truly amazing, to be honest I could have eaten just the sauce straight out of the food processor as a meal as the flavor was THAT GOOD!!!
Woohoo! Thanks, Paula. Love your kale addition.
Made this for lunch today and it was absolutely delicious! The sauce was really easy to make and had just the kind of kick I needed on an autumn afternoon. Thanks!
Glad to hear it! Thank you, Frances!
I would just like to thank you for this amazing recipe. I cook a lot using recipes from blogs or sites, but I have never left a comment until now.
I know it might sound a bit silly, but this dish was a real break-through for me. I have only recently started to cook and eat vegan, so I never imagined I could ever enjoy the spicy scrumptiousness of thai food again. I would prefer this dish to anything else, vegan or not, that I could find in a thai restaurant.THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!
Mara, thank you! I’m just delighted to hear that you enjoy this recipe so much. Maybe you have already found my archive, but I have lots more vegan recipes over here!
I have made this recipe several times and it’s super yummy each time. Perfect for a grey winter evening.
Thanks for the delicious recipes!
I’ve made this before and absolutely loved it! You cannot go wrong with sweet potato and peanut butter combined. I think I’ll need to make this again soon!
Phenomenal!! I have probably read this recipe 30 times and choose to pass on it every time, but I really wanted sweet potato and my husband loves peanut butter, so I went for it. I added some broccoli to my red pepper pan to up the veggies and it was delicious and filling :-) Thanks!
This dish was so yum! The recipe has certainly be used as my family loves it so much. None of us really like capsicum/ bell peppers so i switched them out for steamed cauliflower and broccoli and it was awesome! Such a simple and quick recipe that tastes so awesome with the exotic peanut topping, thank you xx
I cut this recipe in half (cooking for one, makes a perfect dinner-sized portion), used cashews for topping instead of peanuts, and skipped the cilantro (yuck), but, otherwise, I made this exactly as stated, right down to the hot sauce, and it is a-fcuking-mazing. Going in my inexpensive-delicious-make-often file!
Thanks, Kate! You helped me make a beautiful ending to my Easter Sunday, hiking in the invigorating, refreshing spring weather of Ontario, Canada!
My brother gave me a heap ton of red peppers; that’s what originally lead me to your recipe. But! Hot damn–this is the second time this week I’ve made this recipe; it’s that delicious!
Just made it! The rice was undercooked but it really turned out delicious anyway! I’m In love with your blog!
I made this recipe for dinner tonight and it turned out so well! The sauce killed it (although I added extra vinegar because I have a vinegar addiction that I can’t keep in check) and the green onion garnish added just enough bite to make this dish perfect–thanks!
Yummy! I used udon noodle and added broccoli to the red peppers. SO tasty! I will always come back to this peanut sauce.
Made this for dinner last night and it was delicious! I didn’t have anymore rice in the pantry so I made some cauliflower rice.. totally worked with the sauce. Thank you so much for your inspiring recipes :)
I made this with coconut aminos instead of soy and it was great, in case anyone wanted a soy-free version.
This was amazing!
Um this was amazing, thank you.
I swapped rice wine vinegar for apple cider , cause I didn’t have that on hand. sauce is sooo good!
Thank you, Rich!
Spicy Thai Peanut Sauce over Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Rice was delicious. I though the combination of Sweet Potatoes and Rice was strange, but the sweetness in the potatoes and the heat from the peanut sauce were a fabulous combo. I used brown basmati rice instead since that is what I had in my pantry. My family gave it a thumbs up even my non vegan husband.
Thank you, Henrietta! I’m so glad you all enjoyed it.
I don’t do that much cooking. Now we are vegan I gave this a try and I got fabulous comments from all. They all want it again and think it should be my new speciality! Not bad for a non-cook!
I made this with roasted cauliflower and zucchini instead of sweet potatoes and I loved it. The sauce is to die for.
Great recipe (yet again!!) I just love your recipes!! I added chickpeas and quinoa instead of rice for a bit of added protein. Sooo good!
Made this tonight with butternut squash instead of sweet potatoes and added a few different veges to the roasting pan. Really tasty and filling, definitely recommend. Thanks for the recipe- though simple, it’s not a combination I’d have tried on my own! Will make again with sweet potatoes when I have some.
YUM ! Def cooking again X
We loved this!! Added asparagus too! We have a decent amount of leftover sauce. Do you think I could store this in the fridge for a few days? I would hate to waste the magic sauce! Thanks Kate for another fab recipe!
Thanks, Kristen! Yes, the sauce should keep well for 5 days or so!
Thanks! Great recipe ! I tried it tonight, and works really well. Just did minor changes in that I used the blender to mix the peanut sauce. Perfect!
Great!
Made this last night! The sauce is out of this world! I used maple syrup as the sweetener but I think it was the apple cider vinegar that made it extra amazing!
