Prik nam pla or nam pla prik is a spicy dipping sauce of Thai cuisine with a base of fish sauce. It’s super easy to make with only a handful of simple ingredients. Combined, the ingredients perfectly balance the tastes of sour, salty, sweet, and spicy. In this easy recipe, you will learn how to make an authentic version of this table condiment in less than 10 minutes.

What is prik nam pla

This authentic Thai dipping sauce is perfect for spicing up any dish. It can turn the simplest meal into a flavorful lunch or dinner. It’s no wonder it’s a standard with Thai street food.

But for Thai people, it’s more than just a sauce – it’s an everyday staple that’s easy to love and hard to resist. Whether you like it with noodles, fried rice, or any other stir-fry, a generous drizzle of this fish sauce condiment will level up your food in the blink of an eye.

A simple blend of fresh lime juice, white sugar, fish sauce, fresh chili peppers, and garlic is all that’s needed to create this quick and easy recipe.

Substitutions and adjustments

This Thai chili sauce recipe has been tested and perfect many times to bring you a fish sauce dip just like you’d get in Thailand.

But tastes are personal, so feel free to adjust this recipe to your preference. I’ve included some simple suggestions for changing the outcome of your dip. You can simply adjust the quantity of the ingredients to make it taste exactly how you like it best.

• For more or less heat, simply adjust the amount of fresh chili peppers. Mix red and green chilies to improve the visual appearance of your sauce.

• This recipe typically uses fresh Thai chilies, which are quite spicy. If you’re not a fan of spicy food, substitute them with milder chilies, for example Spanish chilies or jalapeños. Alternatively, you can remove the chili seeds, which is where most of the spiciness is centered.

• Increase or decrease the sour taste by adding more or less fresh lime juice.

• Adjust the amount of fish sauce to change the saltiness. Fish sauce has a really strong taste, so if you’re new to Thai cuisine, it’s best to use the suggested quantity.

• Add more or less sugar to control the sweetness.

Fish sauce

Fish sauce, which is made by fermenting fish with salt, is a key ingredient of this chili sauce. Like salt or soy sauce in other cuisines, it’s a must-have in Thai and Southeast Asian cooking, adding a special umami and salty flavor.

We frequently use it in our tasty summer salads like this green papaya salad, and in stir-fries such as pad mee korat.

Because fish sauce has a strong, salty taste, add a bit at a time and taste-test as you cook.

Taste-testing food while cooking is standard practice in Thai cooking. We don’t measure everything out, we cook to taste and adjust the flavors as we go.

Thai table condiment

Eating out in Thailand, you will find this essential dipping sauce served at nearly every Thai restaurant or street food market you go to. Most restaurants even put it out on the table, just like sugar and pepper in other countries.

We love using it to add extra seasoning and spice to our food.

My husband likes to combine it with his favorite Thai meal, which is pad kra pao (Thai holy basil stir-fry). Can you believe he has been eating pad kra pao for lunch nearly every day for the last year?!

Some Thai people like to pour it over some plain jasmine rice, including me!

Ingredients

All ingredients listed below can be found at Asian grocery stores or at Asian markets.

• Lime – Use fresh lime juice for the best results flavor-wise.

• White sugar – Brown sugar or palm sugar can be used as a healthy alternative to granulated sugar.

• Garlic – Raw garlic cloves are an essential ingredient.

• Thai chili peppers – Fresh Thai chilies are chopped into thin slices. Fresh chilies are a key ingredient for making this spicy Thai sauce. If you have a high spice-level, use Jinda chili peppers. You can also use bird’s eye chilies, which are even spicier.

• Fish sauce – A staple ingredient that is used in my Thai kitchen daily.

Short recipe video

Step-by-step instructions

Recipe notes

This classic Thai condiment packs quite a punch! If you’re not into spicy food, use fewer chilies or remove the seeds. Alternatively, swap the Jinda chilies for Spanish peppers, which are typically milder in spice.

How to serve

Whenever you’re enjoying a stir-fry like pork with garlic and pepper, cabbage stir-fry or fried rice, I suggest coming back to this chili sauce. You can also drizzle it over white jasmine rice, in fact you can use it to add a zesty kick to just about everything. Seafood, meat, noodles, you name it!

The great thing about this sauce is its versatility, it can be used with so many Thai dishes.

How to store

This traditional sauce can be stored at room temperature for up to 2–3 days, you can even leave it out on the table. In the refrigerator, you can store it for up to 2 weeks, sealed or in an airtight container.

Fun fact

“Nam pla” translates to fish sauce in Thai language, and the word “prik” translates to chilies. So, the name of this hot Thai sauce translates to: fish sauce with chilies.

Frequently asked questions (FAQ’s)

More spicy Thai sauces you’ll love

• Authentic nam prik ong recipe – This Northern Thai chili dip is made with ground pork, it’s so good that you can even enjoy it on its own.
• Nam jim jaew – My go-to recipe whenever I’m grilled meat, loaded with herbs and spices, yummy!
• Sweet chili sauce – An easy-to-make, delicious version of nam chim gai.
• You can find all my accompaniments here.

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Print Recipe

Prik Nam Pla (Thai Cuisine Dipping Sauce)

Author: Praew Cuisine: Asian cuisines Courses: Sauces Recipe Keys: Egg Free Low Carb Low Fat Nut Free O One Pot Spicy

Difficulty: Beginner Prep Time 5 min Cook Time 5 min Total Time 10 mins

Servings: 3 Calories: 28

Description

This authentic recipe for prik nam pla comes together quickly with simple ingredients.

Ingredients

Servings

• 1 teaspoon lime juice
• ¹⁄₂ tablespoon white sugar
• 5 tablespoons fish sauce
• 4 chilies (thinly sliced, Thai Jinda chilies)
• 4 cloves garlic

Instructions

1. Slice the fresh chilies into thin pieces, and thinly slice the garlic.

2. Combine all the ingredients – fish sauce, chopped chilies, fresh lime juice, chopped garlic, and sugar – in a large mixing bowl or cup. Stir with a spoon until the sugar completely dissolves, about 30 seconds. Serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts

Servings 3

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Amount Per Serving

Calories 28kcal

% Daily Value *

Total Fat 0.1g1%

Total Carbohydrate 5.5g2%

Dietary Fiber 0.3g2%

Sugars 3.5g

Protein 1.9g4%

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* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Note

• Use the nutrition card in this recipe as a guideline.
• If your spice-level is not high, substitute the fresh Jinda chilies for fresh Spanish peppers.

Keywords: prik nam pla, nam pla prik, prik nam pla recipe, spicy Thai dipping sauce

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