Thai Dipping Sauce – Nam Jim Jaew

Here is Thailand’s favourite dipping sauce for meat. It’s called Nam Jim Jaew and it’s made with tamarind paste, fish sauce, sugar and lots of finely chopped aromatics – garlic, chilli, eschalots and green onion. Tart, salty and a little bit sweet, it works so well with Thai meats

What is Nam Jim Jaew? Thailand’s favourite dipping sauce!

Nam Jim Jaew is a classic Thai dipping sauce traditionally served with grilled meats, especially Gai Yang and other BBQ dishes. It’s tangy, savoury, spicy and gets lovely fresh flavour from finely minced garlic, eschalots, green onion and chilli (if you dare!).

What to use this Thai Dipping Sauce for

Because it’s bright and punchy, it pairs beautifully with strongly flavoured meats like Gai Yang (Thai street-stall chicken), Southern Thai Turmeric Chicken and Thai meatballs. But it’s also incredibly versatile – the kind of sauce you’ll find yourself using for everything: as a salad dressing, drizzled over plain poached or pan fried proteins (like grilled or poached chicken or pan fried fish), or as a dipping sauce for dumplings, skewers and all sorts of appetisers.

Once you start making it, you’ll wonder how you lived without it. 🙂

Enjoy! – Nagi x

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Thai Dipping Sauce – Nam Jim Jaew

This is Thailand’s favourite dipping sauce for proteins. It is tart, salty, a little sweet and beautifully aromatic from the finely minced fresh aromatics mixed in. A little tamarind is what makes this distinctly Thai – it thickens the sauce so it clings to things, and makes it sour. Use leftovers for Pad Thai – it’s an essential ingredient! I like to use this to serve with meats, fish etc – it’s so flavourful, you can use it over a plain piece of cooked fish – though it’s also terrific as a salad dressing or dipping meatballs, spring rolls etc.Makes ~1/2 cup (125 ml)

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Recipe Notes:

Authenticity note: Traditional Nam Jim Jaew includes a small amount of ground toasted rice (~1 tsp) which adds a touch of toasty flavour and thickens the sauce slightly. I skip it here because I find the flavour and texture still fabulous without it (tamarind thickens it enough so it clings to), and it’s one less step! Thai friends, please don’t come for me – I promise the sauce is still delicious. 🙂
1. Tamarind is a sour fruit paste that gives Thai food its signature tang. It also thickens sauces as it is a paste, not a liquid. Key ingredient in Pad Thai!
I use tamarind puree here, not to be confused with tamarind paste or tamarind concentrate which is stronger and more sour. If you have tamarind paste, use half the amount.
Substitute with an extra squeeze of lime juice plus a teaspoon of ketchup (thickens and is the right colour, and the lime adds extra sour. This is my secret sub for Pad Thai too. Works so well!)
2. Eschalots – Also known as French onions, called “shallots” in the US. The ones that look like baby onions, they are not as harsh as regular onions, and also finer so good when you want little bits in sauces. Not to be confused with what some people in Australia call “shallots” ie the long green onions.
3. Spiciness – This sauce is often spicy in Thailand but it doesn’t mean it has to be! Feel free to skip the chilli. You can also use dried chili flakes. To control the spiciness, start with less and add more to taste.
Storage – Keeps for 2 days in the fridge. Not suitable for freezing (fresh flavours lost!).

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