Yes, it makes a huge difference! So glad you enjoyed it, Kristin.
Another of your fabulous ideas. Easy to make. Utterly delicious. Even the carnivore said, “Excellent!”.
Yes! Mission accomplished. Thanks, Catherine!
This was very delicious! It was the perfect recipe to break me out of my dinner rut!
Oh, I’m so glad this helped to change things up! Thanks, Serena.
I made this when some vegan friends came over for dinner. My husband and I are meat eaters and we liked it too!
Great! Thank you!
i made this last night and it was delicious! the sauce is perfect! i only had one sweet potato in the house so i roasted some cauliflower and added that. My carnivorous fiance loved it! this recipe will be in heavy rotation! thanks :)
Perfect! Thanks, Mara!
I made this for my Family and it was absolutely delicious, everyone loved it so much!
Wonderful! Thanks, Lara.
This is HEAVEN!! Just done it and I definitely a new favourite!!
Haha! Thanks, Sarah! I’m so glad you like it so much.
So easy and delicious. I used bottled Thai peanut sauce and included carrots in the roasted vegetables. Thank you.
Yum!
Looking really forward in trying this recipe! My husband and I just started on a vegan diet and having so much fun with it and loving all the new and innovative dishes! Just curious if I want a little more protein added to this what would you recommend non-meatwise.
Thanks again for sharing!
You could totally try my crispy baked tofu with this, Jenny. I think you’d like it!
Amazing. I cut my veggies to roughly the same size and roasted them on the same pan because it seemed easier (worked fine) and added cauliflower, but otherwise followed the recipe. The results are stunning, really exceeded my expectations. Don’t skip the green onions/cilantro/crushed peanuts!
I’m so glad this came out so great, Eve!
What kind of peanut butter did you use? I am a big fan of natural, creamy peanut butter that requires stirring; however, my sauce was very thick and clumpy. I could not get it to be runny and smooth. Thank you!
I used natural peanut butter from Trader Joe’s, which in hindsight is on the thinner side. Nut butters vary more than most ingredients, so they can be tricky. It sounds to me like you probably needed to add a little more liquid to smooth it out, or warm it up a bit (as mentioned in instructions).
I tried adding more liquid but no luck. Is the TJ’s PB no stir? Thanks!
I still have to stir the TJ’s PB. I’m not sure why you’re peanut butter won’t incorporate. I’ve never encountered that. Did you try warming it up? Another trick would be to whisk just one of the liquid ingredients into the peanut butter to loosen it up, then add the rest, while whisking. You may just need to switch to a different brand of peanut butter for making sauces like this.
Yes, I tried warming it. I will try another brand and whisking tip. Thank you!
This is tagged as soy free but it has soy sauce in it! I got really excited for a minute there. :(
Oh goodness, thank you for bringing that to my attention. I’ve fixed it. For recipes like this, though, your best bet would be to substitute coconut aminos (Bragg’s brand) for tamari/soy sauce. Just add to taste.
I just made this and absolutely loved it! I’m not the biggest fan of apple cider vinegar so I’d recommend going a little bit easy on it for the sauce, but other than that 10/10 delicious!
I discovered the spicy thai peanut sauce over roasted sweet potato recipe in the summer and it is now my go-to dinner. It is one of my favourite meals and now it has become a fave for friends and family. I even made it for Christmas dinner! Yum! Thanks for sharing!!! :D
Fantastic! You are welcome, Lia. Thanks so much for your review.
I found this recipe in an article about cheap vegetarian student meals and thought I’d give it a go. I was a bit wary because I don’t like ginger but I was pleasantly surprised, the sauce is absolutely to die for
I’m happy you gave it ago and that you were pleasantly surprised! Thank you, Beck for commenting and review.
I love peanut butter. I love sweet potatoes. I love Thai food. Of course I loved this meal. My mom and I gave up meat for Lent and she said this was the best vegetarian meal we’ve made so far! Thanks for the amazing recipe! :)
Sounds like the perfect meal for you Kris! I’m glad it was great for you. You’re welcome! Thank you for your review.
Hi Kate,
Such a devine sauce, thankyou so much for sharing this recipe! I actually added heaps of fresh basil and fresh spinach for some green atmosphere!
You’re welcome! Spinach and basil sound great. Thanks for the review, Rikki.
This peanut sauce is sooo good – I’m going to be putting it on so many things! Red peppers aren’t my favorite so I tried this with roasted broccoli instead and it still turned out great.
Great to hear, Kathryn! Roasted broccoli, tasty.
I’m a meat lover and not a huge veggie guy. However my girlfriend is vegan and as much as I love to cook i often struggle cooking for her.
However we both loved this recipe when i made it for dinner recently. Will definitely make again and I’ll be trying more recipes. Thank you, 5 stars.
I’m glad this worked well for both of you! Thanks for your comment and review, Dan.