Is Satay Sauce Vegan?

Wondering whether to order or cook with, that deliciously creamy sauce that is satay but not sure whether you can if you are a vegan? Well, you’ve come to the right place. Here you will finally find out, for good.

So, is satay sauce vegan? Most brands and recipes of satay sauce are vegan. Most will use naturally vegan-friendly ingredients, such as ground roasted peanuts, peanut butter, and coconut milk. However, there may be instances or variations that are not – so you may want to check product packaging, contact the manufacturer or ask the cook to double-check.

Thankfully, most of the time, you should be okay.

Or at least, you will have options to either purchase a vegan-friendly brand or make it yourself from scratch.

A recipe will follow shortly if you are keen on making it yourself, so stick around.

The trouble however is if you are eating out.

Perhaps you are going to a restaurant or ordering a takeaway.

Now, this does not necessarily mean the satay will not be vegan-free – but it is probably best to check.

Ask them; they will be able to let you know – even if you do feel a little uncomfortable in doing so.

But why is this sauce usually safe for us vegans? Let’s find out!

What Is Satay Sauce Made Of?

Satay sauce is typically made of roasted ground peanuts (or peanut butter), soy sauce, coconut milk, garlic, tamarind, and spices including coriander and cumin. Some recipes may also include sugar, chili peppers, lemongrass, and fried onion.

This is generally quite a thick sauce, but this can be offset by the inclusion of water too which tends to make it thinner in texture and consistency.

Now, of course, this is your average, typical recipe.

If you are buying store-bought satay sauce, you may see some variation.

Such as with the Thai Store Kitchen brand from Amazon.

If you peruse the ingredient list for this popular pre-made version you will find:

Water, Coconut Milk, Sugar, Soybean Oil, Peanut, Sesame Seed, Spices (Including Red Chili Pepper), Tamarind, Salt, Modified Tapioca Starch, Shallot, Garlic, Lemongrass, Lime Peel, Citric Acid & Turmeric.

You’ll also find on the product page: “gluten-free and vegan”.

Excellent news.

A great option right there to buy if you want to buy some.

Or failing this, you can always use the filter on the left-hand side of Amazon on your search for satay sauce. Ensure ‘Vegan’ is selected in the specialty section and you should only bring up certified vegan brands.

But back to our example above – can you see the slight variation in ingredients from the traditional recipe?

That’s why it is always important to check a satay sauce is vegan-free.

Especially in restaurants where they may have their own recipes, variations, or twists.

In reality, while there is always a common recipe – brands, cooks, and chefs like to experiment – and this may not always work in your favor!

How To Make Your Own Vegan Satay Sauce

If you want to ensure, and guarantee, that you are eating an entirely vegan-friendly satay sauce, then you can always make some from scratch.

Finally

Satay sauce, sometimes or otherwise known as peanut sauce, is almost inherently vegan.

When you look at the traditional recipe ingredient list, you’ll soon realize how this is the case.

Nevertheless, this is where the issue lies.

Traditional recipe ingredient list – is this being followed?

Is there a variation on it?

If that is the case then this sauce may not be vegan.

So do question and ask.

Whether that is the manufacturer or the cook.

You can never be too careful.

It’s generally always best to ask!

Are you wondering what other sauces may be vegan? Well, check out my guides below:

• Is Kewpie Mayo Vegan?
• Is A1 Sauce Vegan?
• Is Sweet Baby Rays Vegan?
• Is Tomato Ketchup Vegan?
• Is Tartar Sauce Vegan?
• Is Hoisin Sauce Vegan?
• Is Curry Sauce Vegan?
• Are Chick Fil A Sauces Vegan?
• Is Nandos Sauce Vegan?