Mookata Sauce Recipe (Thai BBQ Sauce)
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This mookata sauce recipe makes the spicy, savory Thai BBQ dipping sauce you get at mookata restaurants all over Thailand. It’s quick to make, easy to adjust to your taste, and pairs great with all types of grilled meat and seafood.
If you’ve ever had mookata you know the sauce is what makes the meat taste so addictive. I make it at least once a week, this is the exact recipe we use in my family.
What is mookata sauce?
Mookata sauce is a Thai dipping sauce usually made with fresh chilies, garlic, coriander root, sesame seeds, sugar, and seasonings. The flavor should taste spicy, savory, slightly sweet, nutty, and punchy enough to cut through rich grilled meat.
In Thailand, it’s always served with mookata, a popular Thai barbecue and hot pot meal where meat is grilled while broth cooks around the edges of the pan.
Before you start
The biggest thing about making Thai barbecue sauce is balancing the spicy, sweet, and tangy flavors to your own taste. Don’t stress too much about getting it perfect immediately because the flavor changes slightly as the sauce cools and sits.
There’s also no single “official” version in Thailand. Some restaurants make it sweeter, some more sour, and others extremely spicy. That’s why homemade versions are actually great because you can adjust everything exactly how you like it.
If it’s your first time making this sauce, I recommend starting milder first and then adjusting after tasting. Thai chilies become surprisingly spicy very quickly, especially after blending.
Another thing that helps is tasting the sauce with grilled meat instead of by itself. On its own, the sauce can taste intense, but once paired with grilled meat, seafood, or vegetables, everything balances out.
Praew ♡
Learn Thai cooking step by step
My cookbook is a combination of authentic Thai recipes and Western dishes cooked with Thai flavors and ingredients. It’s a great starting point if you’re new to Thai cooking or want to cook it more often.
Ingredient notes & substitutes
You can find everything at Asian grocery stores or markets. Head to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the exact measurements.
- Chilies: Thai Jinda chilies or bird’s eye chilies work best. Start with fewer if you’re sensitive to spice because the heat builds quickly.
- Coriander root: If unavailable, use coriander stems instead, though the flavor won’t be quite as strong.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic gives the sauce its savory punch and aroma.
- Chili sauce: I usually use store-bought Thai sriracha sauce or my homemade hot sauce.
- Tomato ketchup: This adds sweetness and tanginess.
- Palm sugar: Palm sugar gives a softer caramel-like sweetness compared to white sugar.
- White vinegar: Adds brightness and balances the rich grilled meats. You can swap this for 3 tbsp of tamarind paste if preferred.
- Water: Helps thin the sauce slightly so it coats the meat properly instead of feeling too thick.
- Toasted sesame seeds: These give the sauce its nutty flavor and are one of the things that make this dip sauce so recognizable.
How to make Thai BBQ sauce
1. Blend the aromatics: Blend the chilies, garlic, and coriander root until finely chopped.
Don’t worry if it looks rough instead of perfectly smooth. Slight texture actually makes the sauce so good.
2. Cook until fragrant: Add the chili mixture to a wok or saucepan over medium heat and cook briefly until fragrant.
You only need about 20 seconds. Garlic burns quickly and can turn bitter if overcooked.
3. Build the sauce: Add water, palm sugar, chili sauce, ketchup, and vinegar. Stir until the palm sugar fully dissolves.
4. Finish with sesame seeds: Stir in the roasted sesame seeds and turn off the heat. Save a few extra sesame seeds for sprinkling on top before serving
Taste the sauce. It should taste spicy and savory first, then slightly sweet and tangy afterward. Don’t worry if the sauce tastes slightly strong on its own. Once you dip hot grilled meat into it, the flavor balances out perfectly.
How it’s served in Thailand
This sauce is traditionally served with mookata or Thai barbecue, but honestly it works with almost anything grilled. Keep the sauce right in the middle of the table so everyone can spoon more into their bowls.
I especially love it with:
- grilled pork
- grilled squid
- shrimp or prawns
It also doubles as a really good hot pot or steamboat dipping sauce.
How to store
Store the sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. The flavor actually gets a little better after a day because the garlic, chilies, and sesame have more time to blend together.
Mookata Sauce Recipe (Thai BBQ Sauce)
Equipment
- Small blender or food processor
- Wok, saucepan, or skillet
- Spatula or spoon for stirring
Ingredients
- 15 Thai Jinda chilies, adjust to taste
- 10 cloves garlic
- 4 coriander roots
- just under ½ cup chili sauce, see notes
- ⅓ cup water
- ⅓ cup tomato ketchup
- 5 tbsp palm sugar
- 1 tbsp + 1 tsp vinegar
- 2 tbsp roasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Blend the aromatics: Add the chilies, garlic, and coriander root to a small blender or food processor. Blend until finely chopped.
- Cook the chili mixture: Heat a wok or saucepan over medium heat. Add the blended mixture and cook for about 20 seconds until fragrant.
- Season the sauce: Stir in water, palm sugar, chili sauce, ketchup, and vinegar. Cook while stirring until the palm sugar fully dissolves.
- Finish with sesame seeds: Stir in the roasted sesame seeds and turn off the heat. Taste and adjust the spice, sweetness, or tanginess if needed.
Notes
- Use the nutrition card in this recipe as a guideline.