Try this sweet & tangy classic Vietnamese dipping sauce known as Nước chấm. Made with fish sauce, fresh lime juice, garlic & sugar. A delicious spring roll dipping sauce or vermicelli sauce!
This Vietnamese dipping sauce is so full of flavor and delicious! It's perfectly salty with tons of umami flavor from the fish sauce, it's tangy from the fresh lime juice, and has just the right amount of sweetness.
Also known as Nước chấm, this is best described as a fish sauce vinaigrette with shredded carrots that's used widely in Vietnam as a spring roll or summer roll dipping sauce or a vermicelli noodle sauce.
Why you'll love this recipe
- It's a light, fat free sauce that doesn't weight you down
- Tons of flavor - tangy, bright, sweet, spicy, salty
- It's super versatile - you can use this to dip fresh spring rolls or fried spring rolls, wontons, vermicelli bowls, and more!
- Doubles as a marinade - add in chopped lemongrass and use this to marinate pork, chicken, beef, or seafood!
- Use it as a dressing - add this fish sauce vinaigrette to any Asian style salads
Ingredients you'll need
- Fish sauce - I recommend using this brand of fish sauce. It's not overly salty and has great flavor.
- Chilis - use any kind of red chilis. Thai chilis are great if you want it extra spicy.
- Vinegar - use a bright vinegar such as rice wine vinegar.
- Lime - fresh squeezed juice is best.
- Chili garlic sauce - (optional) if you want the sauce extra spicy.
- Carrots - Add this in right before serving so the carrots stay crunchy.
Instructions
- Set aside the carrots. Add the remaining ingredients together in a small bowl and stir together until the sugar dissolves completely.
- Add the carrots right before serving. You can also chili garlic sauce if you want it spicier.
Frequently asked questions
In Vietnamese, Nước chấm means "sauce" which can refer to any kind of sauce in general. Whereas, Nước mắm means "fish sauce"which is the main ingredient in this dipping sauce.
If you plan to make this ahead, I would leave out the carrots as they can wilt. Then store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. The saltiness of the sauce helps it stay fresh for longer.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this with the following dish:
- fresh spring rolls or summer rolls or fried egg rolls
- vermicelli noodle bowls
- dressing for Asian salads
- dip for vegetable or meat skewers
More Sauces:
- 3 Classic Spring Roll Dipping Sauces
- Remoulade Crab Cake Sauce
- Sweet and Tangy Sticky Soy Glaze
- Spicy Asian Chimichurri Sauce
Recipe
Classic Vietnamese Dipping Sauce (Nước chấm)
☑ Ingredients
- ¼ cup fish sauce - - see Note 1; vegetarian option in Note 2
- ¼ cup sugar
- ⅓ cup water
- 2 Tablespoons lime juice - - freshly squeezed (about half a lime)
- 2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar - - see Note 3
- 1 clove garlic - - finely diced
- 1 small Thai chili pepper - - finely diced
- 1 Tablespoon shredded carrot
- 1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce - - (optional)
Instructions
- Set the carrots aside. Add the remaining ingredients in a bowl and mix it together until the sugar completely dissolves. Add the shredded carrots right before serving. Makes about 1 cup of sauce.
✎ Recipe Notes
- Fish sauce brands: Different brands of fish sauce vary by saltiness and intensity. You may need to adjust the amounts slightly to according to your taste. If you find it too salty, add more water and sugar. For a tangier sauce add more lime juice or vinegar.
- For a vegan/vegetarian option: replace the fish sauce with light soy sauce. Dark soy sauce overwhelms the sauce and makes it too dark.
- You can skip the vinegar and replace the amount with lime juice but I prefer adding a bit of vinegar because it gives the sauce a bright flavor that the lime juice lacks. The lime juice adds a nice citrus flavor but isn't as tangy as vinegar.
- Storing leftovers: Place leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week.
- Make ahead: If you plan on making this ahead, leave out the shredded carrots and store the sauce in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Add the shredded carrots right before serving.
- Serve with these fresh vegetarian summer rolls.
- This recipe is featured in 3 Classic Spring Roll Dipping Sauces.
Nutrition
*Nutritional information is an estimate, calculated using online tools.
Debbie
This is the perfect Vietnamese dipping sauce that went perfect with my spring rolls. Tangy and a little spice..so good. This is a recipe I will be saving.
Tristin
This sauce has all the best flavors! Tangy and sweet! Delicious flavor that paired perfectly with fried egg rolls and wontons.
Sandhya Ramakrishnan
This is one of our favorite kind of dipping sauce. Is it possible to make this without the fish sauce and using a substitute? I really want to make some at home.
Jamie
Thanks Sandhya! You can substitute light soy sauce for the fish sauce and it would still taste great! 🙂
Dana
Yay! I had no idea it was so easy to make at home. We love it with fried egg rolls.
Chef Dennis
I am really loving this dipping sauce for spring rolls! It's so delicious!
Amy
What a versatile sauce. I love this at Vietnamese restaurants and can’t wait to try it with egg rolls and spring rolls.
Sunrita
We went to a Vietnamese restaurant the other day and they served Nuoc Cham with summer rolls and Bao! This tastes just like that sauce. Thanks so much!
Amanda Marie
I miss hitting the local Vietnamese restaurants and getting this sauce, but now I'm so inspired to try to make some at home, this looks really easy.
Frank
The perfect Vietnamese fish sauce. Good on everything, used this for dipping fried egg rolls.
Mama Maggie's Kitchen
It looks incredibly delicious. I wish this was in front of me to dip egg rolls in. I'll have to make this next time for my family.
Nancy
Love the flavors in this Vietnamese sauce! It's perfectly balanced. Delicious!
Jacqueline Debono
We don't have Vietnamese restaurants here in Italy! But I remember this sauce from a restaurant I went to in London. Definitely want to make it myself. I think it would be fabulous with prawns!
Margie
Hi Jamie!
I had previously tried your hoisin and peanut dipping sauces, and was looking forward to giving this one a go too. We eat a lot of Vietnamese food at home, and are always looking for new dishes to try. This dipping sauce was a real success. We served it with some grilled prawns, but I really believe the opportunities are endless!
Love the pop of colour from the shredded carrot. Thanks for another great recipe!
Mona
Yum!! I tried your hoisin dipping sauce a couple of weeks ago, and this was next on the "to try" list - and so glad I did. We made some spring rolls, and this was a really lovely sauce to dip them in. The flavours are perfectly balanced.
Jamie
Thanks Mona! I'm so glad you like this Vietnamese dipping sauce!
Emily Liao
I always wanted to learn how to make this dipping sauce! This was so easy and perfect for my spring rolls. Delicious!
Gloria
I love this homemade vietnamese sauce! I added chopped thai chilis to this and it was perfect. I'm going to use the leftovers in a salad dressing. You can never go wrong with easy recipes like this.
Clarissa
Great recipe for vietnamese dipping sauce! I added chopped Thai chilis for a bit of extra heat and used soy sauce to make it vegan. It was delicious with spring rolls!
Beth
I love this recipe! I've saved it to make this again with spring rolls! The flavors were spot on and just what I was looking for.
Alex
This is my favourite dipping sauce of all time, and this is the best recipe for it that I have come across.
Anastasia
I've made this Vietnamese fish sauce several times already and it's always spot on! Ever since coming back from a trip to Vietnam, I've been obsessed with nouc cham and put it on everything. This is the recipe I keep coming back to!