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Nuoc Cham Vietnamese Dipping Sauce

Nuoc cham is a spicy, salty, sweet, and sour Vietnamese dipping sauce made with chilis, fish sauce, and lime. Whip some up in 5 minutes!
Prep Time5 minutes
Total Time5 minutes
Course: condiments
Cuisine: Asian, Vietnamese
Servings: 1.5 cups
Author: Kevin

Ingredients

  • 1 cup hot water
  • 1/2 cup sugar (See Note 1)
  • 1/2 cup fresh lime juice (3 limes)
  • 1/2 cup fish sauce
  • 2 tsp chili paste
  • 3 cloves garlic finely minced
  • 1 red chile finely sliced (preferably bird's eye)
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Add hot water and sugar to a medium bowl or mason jar. Whisk or close lid and shake to combine.
  • Add lime juice, then taste for sweetness. The flavor should be similar to sweetened lemonade (or limeade). Add a tablespoon more if needed.
  • Add fish sauce, chili paste, garlic and whisk or close lid and shake to combine. Add the Thai chilies which add more heat.
  • Serve as a dipping sauce for spring rolls, egg rolls, summer rolls, or with beef, chicken, pork, or seafood.

Notes

  1. This is how I prefer the flavors as directed by ingredient amounts. The flavor of this dipping sauce can be adjusted to suit your taste preference. Add smaller amounts at a time, then taste for flavor and add more if needed. Remember, you can always add more of something, but you can't remove it after it's been added. It's important to taste the nuoc chom as you make it.
  1. Nutrition shown is for total 1 1/2 cups, as serving sizes may be different for each person.
  2. Store in airtight container, refrigerated, for 2 weeks.

Nutrition

Calories: 332kcal | Carbohydrates: 83g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 0.5g | Saturated Fat: 0.03g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 6086mg | Potassium: 464mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 73g | Vitamin A: 349IU | Vitamin C: 71mg | Calcium: 66mg | Iron: 1mg